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Paper in Proceedings by Stefano Pensa

While a substantial body of literature exists on the theoretical definitions and measures of acce... more While a substantial body of literature exists on the theoretical definitions and measures of accessibility, the extent to which such measures are applied into practice to assess project alternatives is less frequent (Geurs and Van Wee, 2004). Recent studies affirm that one of the main barriers to the usability of accessibility measure is the lack of visualisation quality and mapping tool for accessibility representation (te Brömmelstroet et al, 2014), while visualisation tools are commonly recognised as the most effective methodology to facilitate knowledge sharing, particularly in those processes involving public stakeholders and non-experts with different expertise. Starting form this consideration, this paper presents an application of the Interactive Visualisation Tool, named InViTo (Pensa and Masala, 2014a; 2014b; Pensa, et al., 2014; Pensa, Masala and Lami, 2013; Pensa, Masala and Marina, 2013) able to generate maps of the level of perceived accessibility (i.e. “desirability”) of different urban areas. Desirability is here computed as the perceived level of access to different urban items as transport supply (metro and rail stations, public transport stops, parking) and urban activities such as hospitals, schools, museums. In this respect, the concept of desirability encompasses a measure of accessibility to several urban facilities, and the perception that residents of the study area have of such facilities. The InViTo tool allows to build up maps of desirability interactively, by making selection of the chosen items and by giving differential weights to each items. This makes the tools powerful and very useful particularly when discussing and showing analysis results to stakeholders, who could have the opportunity to see in real time the results of different scenario alternatives and assumptions.
In the paper two applications are presented. The first one to the empirical case study of Rome, presents the steps to undertake in order to apply the tool: from data gathering, maps coding, and results representation. The second application aims at exploring the potential usability of the tool in engaging public stakeholders into the assessment of different urban development options. Furthermore, the results of a workshop held in Turin, in which public and private stakeholders were interactively involved, are discussed.
The paper is organised as follows. In section 2, an overview of the InViTo tool is given with a focus on its applicability formeasuring accessibility. In section 3 the results of the two InViTo applications are discussed. Conclusions are drawn in section 4, with an outlook to undergoing research issues.

Papers by Stefano Pensa

Cities have witnessed a booming interest in cycling in recent years. However, the implementation ... more Cities have witnessed a booming interest in cycling in recent years. However, the implementation of cycling networks rarely followed a strategy to make them more accessible to specific social groups, such as women. To address this gap in knowledge, this paper provides a holistic perspective of women’s cycling mobility. Specifically, the study’s goal is to look into the social and environmental implications of cycling for women in Turin, Italy. Hence, this paper provides insights for ensuring a woman-friendly cycling system in a city and ensuring women’s participation as vital stakeholders in promoting a bike-friendly identity. We clarify women’s perceptions of cycling and outline the requirements for more inclusive bike infrastructures. Thus, we identify strategies to improve women’s access to bike lanes and investigate the environmental benefits of reduced air pollution by such a bike system. All this information is intended to define a more socially inclusive and environmental-fri...

The conceptual and practical approaches related to the urban space arrangements present as main c... more The conceptual and practical approaches related to the urban space arrangements present as main characteristic the need of dealing with complex systems, which are to be recognized as being composed by different variables, constituted of different actors, values and dynamics. Time and space are constantly changing, being able of representation by the respective models frame, which are periodical, spatial, conceptual and methodological outlines. In the proposal of such models is found the main contribution of the urban planner, for acting as the decoder of the values in accordance with the different points of view, presenting portraits of the addressed complexity and, ultimately, plays the role of being the collective will transmitter on policies and projects that will regulate the common asset. Among the mostly used methods to structure the ways of regulating the urban landscape it is found the respective breakdown into main criteria, being followed by the integration of such main co...

The ongoing research described in this paper is investigating a modelling system to combine visua... more The ongoing research described in this paper is investigating a modelling system to combine visual tools with GIS technologies, in order to create a shared common language which could be able to really support wide area planning processes. The here proposed modeling system wants to improve the cognitive process through an interactive framework, which combines different data in a complex structure of relations and connections. Each data has assigned a spatial behaviour, which can be described by mathematical formulas of different nature. Furthermore, each element of drawing can be connected to others and produce an attractive or repulsive influence on them. In order to provide awareness on the spatial effect of planning choices, all functions among data within the model can be modified and set by users as decision makers, professionals and experts. Users can decide the influence among infrastructures, services and functions on different scales, as well as the suitability of a specifi...

