In this paper we describe an attempt to create an inclusive and participatory information sharing network across a large geographic region, the Gulf of Maine. This network aims to contribute to the health of the region's human and natural environments through facilitating partnerships among...

The evidence for the influence of urban configuration on outdoor climate conditions, on the energy balance of buildings, and on diffusion of pollutants is quite conclusive. But the exact characterization of this complex link remains critical, especially because of the extreme morphological...

With the maturation of GIS technology, several planning scholars have turned their attention to the nature of the relationship between GIS technology and its `fit' into the planning process. Drawing various insights from the diverse fields of information systems, management information systems,...

Estimates are given of the numbers and floor areas of all nondomestic premises in England and Wales, as of 1993/94. These are based on a wide range of data sources, of which the most important are commercial rating (property taxation) data collected by the Valuation Office of the Inland Revenue....

In most parts of Europe compact city policies have become a popular means of planning for sustainability. Dense compact cities were seen as solutions to reduce continually increasing mobility. They were also seen as a way to avoid urbanization of the countryside. Lately planners have been...

In this paper we present current results which illustrate various aspects of the patterns of energy use in nondomestic buildings derived from the statistical analysis of data obtained from energy surveying activities. The reason for producing such results is explained. The means of organising...

Methods are described for making inferences as regards the geometrical and physical characteristics of all nondomestic buildings in England and Wales. Estimates are made of the floor areas in built forms with framed and load-bearing structures, respectively, and of the typical numbers of floors...

The use of three-dimensional computer visualisation in shaping our urban environments has been discussed in the literature for the past ten years. In particular, the use of visualisation in design control has been of interest in opening up the planning process to those outside the design...

In this paper we propose numerical measures for evaluating the aesthetic interest of simple patterns. The patterns consist of elements (symbols, pixels, etc) in regular square arrays. The measures depend on two characteristics of the patterns: the number of different types of element, and the...