Spatial pressures, including the location of new activities and infrastructure, as well as changes in land use and land cover, are continuously increasing in both terrestrial and marine areas. These pressures create environmental challenges that require integrated spatial planning which incorporates the principles of environmental policy for the sustainable management of areas.
An integrated spatial planning system requires, among other things, the integration of geospatial information and the use of spatial modelling techniques to support evidence-based decision making. Spatial models make it possible to integrate environmental, social and economic criteria into a common analytical framework, allowing the evaluation of planning alternatives, the development of future scenarios and the assessment of policy options.
The overall aim of this course is to introduce students to the principles of GIS-based spatial modelling, with an emphasis on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) as a decision-support tool for environmental planning and policy. Through a real-world case study, students will learn how to formulate a spatial problem, prepare geospatial data, develop and evaluate a spatial model, and critically interpret its results in the context of planning and policy applications.
- Instructor: Evangelia - Theodora (Eva) Derdemezi