Land Use and Water Management in a Sustainable Network Society

Abstract

Science is driven by research funds, research funds are associated with decision making, and decision making is attached to valuatio n. Therefore every scientific paradigm tends to devise its own valuation system. Economists prefer cost benefit analysis where everything can be translated into mo ney. Planners assume values to infinity with lines in a map defining restrictions and enforceable land uses. Ecologists design maps with values for biodiversity. Historian s value things according to their age and meaning. And engineers enjoy the mathematical control over multicriteria analysis. Anyway, concerning spatial planning, most of the time there is a line on a map, assumed by politicians and experts and more or less respected by stakeholders. Along this line the total value of alternative uses must be the same. And the total value assumes all the information values provided b y economists, ecologists, planners, engineers and historians. Because a line has many points it is possible to estimate the exchange rate function between all the se different scientific currencies and derive the total economic value of different la nd uses.