measures and steps for technology based instruments and methods in urban and transport planning

Many technology based instruments and methods of planning that are available today have proved their benefits and utilisability in many fields. Still, there are necessary improvements left in order to enable all players involved in planning to use them in a beneficial way.

The aim of the study HOLODECK is to point out the necessary steps to make the use of technology based planning instruments and methods easier and more intuitive and to promote their application by showing

• which technologies are currently used in which areas of urban and transport planning (state-of-the-art)
• which requirements are placed on technology-based planning instruments by which user groups (decision-makers, planners, those affected by planning)
• why the use of existing technologies is not as widespread as their benefits may suggest and how barriers could be decreased
• which future technologies could facilitate the planning process.

A key part of HOLODECK is a discussion process with key players in urban and transport planning. Their inclusion is guaranteed by an interdisciplinary project team consisting of the Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning ÖIR (Spatial and transport planners), AIT Mobility (Austrian Institute of Technology), CEIT (research and development of planning technologies) as well as DI Andreas Lotz (chairman of the “Bundesfachgruppe für Raumplanung, Landschaftsplanung und Geographie der Bundeskammer der Architekten und Ingenieurkonsulenten”). This consortium does not only represent the target group of the study, but in addition each partner cultivates a network of contacts to key players which can be used to broaden the discussion process. The fact that CEIT is the main partner of CORP (Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning) and member of ISOCARP (International Society of City and Regional Planners) ensures the connection to the international planning community.

By involving key players in the field of planning and technology development, important information out of the daily planning practise is accessed. This is done by a variety of methods: personal interviews with users and developers of technologies, including the topic in technical conferences such as REAL CORP 2010 (International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Development in the Information Society, focus “GeoMultimedia”) as well as a one-day workshop which is the core of the accompanying discussion process. Consequently, the interdisciplinary project team is enabled to identify the needs, barriers and ideas of a wide range of players.

Hence, the study HOLODECK enhances the inclusion of problem-orientated and user-friendly technology-based planning instruments on all levels of spatial and transport planning in Austria.