Digital Planning - Decision Support Systems

PLAN60962 Digital Planning - Decision Support Systems 15 Semester 2 Postgraduate Taught Level 6 Nuno Pinto Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 Evidence-based decision making is central to contemporary urban issues and policy design and monitoring. The consolidation of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as widely used tools for data management and advanced analysis via intensive use of data and methods to process and map this data have changed the focus of traditional spatial analysis towards a fully fledge use of digital tools.Spatial and policy analysis knowledge and methods, supported by digital tools, is a central set of knowledge and skills for professionals in urban planning and policy related areas.Acknowledging the ongoing significant shift in the UK and worldwide urban agendas towards a comprehensive digital approach to urban planning and policy design and monitoring, the course addresses basic and complex issues and delivers an essential toolkit for graduates to be effective professionals in providing robust, intelligible and accessible evidence for all domains of decision support.This course unit focus on the use of decision support methods and techniques in multiple areas of spatial planning, urban design and transport planning.The content of the course unit is aligned with the content PLAN60761 Digital Planning – Spatial and Policy Analysis to complement the training on quantitative methods in urban planning and policy design and monitoring.This course unit is key to development of the topical data-driven approach to urban planning, in line with the current policy agenda on future cities, big data and artificial intelligence, as well as in the UN New Urban Agenda in its multiple layers of good decision-making procedures for sustainable development. The theoretical and methodological content of the course is key for training future professionals in working in decision making in current data-driven environment, both in the context of developed countries but also in developing countries of the Global South. Evidence-based decision making is central to contemporary urban issues and policy design and monitoring. The consolidation of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as widely used tools for data management and advanced analysis via intensive use of data and methods to process and map this data have changed the focus of traditional spatial analysis towards a fully fledge use of digital tools.Spatial and policy analysis knowledge and methods, supported by digital tools, is a central set of knowledge and skills for professionals in urban planning and policy related areas.Acknowledging the ongoing significant shift in the UK and worldwide urban agendas towards a comprehensive digital approach to urban planning and policy design and monitoring, the course addresses basic and complex issues and delivers an essential toolkit for graduates to be effective professionals in providing robust, intelligible and accessible evidence for all domains of decision support.This course unit focus on the use of decision support methods and techniques in multiple areas of spatial planning, urban design and transport planning.The content of the course unit is aligned with the content PLAN60761 Digital Planning – Spatial and Policy Analysis to complement the training on quantitative methods in urban planning and policy design and monitoring.This course unit is key to development of the topical data-driven approach to urban planning, in line with the current policy agenda on future cities, big data and artificial intelligence, as well as in the UN New Urban Agenda in its multiple layers of good decision-making procedures for sustainable development. The theoretical and methodological content of the course is key for training future professionals in working in decision making in current data-driven environment, both in the context of developed countries but also in developing countries of the Global South.The content of the course unit includes the following four main blocks (assuming the fieldtrip week on week 9):<ol> <li>Urban and spatial analysis: indicators, land use planning and urban design rules (Week 1)</li> <li>Introduction to decision support methods: multi-criteria analysis, cost-benefit analysis, optimisation methods (Weeks 2, 3 and 4)</li> <li>Introduction to advanced spatial modelling: Cellular automata and agent based models, discrete choice modelling, spatial interaction modelling (weeks 5, 6, 7 and 10)</li> <li>Collaborative decision/planning support systems: the GeoDesign framework (weeks 11 and 12)</li></ol>Surgery to support the realisation of the first assignment will happen on week 8 (immediately before the field trip and Easter break). The course unit has the following aims:<ul> <li>To present the main theoretical grounds of using quantitative approaches based in ICT methods and tools in urban planning;</li> <li>To illustrate how to use basic concepts from other areas of knowledge to capture and understand the complexity of urban systems;</li> <li>To introduce methodologies that include advanced modelling in urban planning </li> <li>To develop further and consolidate the use of data in urban planning </li> <li>To develop a critical opinion about the use of decision support systems