Using Geodesign to Model the Complex Intersection of Land Use and Climate Change

"Geodesign is an approach to city planning, land use and natural resource management that takes into account the tendency in recent years to overdevelop land at the expense of natural habitats, as well as population growth and climate change, which have left communities increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters," explains Greenemeier, who considers whether the design framework could help protect us from natural disasters like Superstorm Sandy.

Utilizing the advances in information collection, analysis, and visualization made possible by GIS, Geodesign provides the framework to "understand our landscape and [the] impact of our design decisions,” says Tom Fisher, dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Design.

"Careful study of GIS data—which includes weather data but also takes into account population demographics, land use and a variety of other factors—could uncover clues about the likely intensity and impact of future storms as well as the extent to which zoning decisions can mitigate potential damage, according to Fisher, the emcee and moderator of this week’s Geodesign Summit hosted by GIS mapping software maker Esri at the company’s Redlands, Calif., headquarters."

Greeenemeier concludes with a short description of some of the innovative geodesign projects underway throughout the U.S.