Systems Modelling (all scales and dimensions) | Geodesign – a wholistic and evolutionary approach to environmental planning and design – is gaining momentum with new digital tools emerging since the launch of Google Earth in 2005. Coined as the title of a 1993 essay by German spatial planning professor Klaus Kunzmann, geodesign now is the subject of international conferences with [...]

Planetary Systems Modelling PSM | A China-led global group of Earth observation and remote sensing scientists has released a new ‘Vision 2020′ statement to help thought-lead the growing movement developing a worldwide computer system to systematically observe and visually simulate the Earth’s complex, evolving behaviours. Written for the International Journal of Digital Earth (academic journal for members of the International [...]

Key Strategies | UN-HABITAT’s World Urban Campaign, publicly announced in 2010, is being strengthened by the agency’s new Executive Director, Dr Joan Clos (a former Mayor of Barcelona). After several years of preparations by an international steering committee managed by a small team in the UN-HABITAT headquarters in Nairobi, the campaign officially was launched by Dr Clos’ predecessor, Dr Anna [...]

Planetary Systems Modelling PSM | Geneva is the base proposed for a future International Centre for Earth Simulation (ICES) that is intended to attract around €1 billion in private sector funding to model the planet’s climate and environmental systems. Supported by the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) and the World Meteorological Organization’s World Climate Research Programme, the not-for-profit ICES Foundation [...]

Virtual Nations and Networks VNN and City Information Modelling CIM | Arguably the world’s first ‘Virtual Nation’ project was unveiled in more detail during US President Barack Obama’s visit to Canberra last week (16 November). At a conference discussing new applications by governments of spatial information and imaging (Google Earth-style) technologies, several speakers discussed how to prototype a world’s best [...]

City Information Modelling CIM | Sixteen leading digital architecture professors have formed an international club to help develop a Japanese virtual and augmented reality game engine system for simulating and improving road and traffic conditions. Founded by Professor Yoshihiro Kobayashi of Arizona State University, the World16 group uses the UC-win/Road (up and coming Windows-based road simulation system) software developed by [...]

Building Information Modelling BIM and City Information Modelling CIM | Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry and his chief technology officer, Dennis Shelden, have expanded their companies’ Board of Advisors to form a ‘strategic alliance’ of distinguished architects and construction industry experts who (in Gehry’s words) are friends who ‘can help me find the solutions that will ultimately lead to better [...]

Virtual Nations and Networks (VNN) | Australian geospatial organisations are moving to establish one of the world’s first Virtual Nation projects — creating a detailed simulation of the continent’s urban and natural environments. At the project’s second stakeholders’ workshop, held in Canberra on 15 April 2011, about 25 representatives from relevant public and private sector groups agreed to help launch [...]

Planetary Systems Modelling PSM | The International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) is writing a new Vision 2020 statement to be released at its 7th Symposium in Perth 23-25 August 2011. An international working group, chaired by geospatial scientists Professor Mike Goodchild (US) and GUO Huadong (China), recently met in Beijing to discuss how to interpret and incorporate emerging technologies [...]

Planetary Systems Modelling PSM | China’s leading space agency for satellite monitoring has launched the world’s first custom-built, 21st century Digital Earth research complex. Known as the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE), the L-shaped complex (complemented by a circular auditorium) was opened on 16 March 2011 in a ceremony attended by geospatial research leaders from Europe, North [...]