Book Review: Spatial Decision Support for Urban and Environmental Planning: A Collection of Case Studies, Edited by Davide Geneletti and Alias Abdullah

Abstract

This is the first publication by Geneletti and Abdullah which brings together a concise selection of case studies of spatial decision support tools and applications. The array of tools and techniques in this edited collection of case studies includes a number of spatial planning and decision support systems that have been applied in a range of contexts from Europe, South East Asia and Latin America. The book begins with an introduction of spatial decision support tools for urban and environmental planning by Klosterman. This sets the scene highlighting the important role information technology and spatial models play in supporting planning-based activities. The introduction provides a good segue into the first chapter by Sharifi and Zucca who introduce the reader to the concept of integrated planning and decision support systems where a comprehensive conceptual framework for planning and decision making is illustrated. The authors then describe the use of the Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) module within the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) to undertake a selection of suitable sites and designs for a new park in northern Italy. The second chapter by Sante-Riveria, Crecent-Maseda, Boullon-Magan and Miranda-Barross describes the use of the RUral Land-use Exploration System (RULES) for the purpose of comprehensive rural urban land use planning in northwest Spain. A modular approach is taken by firstly undertaking land evaluation through a number of land suitability analysis techniques. Next, an area optimisation module has been run to solve a GIS-based linear programming model. Finally, the spatial allocation module utilises the RULES spatial decision support system (SDSS) Appl. Spatial Analysis DOI 10.1007/s12061-009-9029-5