The second thematic workshop within the SINERGI project (Turin, June 30 - July 2, 2015) is the fi... more The second thematic workshop within the SINERGI project (Turin, June 30 - July 2, 2015) is the final step of a process started several months before. A research team from SiTI (Turin, Italy) developed an instrumental method for structuring the aforementioned workshop following two parallel paths. The first path was methodological. It has been the fruit of the collaboration between SiTI and public institution of the City of Turin. The construction of the method focused on conceptual possibilities and choice of urban parameters for the building of different future scenarios for the case study area, a very large dismissed urban area with an industrial past and many future projects insisting on it. The second path was technical one. It concerned the issues needed to use the Interactive Visualisation Tool (InViTo) in order to achieve the planned tasks. A number of discussions emerged outlining possibilities and opportunities given by the use of interactive maps. After discussion and tech...

The paper describes the use of quantitative data obtained from the social medium Twitter to analy... more The paper describes the use of quantitative data obtained from the social medium Twitter to analyse urban patterns. A case study in the urban neighbourhood of Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is described to show the outcomes of a comparative analysis with traditional data used in the urban and transport planning processes of the city. The maps derived from the elaboration of Twitter data are overlapped to traditional maps providing evidence of similarities and differences. The paper illustrates the outcomes of this overlapping and discusses the possibilities given by the use of freely and quickly available data instead of costly but official data

The understanding of spatial features is an essential key for any town's administration. The ... more The understanding of spatial features is an essential key for any town's administration. The knowledge of territorial constraints and resources is the basis for planning its development. Studies show the relative importance and the high diversity of the parameters influencing the competitiveness of a territory, seen as a destination (Crouch, 2007). Therefore, the complexity in analysis, the number of stakeholders involved in the process of urban planning and their contrasted levels of expertise ask for a common vocabulary which could enhance the conception of urban proposals, notably by integrating tourism features. Scientific literature identifies the visualisation as one strong catalyst for discussion and collaboration in decision-making processes (Andrienko et al., 2007; MacEachren, Cai, & Hardisty, 2003). Therefore, this study aims to present the newer Interactive Visualisation Tool (InViTo) throughout a case study illustrating how this interface could be relevant in terms o...

Values and Functions for Future Cities, 2019

Proposing effective strategies in a sustainable development perspective is the focus of considera... more Proposing effective strategies in a sustainable development perspective is the focus of considerable debates, which often develop into uncertain and vulnerable decision contexts. Numbers and quantitative information in fact often dominate the process of decision-making but they are not easily comprehensible through quick and simple reasoning. Nonetheless, the huge quantities of data that describe our cities and regions could provide excellent bases to analyze spatial data in order to assess territories and simulate future development scenarios. The application of innovative digital tools in the analysis of territorial issues offers new advantages and opportunities for the improvement of communication values in policies and decision-making processes, concurring to overcome conventional approaches to territorial management. The paper describes the application of the Interactive Visualization Tool (InViTo), a web tool based on maps and visual analysis allowing data to be filtered, explored, interconnected and compared on a visual interface. Data visualization, intended as the way to see the unseen (McCormick et al. in Computer Graphics 21(6), 1987), is here used as a new paradigm to highlight the positive and negative effects on spatial systems considering the impacts of choice-alternatives along multiple dimensions. The correlation between information and their localization generates an essential instrument for the knowledge of urban dynamics and resilience in answering to specific policies. The investigation of a number of case studies shows the possibilities and opportunities given by the use of InViTo in creating a shared knowledge between actors involved in decision-making processes and in offering a challenge for integrating new perspectives on the analysis of future cities and regions.

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

This paper presents results and policy implications from RAISE-IT, an EU Connecting Europe Facili... more This paper presents results and policy implications from RAISE-IT, an EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funded project. It examines the integration of long-distance rail with local and regional transport networks at key urban nodes along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, one of the nine Trans-European Core Network Corridors (CNCs). It is crucial to foster seamless and suitable passenger transport solutions to achieve emissions goals and support the decarbonization process. Consequently, the whole travel chain needs to be considered and good interconnections with other transport modes are needed. For this reason, RAISE-IT explored multi-spatial scale accessibility. It considered three spatial scales (local, regional, and corridor-wide) and looked into multiple travel distances and needs along the corridor for accessing and minimizing the gap between highly and less accessible railway stations with reference to multi-scale travel patterns. This approach revealed overlapping issues between ...

