Serious Games as Planning Support Systems: Learning from Playing Maritime Spatial Planning Challenge 2050

The inherent complexity of planning at sea, called maritime spatial planning (MSP), requires a planning approach where science (data and evidence) and stakeholders (their engagement and involvement) are integrated throughout the planning process. An increasing number of innovative planning support systems (PSS) in terrestrial planning incorporate scientific models and data into multi-player digital game platforms with an element of role-play. However, maritime PSS are still early in their innovation curve, and the use and usefulness of existing tools still needs to be demonstrated. Therefore, the authors investigate the serious game, MSP Challenge 2050, for its potential use as an innovative maritime PSS and present the results of three case studies on participant learning in sessions of game events held in Newfoundland, Venice, and Copenhagen. This paper focusses on the added values of MSP Challenge 2050, specifically at the individual, group, and outcome levels, through the promotion of the knowledge co-creation cycle. During the three game events, data was collected through participant surveys. Additionally, participants of the Newfoundland event were audiovisually recorded to perform an interaction analysis. Results from survey answers and the interaction analysis provide evidence that MSP Challenge 2050 succeeds at the promotion of group and individual learning by translating complex information to players and creating a forum wherein participants can share their thoughts and perspectives all the while (co-) creating new types of knowledge. Overall, MSP Challenge and serious games in general represent promising tools that can be used to facilitate the MSP process.

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Bottlenecks Blocking Widespread Usage of Planning Support Systems

Environment and Planning A Economy and Space ◽

10.1068/a3712 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 909-924 ◽

Cited By ~ 175

Author(s):

Guido Vonk ◽

Stan Geertman ◽

Paul Schot

Keyword(s):

Spatial Planning ◽

Online Survey ◽

Support Systems ◽

Supply Side ◽

Planning Support Systems ◽

Planning Practice ◽

Relative Lack ◽

Business Studies ◽

Planning Support ◽

Potential Benefits

Research on planning support systems (PSS) is characterized by a strong emphasis on the supply side, whereas little research has been undertaken on the successes and failures in the adoption of PSS within the planning community (demand side). What becomes clear from the existing research is that usage is not widespread. In this paper we aim to find the main bottlenecks blocking the widespread use of PSS in spatial planning. To achieve this, a global online survey was conducted in which almost 100 PSS experts participated and for which a theoretical framework from the field of business studies served as a basis. The results show that a multitude of factors cause the underutilization of PSS, their characteristics being human, organizational and institutional, as well as technical. In particular, the lack of awareness of and experience with PSS, alongside the relative lack of recognition of the value of PSS within the spatial planning community, tend to block widespread usage and adoption of PSS in planning practice. On this basis, we offer recommendations for the enhancement of PSS adoption, namely to disseminate more profoundly information and knowledge about the existence and benefits of PSS within the spatial planning community. Real-world example projects and in-depth research on potential benefits of PSS application in planning practice will be crucial in this.

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Planning Support Systems in a Multi-Dualistic Spatial Planning Context

Journal of Urban Technology ◽

10.1080/10630732.2011.648432 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 5-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sharon Biermann

Keyword(s):

Spatial Planning ◽

Support Systems ◽

Planning Support Systems ◽

Planning Support

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Planning support science: Developments and challenges

Environment and Planning B Urban Analytics and City Science ◽

10.1177/2399808320936277 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 1326-1342 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stan Geertman ◽

John Stillwell

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Support System ◽

Planning Process ◽

Support Systems ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Planning Support Systems ◽

Research Education ◽

Planning Support ◽

Retrospective Assessment ◽

Planning Support System

In this paper, we provide an update of recent developments and forthcoming challenges in the field of planning support systems, following earlier reviews in 2003 and 2009. The rationale for this update is the rapid development of information and communication technologies and their impact on planning support systems. After a brief retrospective assessment of past planning support system developments, the paper presents a synthesis of the experiences and views of a worldwide sample of invited planning support system experts, whose innovative contributions comprise a new Handbook of Planning Support Science. The developments documented by the experts together substantiate our impression that a fundamental transformation is taking place – a paradigm shift – wherein the field of planning support systems is maturing into a planning support science. From this perspective, it is expected that planning support systems will become indispensable instruments in the planning process in the not too distant future. The signs of this maturation are already visible in research, education and practice.

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Análises espaciais em planejamento urbano: novas tendências

Revista Brasileira de Estudos Urbanos e Regionais ◽

10.22296/2317-1529.2000n3p61 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 61 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Renato T. de Saboya

Keyword(s):

Information Systems ◽

Spatial Analysis ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Geographical Information Systems ◽

Planning Process ◽

Support Systems ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Planning Support Systems ◽

Planning Support ◽

Urban Models

Este trabalho procura explorar as conseqüências, no processo de planejamento urbano, causadas pela convergência de duas ferramentas de análise espacial: Sistemas de Informações Geográficas e Modelos Urbanos. Como será demonstrado, os benefícios dessa convergência são muitos e extrapolam os limites da análise espacial, introduzindo uma tendência de reorganização do processo de planejamento como um todo. Como revisão, é apresentada uma breve visão geral do que são Sistemas de Informações Geográficas e Modelos Urbanos, assim como a identificação de suas principais limitações e das vantagens de uni-los em uma nova ferramenta.Palavras-chave: Sistemas de Informações Geográficas; Modelos Urbanos; sistemas de suporte ao planejamento; análises espaciais. Abstract: This paper endeavours to explore the consequences for the urban planning process of the convergence of two spatial analysis tools: Geographical Information Systems and Urban Models. As will be shown, the benefits of this convergence are numerous, going beyond the boundaries of spatial analysis and introducing a new trend of reorganisation into the planning process as a whole. A brief overview of Geographical Information Systems and Urban Models is presented, in addition to the identification of their main limitations and the advantages of unifying them in a new tool.Keywords: Geographical Information Systems; Urban Models; planning support systems; spatial analysis.

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