Integrating technologies for visual resource management

This thesis investigates the conceptual and methodological issues for the development of
Intelligent Spatial Decision Support Systems (ISDSS). These are spatial decision support
systems (SDSS) integrating intelligent systems techniques (Genetic Algorithms, Neural
Networks, Expert Systems, Fuzzy Logic and Nonlinear methods) with traditional modelling and
statistical methods for the analysis of spatial problems.
The principal aim of this work is to verify the feasibility of heterogeneous systems for
spatial decision support derived from a combination of traditional numerical techniques and
intelligent techniques in order to provide superior performance and functionality to that achieved
through the use of traditional methods alone.
This thesis is composed of four distinct sections: (i) a taxonomy covering the
employment of intelligent systems techniques in specific applications of geographical
information systems and SDSS; (ii) the development of a prototype ISDSS; (iii) application of
the prototype ISDSS to modelling the spatiotemporal dynamics of high technology industry in
the South-East of England; and (iv) the development of ISDSS architectures utilising
interapplication communication techniques.
Existing approaches for implementing modelling tools within SDSS and GIS generally
fall into one of two schemes - loose coupling or tight coupling - both of which involve a tradeoff
between generality and speed of data interchange. In addition, these schemes offer little use
of distributed processing resources.
A prototype ISDSS was developed in collaboration with KPMG Peat Marwick's High
Technology Practice as a general purpose spatiotemporal analysis tool with particular regard to
modelling high technology industry. The GeoAnalyser system furnishes the user with animation
and time plotting tools for observing spatiotemporal dynamics; such tools are typically not found
in existing SDSS or GIS. Furthermore, GeoAnalyser employs the client/server model of
distributed computing to link the front end client application with the back end modelling
component contained within the server application. GeoAnalyser demonstrates a hybrid approach
to spatial problem solving - the application utilises a nonlinear model for the temporal evolution
of spatial variables and a genetic algorithm for calibrating the model in order to establish a good
fit for the dataset under investigation.
Several novel architectures are proposed for ISDSS based on existing distributed systems
technologies. These architectures are assessed in terms of user interface, data and functional
integration. Implementation issues are also discussed.
The research contributions of this work are four-fold: (i) it lays the foundation for ISDSS
as a distinct type of system for spatial decision support by examining the user interface,
performance and methodological requirements of such systems; (ii) it explores a new approach
for linking modelling techniques and SDSS; (iii) it investigates the possibility of modelling high
technology industry; and (iv) it details novel architectures for ISDSS based on distributed
systems.

Intelligent spatial decision support systems

The research described in this report was one of the building blocks of a project on Expert Systems for Integrated Development: A Case Study of Shanxi Province, a collaboration between IIASA's Advanced Computer Applications (ACA) group and the State Science and Technology Commission of the People's Republic of China. 

REPLACE is one of the true "expert systems" components of the Shanxi Province prototype; not only was it implemented in Prolog, which made it attractive to the ACA project and its Chinese colleagues, it also represents, with a considerable amount of hindsight, an extension to the decision support philosophy of "satisficing", cultivated at IIASA's Methods and Decision Analysis (MDA) project. 

Combining a soft optimization paradigm with Prolog's power to use numerical, as well as symbolic, descriptors in describing a location's properties as well as an activity's requirements, and matching them, using logic rather than number crunching, resulted in a system of considerable appeal and great promise. Adding the graphical interaction and display features that are the hallmark of ACA's developments resulted in a package that impressively illustrates the underlying concepts and ideas in computational geography and locational analysis.

Functional Classification of Space: Aspects of Site Suitability Assessment in a Decision Support Environment

Processes and tools for decision support

This article reviews the planning profession's changing views of the role of computer technology in planning practice, research, and education. It begins by reviewing the literature reflecting the ...

Evolving Views of Computer-Aided Planning

In the first part of this paper a view is presented of what environmental planning is and how it can be implemented, providing in support a brief review of key literature on planning theory and pra...

P T Compagnoni

Papers

Roles for Knowledge-Based Systems in Environmental Planning