AISRe, Atti della XXXII Conferenza Scientifica Annuale, 2011

Revista Brasileira de Cartografia, 2018

The paper presents the study about the potential of the use of an interactive visualization tool,... more The paper presents the study about the potential of the use of an interactive visualization tool, based on dynamic cartography, as resulting from the process of academic exercises on participatory planning. The case studies took place in 2015 in "Mirafori Sud", a neighborhood of the city of Turin, Italy, and in "Pampulha", a district of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In both cases, the interactive visualization of maps was used for information gathering, sharing information and knowledge production among different target audiences.

The instrument developed by SiTI, called InViTo (acronym of Interactive Visualization Tool), aims... more The instrument developed by SiTI, called InViTo (acronym of Interactive Visualization Tool), aims to provide a visual interactive support to large scale planning processes. The tool is intended to provide an effective basis for sharing information and enabling discussion among different actors such as planners, stakeholders and, in general, nonexpert people within focus groups, workshops, participative and collaborative processes. The decision to develop this instrument stems from the need to analyse the relations between urban development and spatial elements, such as transport facilities or landscape issues. Since accessibility is one of the factors which most influence location choices, a specific study has been dedicated for its investigation. The main strength of InViTo is represented by the possibility of managing interactive and dynamic scenarios, in order to visualize in real time the effects of decision making on urban form and to support the planning processes. Due to its ...

Once the Asti case study was set up, InViTo could produce different typologies of interactive vis... more Once the Asti case study was set up, InViTo could produce different typologies of interactive visualisations according to the expertise level of viewers. The use of dynamic outcomes enhances the participation and collaboration of the actors involved, who can modify a number of parameters and see the consequent effects in real time. At the same time, maps and visual outputs provide useful information for generating the guidelines of new projects in the studied areas, also by means of scenario comparison

The assessment of spatial systems can be supported by the analysis of data coming from different ... more The assessment of spatial systems can be supported by the analysis of data coming from different sources and describing different aspects such as economic, social, environmental, energy, housing or mobility issues. Nevertheless, the analysis of such a large amount of data is difficult. In order to improve the readability of data also with non-technicians, new methods of communication are needed, which could facilitate the sharing of information among people with different skills and backgrounds. In this context, the paper shows the developments in geo-visualisation to support and improve the processes of planning and decision-making. First, the use of a map-based visualisation is suitable for intuitively understanding the location and distribution of specific elements. Second, the graphic interface can be used to drive users in the investigation of data. It can provide a linear method that is more comprehensive to the human mind in dealing with the complexity of spatial systems. In ...

The knowledge of a territory is the first step for its management and strategic planning. The dra... more The knowledge of a territory is the first step for its management and strategic planning. The drawing of space is historically the method for achieving its knowledge, so that the visualisation of a territory becomes essential to its planning. Information Technologies (IT) provide, nowadays, new opportunities to enhance the process of knowledge building and information sharing by means of spatial data visualisation. In this context, this chapter introduces the historical concept behind the production and perception of spatial data visualisation within urban planning. O conhecimento de um territorio e o primeiro passo para a sua gestao e planejamento estrategico. O desenho do espaco e historicamente o metodo para atingir o seu conhecimento, de modo que a visualizacao de um territorio e essencial para o seu planejamento. Tecnologias de Informacao (TI) oferecem hoje novas oportunidades para se melhorar o processo de construcao do conhecimento e compartilhar informacoes por meio de visua...

The paper investigates the Geodesign framework in designing a building according to existing norm... more The paper investigates the Geodesign framework in designing a building according to existing normative, using the case study of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to illustrate the process. The methodology is descriptive and based on an interview with an expert in this area and on the consultation of relevant local official urban regulation. The aim is to decode several steps and tools that are part of the everyday practice of a professional who deals with normative in Belo Horizonte. Thus, the main objectives are: (i) capture the process steps and bring it into a visual plan; (ii) highlight the tools used by professionals to decode local normative; (iii) visualise the entire set of actions that make up the process; (iv) elucidate an important step that may eventually become part of a Planning Support System. In particular, the main goal is to focus on one situation and identify possible tools and processes that might contribute to truly sharing the urban codes which determine the construction...

