Expert Systems in Environmental Planning - Tapa blanda

The connections between economics, planning, and the environment are receiv­ ing increased attention among scholars and policy makers in many countries. The common denominator among these three variables is the earth's life support sys­ tems, the ecosystems on which the world depends. When we describe our physi­ cal surroundings as a collection of possible uses, we are establishing linkages between economics, planning, and the environment. Because possible alternative uses compete with each other, and conflicts arise over scarce land resources, the varying environmental impacts of alternative uses are major concerns for the cur­ rent as well as the next generation. How to achieve sustainable development is the pressing question for today's environmental professionals. Environmental planners and engineers help us study the implications of our choices, and new technologies and techniques that improve the practice of environmental planning should enhance our ability to protect our future. The depletion of the earth's natural resources and loss of biodiversity, the deg­ radation of air, land, and water quality, the accumulation of greenhouse gases leading to changes in our climate, and the depletion of the ozone layer comprise only a partial list of environmental issues that concern our policy makers. To sup­ port their decisions, environmental planning must be a multidimensional and multidisciplinary activity that incorporates social, economic, political, geograph­ ical, and technical factors. Solutions for problems in these areas frequently re­ quire not only numerical analyses but also heuristic analyses, which in turn depend on the intuitive judgements of planners and engineers.

This book introduces expert systems for problem solving in environmental planning and describes the way in which heuristic knowledge and rules of thumb of expert planners can be represented through computer programs. The book presents practical applications of expert systems for solving many important environmental planning problems, such as land use and resource management, GIS and spatial modeling, environmental impact assessment, hazardous waste site investigation, and noise control. Also discussed are methods for creating and testing expert systems designed specifically for environmental applications.