Towards spatiotemporal planning: practicable analysis of day-to-day paths through space and time

As our environment consists not only of space but also of time, there is cause to develop spatiotemporal planning: the planning of spacetime. To devise and implement spatiotemporal plans practicable methods are needed for obtaining knowledge about behaviour in space and time. In this paper we present a prototype of a new method of space - time analysis which has been developed and tested in a city region in the Netherlands. The main feature of the method is construction of virtual households and individuals whose day-to-day activity patterns are inspected with a view to identifying space - time problems at individual and at collective levels. It thus becomes possible to formulate concrete recommendations for optimizing spatial and temporal organization and to devise spatial-temporal plans which will enhance the quality of life. The method can be employed in improving existing urban areas as well as in designing new ones.