While a substantial body of literature exists on the theoretical definitions and measures of acce... more While a substantial body of literature exists on the theoretical definitions and measures of accessibility, the extent to which such measures are applied into practice to assess project alternatives is less frequent (Geurs and Van Wee, 2004). Recent studies affirm that one of the main barriers to the usability of accessibility measure is the lack of visualisation quality and mapping tool for accessibility representation (te Brömmelstroet et al, 2014), while visualisation tools are commonly recognised as the most effective methodology to facilitate knowledge sharing, particularly in those processes involving public stakeholders and non-experts with different expertise. Starting form this consideration, this paper presents an application of the Interactive Visualisation Tool, named InViTo (Pensa and Masala, 2014a; 2014b; Pensa, et al., 2014; Pensa, Masala and Lami, 2013; Pensa, Masala and Marina, 2013) able to generate maps of the level of perceived accessibility (i.e. “desirability”) of different urban areas. Desirability is here computed as the perceived level of access to different urban items as transport supply (metro and rail stations, public transport stops, parking) and urban activities such as hospitals, schools, museums. In this respect, the concept of desirability encompasses a measure of accessibility to several urban facilities, and the perception that residents of the study area have of such facilities. The InViTo tool allows to build up maps of desirability interactively, by making selection of the chosen items and by giving differential weights to each items. This makes the tools powerful and very useful particularly when discussing and showing analysis results to stakeholders, who could have the opportunity to see in real time the results of different scenario alternatives and assumptions.
In the paper two applications are presented. The first one to the empirical case study of Rome, presents the steps to undertake in order to apply the tool: from data gathering, maps coding, and results representation. The second application aims at exploring the potential usability of the tool in engaging public stakeholders into the assessment of different urban development options. Furthermore, the results of a workshop held in Turin, in which public and private stakeholders were interactively involved, are discussed.
The paper is organised as follows. In section 2, an overview of the InViTo tool is given with a focus on its applicability formeasuring accessibility. In section 3 the results of the two InViTo applications are discussed. Conclusions are drawn in section 4, with an outlook to undergoing research issues.

Cities have witnessed a booming interest in cycling in recent years. However, the implementation ... more Cities have witnessed a booming interest in cycling in recent years. However, the implementation of cycling networks rarely followed a strategy to make them more accessible to specific social groups, such as women. To address this gap in knowledge, this paper provides a holistic perspective of women’s cycling mobility. Specifically, the study’s goal is to look into the social and environmental implications of cycling for women in Turin, Italy. Hence, this paper provides insights for ensuring a woman-friendly cycling system in a city and ensuring women’s participation as vital stakeholders in promoting a bike-friendly identity. We clarify women’s perceptions of cycling and outline the requirements for more inclusive bike infrastructures. Thus, we identify strategies to improve women’s access to bike lanes and investigate the environmental benefits of reduced air pollution by such a bike system. All this information is intended to define a more socially inclusive and environmental-fri...

The conceptual and practical approaches related to the urban space arrangements present as main c... more The conceptual and practical approaches related to the urban space arrangements present as main characteristic the need of dealing with complex systems, which are to be recognized as being composed by different variables, constituted of different actors, values and dynamics. Time and space are constantly changing, being able of representation by the respective models frame, which are periodical, spatial, conceptual and methodological outlines. In the proposal of such models is found the main contribution of the urban planner, for acting as the decoder of the values in accordance with the different points of view, presenting portraits of the addressed complexity and, ultimately, plays the role of being the collective will transmitter on policies and projects that will regulate the common asset. Among the mostly used methods to structure the ways of regulating the urban landscape it is found the respective breakdown into main criteria, being followed by the integration of such main co...

The ongoing research described in this paper is investigating a modelling system to combine visua... more The ongoing research described in this paper is investigating a modelling system to combine visual tools with GIS technologies, in order to create a shared common language which could be able to really support wide area planning processes. The here proposed modeling system wants to improve the cognitive process through an interactive framework, which combines different data in a complex structure of relations and connections. Each data has assigned a spatial behaviour, which can be described by mathematical formulas of different nature. Furthermore, each element of drawing can be connected to others and produce an attractive or repulsive influence on them. In order to provide awareness on the spatial effect of planning choices, all functions among data within the model can be modified and set by users as decision makers, professionals and experts. Users can decide the influence among infrastructures, services and functions on different scales, as well as the suitability of a specifi...

The second thematic workshop within the SINERGI project (Turin, June 30 - July 2, 2015) is the fi... more The second thematic workshop within the SINERGI project (Turin, June 30 - July 2, 2015) is the final step of a process started several months before. A research team from SiTI (Turin, Italy) developed an instrumental method for structuring the aforementioned workshop following two parallel paths. The first path was methodological. It has been the fruit of the collaboration between SiTI and public institution of the City of Turin. The construction of the method focused on conceptual possibilities and choice of urban parameters for the building of different future scenarios for the case study area, a very large dismissed urban area with an industrial past and many future projects insisting on it. The second path was technical one. It concerned the issues needed to use the Interactive Visualisation Tool (InViTo) in order to achieve the planned tasks. A number of discussions emerged outlining possibilities and opportunities given by the use of interactive maps. After discussion and tech...

