In this talk, I will focus on spatially modelling and analyzing the interaction between people and their environment, using two sets of methods. The first is geosimulation modelling, in which we capture domain knowledge about a spatial system in a computational dynamic model (agent-based or cellular automata) to better understand this system and make future projections, with the aim to guide policy making. The second method is spatial optimization, in which a policy-relevant control variable (e.g., land use) is systematically adjusted with the aim to find theoretically optimal spatial configurations given a number of objectives. The two sets of methods are connected in their complementarity. I will present several case studies to demonstrate their opportunities and pitfalls for analyzing Human-Environment Systems.

Speaker: Dr. Judith Verstegen, University of Utrecht (NL)

Input from the IOER by Dr. Mathias Jehling