Showing posts with label demography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demography. Show all posts

Feb 19, 2023

Human limitation of multi criteria assessment!

urban planning urban management urban design community town planning netherlands amsterdam utrecht rotterdam hague india new delhi smart cities mumbai noida data analysis

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Computers seem to be more reliable and accurate in running algorithm and doing assessment compared to human for the reason that computers are programmed to process  numerous "if this"-"then that"  scenarios, while human being have this innate limitation in processing multiple criteria and  "what if" Scenarios; a dozen criteria and handful of scenarios and most feel this is all that is there which was needed. Until computers completely master the art of attribute selection and scenario building themselves and learn to take judgmental decision on their own, their assessment and outcome shall also be limited as they are still being programmed by very human being having prejudice and limitations of many kinds.

To illustrate, while deliberating with individual client or a family to design their dream home, how many architects  for instance consider the sun sign traits of client, inquire about their past, their medical history, their travel history, their bucket list, their life philosophy, their spiritual inclination, musical preferences, cultural orientation, their sensitivity towards light, their daily routine, sleeping pattern, their food habit, their environmental commitments and children's future aspirations, child's favorite game and comic character, their idea of space and scale  etc. Unfortunately most of these variables are purposefully or by conditioning or out of hesitation being missed out during client's need assessment, but all or any of these can add immense value to architectural design process and outcome. If architects won't ask, client won't tell, then without considering such variables which are integral to one's life and true personality, how will architects  produce truly personalised, holistic and humane design for example.

Likewise, when government is collecting census data or demographic profile about individuals or households, they really don't find it worthwhile to ask about individual's hobbies, their skill sets, their unsettled and future liabilities of various kinds, health issues they are struggling with, their affiliations, what they are engaged in post retirement, areas in which they would like to volunteer given a chance, etc. which are equally tangible and crucial pieces of information and valid criteria of assessment, having potential to create a better society and conditions.

Capability to acknowledge, consider and process multitude of criteria and endless possible scenarios is what differentiates one individual from another, one organization from other, one city administration from other, one governance scheme from other and sometimes may even one nation from another.

Author: Anoop Jha

#Modeling  #financialmodeling #data #assessment  #analysis #algorithm #architecture #architect #governance #administration #nationbuilding #census #demography #survey #urbanplanning

Feb 17, 2023

Revisit existing scale and base assumptions to fix your city!

urban management city planning urban development city governance public service delivery monitoring netherlands amsterdam utrecht innovation

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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WHAT ARE SOME KEY BASE STATISTICAL ASSUMPTIONS TAKEN TILL NOW FOR CITY PLANNING

City commuters:-

A number for algorithm and modelling

Walkability:-

A distance travelled by a healthy individual

Household:-

A demographic number as per census

WHAT IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS BASE ASSUMPTIONS FOR BETTER CITY PLANNING

Typical city commuter profile: -

A mix of individuals with different abilities, different travel needs, different travel purposes, different expectations

Typical walkable distance:-

A comfortable distance to be covered by individuals without the need of vehicle, by individuals with different abilities, at different pace with different ease or difficulty.

Typical household:- 

A family of varying size, with varying needs, varying abilities and health conditions, various liabilities, various expectations

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE ONGOING APPROACH? 

City commuters, households, walkable distance all are reduced to mere numbers for the purpose of planning and projections, while they are dynamic or complex entities. Hence, development plans with conventional numeric approach are easily solved on paper and looks promising in its proposal, but many a times cities in reality are found in mess.

WHY SHIFT IN APPROACH IS REQUIRED?

Few examples-

Recognition of many missed public transport trips by old age people, children, pregnent women who are there in footfall projection sheet but many actually either avoid public transport or postpone trips, given a choice.
500 odd meters of walkable distance that planners often mark on master plan to show how much pedestrian friendly city is or will be, they fail to consider that this 500meter distance is while an easy target for a healthy adult individual but this same distance means different things to children, senior citizens, people with different abilities and special needs, pregnant women, blind, wheelchair bound individual.

In many cases actual household status is very different than abstract idea of household considered in city planning, actual households come with unimaginable complexity and diversity in terms of basic needs, financial and debt status, resource consumption footprint, societal and economic impact. Imagine the complexity of needs and aspirations in terms of complete city population. 

TAKEAWAY

Diversity of citizen needs is no more an exception or luxury, it's prolific, and must be considered this way only in terms of planning.
There is no singular spatial definition in terms of city planning, distance means different things to different people.

Individual and Household is embodiment of exceptions, they are not just numbers.

Author: Anoop Jha

#urbnaplanning #census #transportplanning #urbandesign,