The paper describes the use of quantitative data obtained from the social medium Twitter to analy... more The paper describes the use of quantitative data obtained from the social medium Twitter to analyse urban patterns. A case study in the urban neighbourhood of Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is described to show the outcomes of a comparative analysis with traditional data used in the urban and transport planning processes of the city. The maps derived from the elaboration of Twitter data are overlapped to traditional maps providing evidence of similarities and differences. The paper illustrates the outcomes of this overlapping and discusses the possibilities given by the use of freely and quickly available data instead of costly but official data

The understanding of spatial features is an essential key for any town's administration. The ... more The understanding of spatial features is an essential key for any town's administration. The knowledge of territorial constraints and resources is the basis for planning its development. Studies show the relative importance and the high diversity of the parameters influencing the competitiveness of a territory, seen as a destination (Crouch, 2007). Therefore, the complexity in analysis, the number of stakeholders involved in the process of urban planning and their contrasted levels of expertise ask for a common vocabulary which could enhance the conception of urban proposals, notably by integrating tourism features. Scientific literature identifies the visualisation as one strong catalyst for discussion and collaboration in decision-making processes (Andrienko et al., 2007; MacEachren, Cai, & Hardisty, 2003). Therefore, this study aims to present the newer Interactive Visualisation Tool (InViTo) throughout a case study illustrating how this interface could be relevant in terms o...

Values and Functions for Future Cities, 2019

Proposing effective strategies in a sustainable development perspective is the focus of considera... more Proposing effective strategies in a sustainable development perspective is the focus of considerable debates, which often develop into uncertain and vulnerable decision contexts. Numbers and quantitative information in fact often dominate the process of decision-making but they are not easily comprehensible through quick and simple reasoning. Nonetheless, the huge quantities of data that describe our cities and regions could provide excellent bases to analyze spatial data in order to assess territories and simulate future development scenarios. The application of innovative digital tools in the analysis of territorial issues offers new advantages and opportunities for the improvement of communication values in policies and decision-making processes, concurring to overcome conventional approaches to territorial management. The paper describes the application of the Interactive Visualization Tool (InViTo), a web tool based on maps and visual analysis allowing data to be filtered, explored, interconnected and compared on a visual interface. Data visualization, intended as the way to see the unseen (McCormick et al. in Computer Graphics 21(6), 1987), is here used as a new paradigm to highlight the positive and negative effects on spatial systems considering the impacts of choice-alternatives along multiple dimensions. The correlation between information and their localization generates an essential instrument for the knowledge of urban dynamics and resilience in answering to specific policies. The investigation of a number of case studies shows the possibilities and opportunities given by the use of InViTo in creating a shared knowledge between actors involved in decision-making processes and in offering a challenge for integrating new perspectives on the analysis of future cities and regions.

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

This paper presents results and policy implications from RAISE-IT, an EU Connecting Europe Facili... more This paper presents results and policy implications from RAISE-IT, an EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funded project. It examines the integration of long-distance rail with local and regional transport networks at key urban nodes along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, one of the nine Trans-European Core Network Corridors (CNCs). It is crucial to foster seamless and suitable passenger transport solutions to achieve emissions goals and support the decarbonization process. Consequently, the whole travel chain needs to be considered and good interconnections with other transport modes are needed. For this reason, RAISE-IT explored multi-spatial scale accessibility. It considered three spatial scales (local, regional, and corridor-wide) and looked into multiple travel distances and needs along the corridor for accessing and minimizing the gap between highly and less accessible railway stations with reference to multi-scale travel patterns. This approach revealed overlapping issues between ...

AISRe, Atti della XXXII Conferenza Scientifica Annuale, 2011

Revista Brasileira de Cartografia, 2018

The paper presents the study about the potential of the use of an interactive visualization tool,... more The paper presents the study about the potential of the use of an interactive visualization tool, based on dynamic cartography, as resulting from the process of academic exercises on participatory planning. The case studies took place in 2015 in "Mirafori Sud", a neighborhood of the city of Turin, Italy, and in "Pampulha", a district of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In both cases, the interactive visualization of maps was used for information gathering, sharing information and knowledge production among different target audiences.

