There is a growing interest in planning for green infrastructure, as well as a growing recognition of the multifunctional nature of green infrastructure, since it provides many social and environmental benefits to cities and regions. However, there is a lack of appropriate methods for prioritizing the locations for green infrastructure interventions. In response, this article proposes a spatial multi-criteria analysis for green infrastructure. We demonstrate the method at the regional scale for Southeast Michigan, as well as through two embedded case studies within this region. We show how the method can be adapted for rural parks and conservation planning, as well as for urban green infrastructure planning within the City of Detroit. Although lacking the analytical structure needed for some planning questions, and limited by data and access to appropriate technical skills, we argue the spatial planning approach strikes an appropriate balance between technical rigor and transparency required for collaborative planning practice. The described GIS-based analysis technique can be used as part of a planning process to identify locations for green infrastructure expansion or improvement in a way that acknowledges and balances their social and environmental benefits.
Emerging research has begun to document the nuanced ways that urban form can influence water quality in urban areas. To facilitate the greater consideration of water quality by planning practitioners, this paper illustrates a two-step method to predict the water quality performance of land use scenarios through the presentation of a case study in the Huron River watershed in Michigan, USA. First, random forest models are used to relate 38 urban form variables to three water quality outcomes within the watershed: total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), and Escherichia coli ( E. coli) concentrations. Second, the calibrated random forest models are used to predict the water quality performance for three land use scenarios for a local jurisdiction. The case study illustrates how even scenarios describing additional urbanization can result in predicted improvements to water quality. The methods contribute to the greater consideration of water issues in urban planning practice.
This paper reports an empirical evaluation of a new serious game created to foster learning about collaborative management of common pool resources. Stakeholders (n = 41) involved in the implementation of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act were recruited to play a new serious game designed to illustrate how alternative water management strategies, including pumping restrictions and simple trading schemes, affect supply. In the game, a group of six players set in a groundwater basin area enact the allocation, needs, and use of water in rounds representing annual seasons. Pre-post surveys found that the gameplay increased perceived interdependence among stakeholders, and optimism about the groundwater management process. Qualitative feedback suggested that participants gained new insights into the nature of common pool resources and the needs of other stakeholders. Serious games may be useful in fostering attitudes, such as interdependence needed for successful collaborative planning and governance.
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