in urban planning</li></ul> <ul> <li>Be able to critically assess the validity of using quantitative methods in decision making processes in planning; </li> <li>Understand the main processes of reducing complex systems to modelling entities considering the basic modelling assumption; </li> <li>Understand how form and complex socioeconomic dynamics play a central role in complex urban systems;</li></ul> <ul> <li> Have a critical opinion about the use of advanced quantitative tools in urban planning and urban design; </li> <li>Understand the potential and limitations of using quantitative methods in urban planning; </li> <li>Be able to take decisions about the recommendation and implementation of their use in real-world case studies;</li></ul> <ul> <li> Be able to use quantitative methods widely used in decision making in planning at multiple   scales across multiple planning systems; </li> <li>Be able to integrate the use of these models with GIS-based solutions; </li> <li>Be able to work with different quantitative methods and analytical and modelling concepts used in professional practice;</li></ul> <ul> <li>Be able to investigate and develop research on modelling concepts; </li> <li>Be able to develop quantitative approaches to other planning problems in the different areas of planning.</li></ul> The course will use a combination of lectures, practical workshops, some of them using the flipped classroom approach with support of online courses, and surgeries.The course will have in-classroom synchronous lectures, some asynchronous lectures, support readings and many homework activities that will be subsequently discussed in in-classroom synchronous discussion sessions.This module will be delivered through a combination of teaching methods with a strong emphasis on the importance of hands-on experience and small group learning.The teaching will be largely based on introductory lectures and practical workshops that will be taken by students in class, with a follow-up discussion session to consolidate that knowledge based on relevant readings.The practical workshops will focus on hands-on exercises using mock reality case studies and real-world case studies to allow students to understand the potential and limitations of the use of decision support systems.There will be surgery sessions to support the elaboration of course work.The course will use a series of free online workshops called Master in Geographical Modelling developed with Erasmus+ funding by the course convener with a consortium of European Universities. 0 Other 100% <figure class="table"><table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tbody><tr><td style="border:1px solid black;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:151px;">Assessment task</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top:1px solid black;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">Length</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top:1px solid black;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">Weighting within unit (if relevant)</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left:1px solid black;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:151px;">Assignment 1 - Group Report Groups of 3 or 4 members Mock reality exercise (with theoretical instances) that allows students to test many of the quantitative and modelling tools presented in the course</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">(1500 words for groups of 3; 2000 words for groups of 4)</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">25%</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left:1px solid black;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:151px;">Assignment 2 – Individual Essay on the development and use of concepts of decision support systems in urban planning with conceptual examples of application of a method </td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">Individual assignment: 2000 word essay.</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid black;border-left-style:none;border-right:1px solid black;border-top-style:none;padding:0cm 7px;vertical-align:top;width:150px;">75%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> Via weekly practical sessions, verbal feedback on presentation and final summative feedback via submission platform, 15 work days.  MSc Global Urban Devel & Plan MSc Global Urban Devel & Plan PGDT Taught Component Optional MSc Planning FT MSc Planning FT PGDT Taught Component Optional MSc Planning PT MSc Planning PT PGDT Taught Component Optional MSc Urban Regen and Develop MSc Urban Regen & Develop PGDT Taught Component Optional N Batty, Michael, 2013, The New Science of Cities, MIT PressGeertman, Stan, Stillwell, John (Eds.), 2009, Planning Support Systems Best Practice and New Methods, GeoJournal LibraryGeertman, Stan, Toppen, Fred, Stillwell, John (Eds.), 2013, Planning Support Systems for Sustainable Urban Development, Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and CartographyBeinat, Euro, Nijkamp, Peter (Eds), 1998, Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management, Springer Schofield, John, 1987, Cost Benefit Analysis in Urban and Regional Planning, RoutledgeEuropean Commission, 2014, Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects Lectures 11 Practical classes & workshops 22 0 117