The instrument developed by SiTI, called InViTo (acronym of Interactive Visualization Tool), aims... more The instrument developed by SiTI, called InViTo (acronym of Interactive Visualization Tool), aims to provide a visual interactive support to large scale planning processes. The tool is intended to provide an effective basis for sharing information and enabling discussion among different actors such as planners, stakeholders and, in general, nonexpert people within focus groups, workshops, participative and collaborative processes. The decision to develop this instrument stems from the need to analyse the relations between urban development and spatial elements, such as transport facilities or landscape issues. Since accessibility is one of the factors which most influence location choices, a specific study has been dedicated for its investigation. The main strength of InViTo is represented by the possibility of managing interactive and dynamic scenarios, in order to visualize in real time the effects of decision making on urban form and to support the planning processes. Due to its ...

Once the Asti case study was set up, InViTo could produce different typologies of interactive vis... more Once the Asti case study was set up, InViTo could produce different typologies of interactive visualisations according to the expertise level of viewers. The use of dynamic outcomes enhances the participation and collaboration of the actors involved, who can modify a number of parameters and see the consequent effects in real time. At the same time, maps and visual outputs provide useful information for generating the guidelines of new projects in the studied areas, also by means of scenario comparison

The assessment of spatial systems can be supported by the analysis of data coming from different ... more The assessment of spatial systems can be supported by the analysis of data coming from different sources and describing different aspects such as economic, social, environmental, energy, housing or mobility issues. Nevertheless, the analysis of such a large amount of data is difficult. In order to improve the readability of data also with non-technicians, new methods of communication are needed, which could facilitate the sharing of information among people with different skills and backgrounds. In this context, the paper shows the developments in geo-visualisation to support and improve the processes of planning and decision-making. First, the use of a map-based visualisation is suitable for intuitively understanding the location and distribution of specific elements. Second, the graphic interface can be used to drive users in the investigation of data. It can provide a linear method that is more comprehensive to the human mind in dealing with the complexity of spatial systems. In ...

The knowledge of a territory is the first step for its management and strategic planning. The dra... more The knowledge of a territory is the first step for its management and strategic planning. The drawing of space is historically the method for achieving its knowledge, so that the visualisation of a territory becomes essential to its planning. Information Technologies (IT) provide, nowadays, new opportunities to enhance the process of knowledge building and information sharing by means of spatial data visualisation. In this context, this chapter introduces the historical concept behind the production and perception of spatial data visualisation within urban planning. O conhecimento de um territorio e o primeiro passo para a sua gestao e planejamento estrategico. O desenho do espaco e historicamente o metodo para atingir o seu conhecimento, de modo que a visualizacao de um territorio e essencial para o seu planejamento. Tecnologias de Informacao (TI) oferecem hoje novas oportunidades para se melhorar o processo de construcao do conhecimento e compartilhar informacoes por meio de visua...

The paper investigates the Geodesign framework in designing a building according to existing norm... more The paper investigates the Geodesign framework in designing a building according to existing normative, using the case study of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to illustrate the process. The methodology is descriptive and based on an interview with an expert in this area and on the consultation of relevant local official urban regulation. The aim is to decode several steps and tools that are part of the everyday practice of a professional who deals with normative in Belo Horizonte. Thus, the main objectives are: (i) capture the process steps and bring it into a visual plan; (ii) highlight the tools used by professionals to decode local normative; (iii) visualise the entire set of actions that make up the process; (iv) elucidate an important step that may eventually become part of a Planning Support System. In particular, the main goal is to focus on one situation and identify possible tools and processes that might contribute to truly sharing the urban codes which determine the construction...

International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, 2011

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is generally used to support planning and decision mak... more Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is generally used to support planning and decision making processes, but the sharing of information is often limited by two main factors. First, many users have difficulty reading output data, especially tables, matrixes or databases. Second, the presence of many actors introduces different disciplines, knowledge, interests and languages. This paper shows the contribution that the visualization of spatial data can give to the Analytic Network Process (ANP) (Saaty, 2005; 2001; Saaty, Vargas, 2006). This study aims to use visualization techniques to create a common grammar among actors involved, and a shared basis for generating discussion. To do this we have implemented on-going research on a modelling system which is able to visualize various kinds of data in real time. This modelling system works on generative and parametric features applied to datasets, and is based on McNeel’s “Rhinoceros” software and its free plug-in "Grasshopper&...