Week 10 Urban Change Assignment
ITS 832 Chapter 15
Visual Decision Support for Policy Making: Advancing Policy Analysis with Visualization
Information Technology in a Global Economy
Professor Michael Solomon
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Introduction
Background
Approach
Case Studies
Optimization
Social Simulation
Urban Planning
Conclusion
Background
Assessing policy options for societal problems is difficult
Decision making methods
Data driven
Model driven
Visual decision supports helps in evaluating model output
Information visualization and visual analytics
Makes complex results accessible to many
Policy analysis
Part of process aimed at solving societal problems
Data Visualization
A characterization of data visualization by Stephen Few (2009). Distinction between
activities addressed by data visualization. Exploration and sensemaking as analysis tasks. Communication
as knowledge transfer task. Technologies differ with respect to presented data (information
visualization for abstract data and scientific visualization for physically based data) and interaction
capabilities of the technologies, e.g., graphical presentation does not imply user interaction. Understanding
of provided information as intermediate goal. Good decisions based on derived knowledge
as the end goal
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Policy cycle
Policy cycle adapted from Jones (1970) and Anderson (1975). Policy analysis is mainly
conducted in the policy formulation and the policy adoption stage. While in the policy formulation
stage, alternative solutions to a given problem are defined; in the policy adoption stage, one of
these solutions (policy options) is selected for implementation. In a broader sense, policy analysis
can also be conducted in the other stages of the cycle. However, in this work, we focus on the
pre-decision phase before a policy is implemented
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Approach
Characterization of stakeholders
Policy makers
Policy analysts
Modeling experts
Domain experts
Public stakeholders
Bridging knowledge gaps
With information visualization (IV)
Cohesive view of model representation
Visual Support for Policy Analysis
Visual support model for policy analysis. The upper part denotes the policy analysis
process which is conducted in the policy formulation stage of the policy cycle (cf. Fig. 15.3).
Visualization is introduced into the process in order to support the analysis of policy options
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Approach, cont’d.
Synergy effects of applying IV to policy analysis
Communication - facilitated
Complexity - reduced
Subjectivity - reduced
Validation - improved
Transparency and reproducibility of results - increased
Case Studies
Optimization
Optimization of regional energy plans considering impacts
Environmental
Economical
Social
Social Simulation
Simulation of the impact of different policy instruments on the adoption of photovoltaic (PV) panels by homeowners
Urban planning
Integration of heterogenous data sources in planning activities
Summary of Case Studies
Conclusion
Current model output is often difficult to understand
Not accessible for non-specialists
Information visualization (IV)
Makes model output more accessible
This paper applies IV to policy analysis
Contributions
Defined collaborations
Identified hurdles
Defined interface methodology