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  • Digital Planning Practices - A multi-stage study on current approaches and future prospects for the use of analytics in urban planning practice
    (2024) Daniel, Claire
    Thesis
    Technological advances in big data and artificial intelligence have led to a resurgence of enthusiasm for using computers to solve urban planning problems. History shows, however, that high hopes for new digital tools do not always lead to their adoption in planning practice. Given this new wave of enthusiasm, there is a need for up-to-date empirical research to assess how data, analytics, and digital tools are being implemented in contemporary urban planning practice and how planners perceive their future utility. The research involved a multi-stage, mixed-methods study. Past studies have commonly focused on the design and use of individual digital tools. Instead, this research adopted a systems approach, to empirically examine expectations for the future digital transformation of planning practices. Methods focused on identifying inductive patterns arising from examination of relationships between the producers, regulators and users of data, analytics, and digital tools. Stage one involved a review of existing theories of digital planning and ideas, including a citation network analysis of the planning support systems literature. Stage two involved empirical research. Firstly, surveys of professional planners across Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand on their current and prospective use of data and digital tools. Secondly, a case study on the use of analytics in preparing the Greater Sydney Regional and District Plans, including a content and citation network analysis of planning documents, and key-informant interviews. In addition to updating empirical knowledge, the research provides a new characterisation of the social and political rationales shaping digital planning practices, and the barriers to adopting open and transparent approaches. For scholars, the findings of this research assist in evaluating published theories of digital planning and ideas. For practitioners, the findings contribute to more informed investment in data, tools, training, and governance frameworks that meet the specific needs of urban planning.