EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network

SoftGIS in Finland

Introduction

SoftGIS methods include Geographical Information produced by the users of the environment which usually is empirical and can be collected and processed as a part of the GIS.

Description

With softGIS study the experiences for example safety or the quality of living environment in general can be mapped. Information is gathered mainly for the scientific purposes but also for the support of planning and decision-making.

Participative Geographical Information is also used in Internet based Forums which are used for gathering local knowledge and information produced by different actors from, for example, the area of one city district. Forum can be continuously open Development Forum or Planning Forum which is open only for one land use plan. Forums are supporting mainly the interaction between the different actors in land use developing.

Background information

The softGIS study belongs to a larger research project called OPUS that is financed by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation and it is very much about developing new tools utilizing new technology for participative planning.

Methodology

SoftGIS methods are used in both planning and researching living environment.

Aims of softGIS study are:

Gather research data about residents experiences related to their living environments.
Linking the research data and structural features of the environments with the help of geographical information systems (GIS).

Research and development themes are:

Developing new Internetbased methods
- SoftGIS for evaluating the quality factors of living environments
- SoftGIS for children and youth.
To utilize the evaluation knowledge in planning process.

Contact info

Helsinki University of Technology / Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (YTK)
P.O. Box 9300
FIN-02015 TKK
Finland
Ms. Marketta Kyttä (Senior researcher, Ph.D.)

Publication date

Researcher

Marketta Kyttä

Cities

At the moment the research cases are municipalities of Järvenpää, Nurmijärvi, Mäntsälä and Kerava in the Helsinki Region and City of Turku.

Links

softGIS web site Human-friendly Environments OPUS project

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment

Keywords

Research & innovation

Institutional characteristics
Academic/Research