A GIS for Urban Sustainability Indicators in Spatial Planning

A GIS for Urban Sustainability Indicators in Spatial Planning

E. Stylianidis N. Karanikolas D. Kaimaris 

School of Urban-Regional Planning and Development Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Page: 
1-13
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V7-N1-1-13
Received: 
N/A
| |
Accepted: 
N/A
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

Urban development and alterations in local/urban/sub-urban expansion plans is usually based on the analysis of spatial indicators and how they induce the future development in a specific area. For this structural reason the alterations of urban plans mainly occur under a surface observation and analysis of the spatial characteristics. Examining the issue under a more comprehensive framework we also focus on other characteristics such as social and economic policies, health and education, transportation, commercial, etc. that dominate on the development. Thus, urban sustainability indicators from a broad spectrum of activities should be introduced during urban planning. This paper investigates and analyzes the use of such urban sustainability indicators in spatial planning through the use of geographical information systems (GIS) designed for this reason.

Keywords: 

GIS, spatial knowledge, sustainability indicators, urban/spatial planning

  References

[1] European Commission, DG XI, European Sustainable Cities. Brussels: European Commission, 1996.

[2] Graymore L.M.M., Wallis M.A. & Richards J.A., An Index of Regional Sustainability: A GISbased multiple criteria analysis decision support system for progressing sustainability, Ecological Complexity, 6(4), pp. 453–462, 2009. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecocom.2009.08.006

[3] Hammond, A., Adriaane, A., Rodenburg, E., Bryant, D. & Woodward, R., Environmental Indicators: a Systematic Approach to Measuring and Reporting on Environmental Policy Performance in the Context of Sustainable Development, WRI, USA, 1995.

[4] Shaw, S-L. & Wang, D., Handling Disaggregate Spatiotemporal Travel Data in GIS. GeoInformatica, 4(2), pp. 161–178, 2000. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1009824122914

[5] Wang, D. & Cheng T., A Spatio-temporal Data Model for Activity-based Transport Demand Modelling. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 15(6), pp. 561–585, 2001. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13658810110046934

[6] Frihida, A., Marceau D. & Thériault M., Spatio-temporal object-oriented data model for disaggregate travel behaviour. Transactions in GIS, 6(3), pp. 277–294, 2002. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9671.00111

[7] Couclelis, H., People manipulate objects (but cultivate fi elds): beyond the raster-vector debatein GIS. Theories and Methods of Spatio- Temporal Reasoning in Geographic Space, eds A.U. Frank, I. Campari & U. Formentini, Springer Verlag: Berlin, pp. 65–77, 1992.

[8] Frank A.U. & Campari I., Spatial Information Theory, Springer-Verlag: Berlin, 1993.

[9] Egenhofer, M.J. & Herring, J.R., Categorizing Binary Topological Relations between Regions, Lines, and Points in Geographic Databases. Technical Report, Department of Surveying Engineering, University of Maine: Orono, 1991.

[10] Burrough, P.A. & Frank, A.U., Geographic objects with indeterminate boundaries. Taylor & Francis: London, 1996.

[11] Yuan, W., James, P., Hodgson, K., Hutchinson, S.M., Shi, C., Development of sustainability indicators by communities in China: a case study of Chongming County, Shanghai. Journal of Environmental Management, 68, pp. 253–261, 2003. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4797(03)00063-X

[12] European Commission, Towards a local sustainability profi le: European common indicators. Working Group on measuring, monitoring and evaluation in local sustainability, Expert Group on the urban environment. Offi ce for Offi cial Publication of the European Communities, 2000.

[13] Walter, G.R. & Wilkerson, O., Community sustainability auditing. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 41, pp. 673–682, 1998. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640569811362

[14] Valentin, A. & Spangenberg, J.H., A guide to community sustainability indicators. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 20, pp. 381–392, 2000. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0195-9255(00)00049-4

[15] Von Euler, F., An objective indicator of functional integrity in avian communities. Forest Ecology and Management, 115, pp. 221–229, 1999. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00401-0

[16] Alexander, G., Information-based tools for building community and sustainability. Future, 32, pp. 317–337, 2000. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0016-3287(99)00100-7

[17] Kammerbauer, J., Cordoba, B., Escolan, R., Flores, S., Ramirez, V. & Zeledon, J., Identifi cation of development indicators in tropical mountainous regions and policy designs: an integrated community case study. Ecological Economics, 36, pp. 45–60, 2001. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(00)00206-8

[18] Whitford, V., Ennos, A.R. & Handley, J F., City form and natural process—indicators for the ecological performance of urban areas and their application to Merseyside, UK. Landscape and Urban Planning, 57, pp. 91–103, 2001. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00192-X

[19] Meadows, D., Indicators and Information Systems for Sustainable Development. Hartland Four Corners, VT: The Sustainable Institute, 1999.

[20] Ward, C.J., Environment Indicators for State of the Environment Reporting. Information Paper No. 21. Canterbury, New Zealand: Centre for Resource Management Press, 1990.

[21] Environment Canada, State of the Environment Reporting Indicators Task Force. A report on Canada’s progress towards a national set of environmental indicators. State of the Environment Report, no. 91–1. Supply & Services: Ottawa, 1991.

[22] Holten-Andersen, J., Christensen, N., Kristiansen, L.W., Kristensen, P. & Lennarrt, E., The state of the environment in Denmark, Technical Report, No. 1. Arhus: National Environment Research Institute, 1998.

[23] Alberti, M. & Parker, J., Indices of environmental quality: in search of credible measures. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 11, pp. 110–136, 1991.

[24] Harris, T.M., Weiner, D., Warner, T. & Levin, R., Pursuing Social Goals Through Participatory GIS: Redressing South Africa’s Historical Political Ecology. Ground Truth, ed. John Pickles, Guilford Press: New York, pp. 196–222, 1995.

[25] Rundstrom, A.R., GIS, Indigenous Peoples, and Epistemological Diversity. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22(1), pp. 45–57, 1995. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1559/152304095782540564

[26] Obermeyer, J.N. & Pinto J.K., Managing Geographic Information Systems, Guilford Press: New York, 1994.

[27] Obermeyer, J.N., The Hidden GIS Technocracy. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22(1), pp. 78–83, 1995. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1559/152304095782540609

[28] Sheppard, E., GIS and Society: Towards a Research Agenda. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22(1), pp. 5–16, 1995. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1559/152304095782540555

[29] Harris, T. & Elmes, G., The Application of GIS in Urban and Regional Planning: A Review of the North American Experience. Applied Geography, 13, pp. 9–27, 1993. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0143-6228(93)90077-E

[30] Nedovic-Budic, Z., Evaluating the Effects of GIS Technology: Review of Methods, Journal of Planning Literature, 13(3), pp. 284–295, 1999. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/08854129922092405

[31] Blaschke, Th., Sustainability with GIS? Towards a proactive nature conservation approach. New Developments in GIS, eds J. Johnston & M. Gomarasca, Ann Arbor, pp. 198–209, 1997.

[32] Bahaire, T. & Elliott-White M., The application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in sustainable tourism planning: A review. International Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7(2), pp. 159–174, 1999. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669589908667333

[33] Dalumpines, R., Using RS and GIS in developing indicators to support urban transport ecological footprint analysis: the case of Ahmedabad city, India. MSc. Thesis. ITC, The Netherlands, 2008.

[34] Marr J.A., Pascoe T.R. & Benwell L.G., Interoperable GIS and Spatial Process Modelling. Proc. of the 2nd annual conference of GeoComputation ‘97 & SIRC ‘97, University of Otago: New Zealand, 1997.