This paper considers the methodology of research into the nature of planning processes with particular reference to the use of the case study. The lack of systematic and critical examination of this matter has led generally to the persistence of a tradition of inductive research in which the...

The planning process is modelled as an information processing system. The inputs to the system comprise observations of the state of the environment, and the outputs are goals and plans to guide actions in the environment. The processor consists of two interacting subsystems: the one carrying...

The average or mean of the distances between pairs of vertices in a connected graph is a natural measure of the compactness of that graph. Using graphs to represent shapes, or corridor arrangements, we arrive, through a limiting process, at a concept for mean distance in shapes. This paper gives...

This paper deals with the use of qualitative multicriteria analyses in physical planning. After a survey of various 'soft' multicriteria evaluation methods, a new technique -- the so-called regime analysis -- is presented. The use of this method is illustrated by means of a case study in urban...

Floor plans with interior courtyards, circulation spaces, and prespecified number of exterior rooms, are generated. The approach is graph theoretic, that is, underlying graphs are generated and, then, based on those graphs, the floor plans are constructed.

Local economic development has become a central concern of public policymakers. Urban, rural, and regional planners will encounter new opportunities to establish or restructure economic development planning in the years ahead. Local planners require an approach to planning for economic...

In several papers, median and quartile locations are found to be attractive locations for public facilities which seek the minimization of total delivery costs. This conclusion is based on a restrictive set of assumptions regarding delivery cost function and demand distribution. The present...

Mental, descriptive, or mathematical modelling processes are often used to predict or prescribe the future. The certainty of such projections can be improved by careful selection of the modelling criteria. Information theory is used to develop models that maximize the use of available...