Land Use Scanner

Current land use is the basis for the future
The land use scanner uses current land use configuration as a starting point to calculate future land use change. For specific research questions different land use types can be aggregated for use within the landuse scanner. The predicted demand for space of these aggregated land use classes is needed for these calculations. An example of such an aggregation is:

• residential areas
• employment areas
• infrastructure
• agriculture
• recreational areas
• surface water

Demand for space derived from specialized models
On the basis of socio-economic scenarios for the future, the demand for space for everylanduse type is generated with help of sectoral models ofspecialized institutes, e.g. The Agricultural Economic Institute (LEI) for agriculture. These demands for space are calculated for each region within the study area.

Attractivity determines the spatial allocation
The land use scanner allocates the land use types using these land use claims. For each area the spatial allocation is based on attractivity of the vacant land.

Suitability maps have been created for each land use type. These maps may include distance relations, policy maps and physical environment maps. Distance relation maps contain attractivity values, which, comparable to gravity modelling, are calculated by determining the distance to (current) types of land use with the help of distance decay functions. Policy maps are needed when future land use changes are known in advance, for example when these locations are reserved for infrastructure, residential or industrial/commercialdevelopment. Also, for the realisation of new nature areas inthe Netherlands considerable acreages have been designated for land use transformation, although the exact contours of these areas may be less explicitly known than for residential areas.   Physical environment maps contain information about the soil and hydrological situation. This situation may impede the realization of certain types of land use.

The model was developed in close cooperation between the Netherlands Environmental Assesment Agency, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Object Vision (OV), where more information on the model can be found.

 Figure 1 Flow chart of the model structure

Links:
Installation manual, software and demoprojectdata (view the manual for installation instruction)
Land Use Scanner student assignment