Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
The exponential use and improvements in computer processing is determining dramatic shifts in our approach to architecture, design and planning. Riding the crest of the latest technology available a few years ago Glasgow City Council (GCC) conceived the creation of a 3D digital model for the City Centre and River Clyde Corridor; the project was
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Are spatial data infrastructure (SDI) worthwhile? A survey was made of users for a Geoportal in Spain recently. The feedback results were tabulated for 80 users (65 Catalans) of the Geoportal IDEC and its services provides an important glimpse into the value of SDI.
Sunday, March 15th, 2009
Cities are evolving systems. We have little understanding of their behaviour. We know that they are highly dynamic, in that they face changing environments and inputs, and adapt to these changes. Over a longer historical period, cities have always successfully adapted to changing environmental conditions and thus have been extremely resilient. From 1100 to 1800,
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
Consumption of natural land for settlements, industry and transport infrastructure proceeds with an alarming pace in Europe and disagrees with the stagnating population. Every three years we lose a surface area equivalent to the size of Luxemburg. Structural Funds of the EU have been held partially responsible for the ill-development. In order to obtain an
Thursday, February 19th, 2009
Pour a glass of water out of a kitchen tap throughout the Canterbury region of New Zealand and chances are you’ll be staring at what many consider the finest drinking water in the world. Cool, clear and untouched, it’s originated in the mountains of the Southern Alps, travelled across the Canterbury Plains in the large
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
When the Spicycles project was launched in 2006, cycling was not the ‘hot’ mode of transport that it has become today. As project partners, we wanted to gather experience related to specific areas of cycling policy. We were keen to explore how key elements such as communication and awareness raising, and the building of local
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
The first line in the Mission Statement for the European Spatial Data Infrastructure Network (ESDIN) project is ‘To become a bridge over troubled geospatial data’. This statement sums up the situation quite well but it needs some elaboration in terms of what the troubles are and how the bridge is being built! 1Spatial is the
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Some 50,000 islands and thousands of narrow fjords cut into the mountainous countryside along Norway’s jagged coastline. Diesel-fueled ferries have transported people and goods between the islands and across the fjords for decades, but a new fleet of natural gas-powered ferries is now improving mobility without emitting noxious fumes that pollute the marine environment.
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
It is easy to cite heart-stopping statistics when discussing the urgent need for worldwide sustainability initiatives. How about 1.1 billion of the world’s 6 billion people not having adequate access to clean drinking water and 2.6 billion not having adequate sanitation services. Or 3 billion people in developing countries living on less than $2 per
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Traditionally, in the building sector, local materials with low energy costs and low environmental impact were used. Nowadays, global materials such as cement, aluminium,concrete and PVC are used, increasing the energy costs and environmental impact. At present, the building sector contributes largely in the global environmental load of human activities: for instance, around 40% of
