SUMMARY
This research deals with the development of a tool to enable designers, decision-makers and citizens to jointly shape the physical environments they inhabit, through interaction and communication via electronic networks. The designing of physical environment becomes the collective responsibility of all interested societal actors, who together form a 'designing system'. This research defines a 'designing system' as a temporary alliance of people responsible for decisions about the spatial development of an area, consisting of public and private investors, and citizens.
This research involved the integration of theoretical knowledge, empirical knowledge and information communication technologies (ICT) in order to develop a tool, the decision support system called Delta·M.
The theoretical background of the research originates from the theories of citizenship (Van Gunsteren), pluricentric decision making (Teisman) and electronic democracy (which is very much based on the theory of Habermas). Empirical knowledge is gained through four case studies. The possibilities of ICT were used to accommodate the theoretical background. This resulted in the proposition for the development of the Delta·M Decision Support System as a tool that should help 'designing systems' to jointly shape their metropolitan environments. The purpose of the tool is to improve the quality and speed of spatial decision making.
The research resulted in the design of the conceptual model of the Delta·M DSS and the prototype application of a part of the conceptual model.
The conceptual model provides a complete description of the Delta·M DSS so that thereafter it can be easily constructed and implemented in spatial planning practice. The computational aspect of the conceptual model is provided by the combination of Object-Oriented Database System, Semantic Web and Liquid Technologies for data visualization. The Delta·M DSS is developed for an open planning process and will be implemented via the Internet.
In the prototype of the Delta·M DSS, part of the conceptual model, the matching system, is developed and tested. It is available at http://www.bk.tudelft.nl/ai/deltametropool/deltam.htm
The aim of the prototype is to help individual citizens to orient themselves and choose from among many different spatial plans that are available for a certain territory. The testing of the prototype has shown that it is already sufficiently mature to be implemented in spatial planning practice.
The novelties of this research are that it conceives of the designing system as most convenient for the improvement of the quality and speed of decision making in spatial planning, and it translates the ideal-utopist theories of van Gunsteren and Teisman into a practical application, which raises the implementation potential of the theories and provides the possibility for their testing in real life. This research also results in an integrated DSS that can support the complete process of plan development, from the sketchpad to the final decision and, finally, this research results in an operational prototype, which can be implemented in spatial planning practice.
