Space allocation of urban facilities is a critical field of decision making in urban planning. Supposing that Geographic Information (GI) provide us with more objective parameters for space allocation, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is used by urban planners. But usage of GIS in urban planning is limited to simple analyses believing that complex spatial analyzes complicate the currently e...

Starting in the 60s and 70s, the potentials of computer use for scientists and urban planners in the upcoming years with Planning Support Systems (PSS) was considered very promising. After a time of euphoria, the following years had been a disillusionment of this prediction, however starting in the recent years, the circumstances changed dramatically. Cities are full of ubiquitous information t...

The transfer of knowledge between planners and business decision makers can be improved when planners combine traditional visualizations with business knowledge visualizations. Today architects and urban planners use visualization methods such as sketches, diagrams, drawings, renderings, models and animations to illustrate their projects. While spending an enormous amount of time to illustrate ...

Over the last 50 years, the world has faced dramatic growth of its urban population. In 2007 the amount of urban residents has outnumbered the rural population for the first time in history and by the year 2030 already two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities [1]. The number of so-called mega cities –cities with more than 10 million inhabitants– increased in the period...

Sustainability assessment methods have gained the attention between urban planners and policymakers since they promote a comprehensive view of cities. Intelligent solutions, enabled by advances in information technologies, can accelerate progress achieving sustainability goals. In this context, City Information Modelling (CIM) emerges as tool to facilitate implementation. Accordingly, main ques...

This article presents the development and application of a methodology that employs optimization not to seek the single or few optimal plan(s) but to provide planners with a systematic overview of their decision space. As urban development projects are not only subject to decisions of planners but also to those of many actors, the insight about how different actors would decide based on the dec...

Nordic cooperation is one of the world's most extensive forms of regional and Nordregio have developed and shared knowledge about sustainable urban development, planning and green growth. Working in close collaboration with representatives from ministries and national authorities, policymakers and municipal and regional planners within larger Nordic city-regions, we have identified a number of ...

water is being left in rivers to sustain the valuable environmental services that they provide to society. This is jeopardizing species that depend on fresh water—as well as the livelihoods of farmers, fishers, and downstream communities and water users. Tools have now been developed to help planners establish the water needs of specific environments, even when little data is available. But pol...

This paper argues that a hybrid role for urban planners has emerged within the largely neoliberalised spaces of contemporary Australian governance. This new role is one that transcends previously rigid or clearly defined sectoral positions to blend public, private and community responsibilities in novel and complex ways. The first section of the paper briefly sketches the historical shifts that...