LSGI 4321 Geoinformation for Urban and Regional Studies

Student Name Leung Wing Yan Jacqueline

Student ID 09063407D

Topic Discuss the strength and limitations of GIT applications in

helping decision-making and public engagement in the

planning of new graveyards and columbaria.

With the increasing population and aging population in Hong Kong, the

demand for columbarium facilities increases rapidly over the past few

years. According to the statistics from the Food and Health Bureau

(FHB, 2010), the number and percentage of cremations have raised

substantially over the past 30 years from about 7300 (35%) in 1975 to

36 500 (89%) in 2009. In Hong Kong, there are only six government

crematoria. There are other columbarium facilities operated by private

institutions. However, the supply is still not enough to cope with the

huge demand. As a result, it is essential to plan for new graveyards and

columbaria.

In planning for new graveyards and columbaria, there are two

processes involved. They are public engagement and decision making.

1. Public Engagement

Public Engagement is the involvement of specialists listening to,

developing their understanding of, and interacting with, non-

specialists (HEFCE, 2006). There are nine principles which need to

consider carefully in the process of public engagement. They are

careful planning and preparation, inclusion and demographic

diversity, collaboration and shaded purpose, openness and learning,

transparency and trust, impact and action, and sustained

engagement and participatory culture.

In the process of public engagement, two kinds of technology can be

involved. They are Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Virtual Reality

(VR). A brief introduction of each technology will be given below.

After that, the application of the technologies in public engagement

will be discussed.

A) Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is a useful design and

visualization tool. It is the use of technology for design

demonstration. CAD helps to provide some conceptual ideas in

either 2-Dimensional or 3-Dimensional. As a result, it has the

ability to provide others with a better, more realistic view of the

urban environment (Batten, 2002).

CAD helps to construct precise 3-D models for the proposed

design and planning on columbarium facilities in the site. With

the 3-D models, it provides the public a 3-D view of the

columbarium facilities. It reflects the real word in a certain extent.

Also, CAD helps the planners to create valid Outline Zoning

Plans (OZPs). The OZPs shows the proposed land-uses and

major road systems of individual planning scheme areas and the

objectives of various land use zonings on the plan (Town

Planning Board, 2008).

However, there is lack of data connectivity in CAD models

(Autodesk). The model constructed is in the form of independent

lines in different files. When one of files is deleted from a model,

the GIS data will not be updated automatically. Instead, there will

be problems when the exporting the file.

B) Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual Reality is electronic simulation of environments experienced via bead-mounted eye goggles and wired clothing enabling the end user to interact in realistic three-dimensional

situations (Coates, 1992). VR can be applied to many areas including design, simulation studies, games, and education to add realism (Makanae, 2003). VR model achieves understanding of planned building object. It is a mean of communication in the urban development process and the features of building interact with the properties of the environment (Kaj Sunesson, Carl Martin Allwood, Dan Paulin,Ilona Held, 2008). VR can be divided into two major parts - the simulation of real environments and the development of an imagined environment.

In the process of public engagement, it is essential for the general public to know more about the planning of the columbarium facilities. The VR model can demonstrate how the columbarium facilities are organized in potential sites with simulation of real environment. Also, it can show the design of the columbarium facilities. As a result, the public can view the plan on the columbarium facilities virtually and obtain more information about it. This helps the public to evaluate the plan in a more efficient way.

2. Decision Making

Decision making is the mental processes which is a selection of an

option by severing or eliminating all the others (Perdicoúlis, 2010).

According to Arkansas Program, there are eight moral stages

involved in the decision making. The first step is establishing

community. This is to create and nurture the relationships, norms

and procedures. The second step is perception. This is to recognize

the existing moral problem. The third step is interpretation. This is

the identification and evaluation on competing explanations for the

moral problem. The forth step is judgment. This is the sifting through

various possible actions or responses and determining which is more

morally justifiable. The fifth step is motivation. It is to examine the

competing commitments which may distract from a more moral

course of action and then prioritizing and committing to moral values

over other. The sixth step is courage and character. It is following

through with action that supports the morally justified decision.

Integrity is supported by the ability to overcome distractions and

obstacles, developing implementing skills, and ego strength. The

seventh step is reflection in action. The eighth step is reflection on

action.

In the process of decision making, it focuses on the site selection for

the columbarium facilities. Since GIS offers the spatial data, it is

useful for deciding the potential location of the columbarium facilities.

A) Geo-information System (GIS)

GIS relates tangible elements of the real world such as roads,

trees, memorials and buildings, to information such as records,

documents, photographs, history and statistics (Damian

Bradley,LEES + Associates, 2010). It also displays graphics with

linked database and driving force behind database. GIS helps to

perform the site selection in the planning of new columbarium

facilities. There are several factors when deciding the sites for the

columbarium facilities.

i) Availability of Land

For graveyards, it needs a large piece of land for

development and further expansion. Using the satellites

images can help to define the land which is available for

development. GIS helps to show the area of the

undeveloped area over Hong Kong. Through digitization, it

can show all the undeveloped area in Hong Kong. This

helps the planners to make decision with the accurate and

up-to-date information for further process on the

determination of the potential sites.

ii) Landscape: Gentle and Flat

With the gentle slope, people can easily access the sites.

Also, it is easier for future development and expansion.

When facing natural disasters, with flat land, it can

minimize the damage to the graveyards. For example,

when landslide is occurred, gentle slope can help to slow

down the movement and mud. The landslide will not ruin

the graves. With ArcScene of ArcGIS, it can show the

landscape over Hong Kong in a 3-D view. This can help to

evaluate the potential sites.

iii) Good Transportation

The potential site needs to cope with huge demand on

some public holidays, for example, Ching Ming Festival.

During some public holidays, people will go to columbarium

facilities for graveside rituals. As a result, good

transportation is essential. Proximity Analysis is needed to

for evaluation of site accessibility. Buffering can be set to

calculate the number of stations within the proposed site.

Furthermore, the shortest distance algorithm can be

applied to locate the nearest transport station from the

sites.

iv) Far Away from the Residential Area

From the survey carried out by the government about the

new columbarium facilities, most of the interviewees do not

want the columbarium facilities to be located near their

homes. They are worried about the new columbarium

facilities will lower their existing properties’ values (FHB,

2010). As a result, the potential site should have least local

disturbance and noise and air pollution. Proximity Analysis

is needed to evaluate the affected area. It is essential to set

several distances of buffers to track how many residents

will be affected from the potential sites.

v) Good Environment for Building Columbarium Facilities

With good vegetation, air quality can be improved since

there will be much smoke produced from the sites. Also,

there should be greening spaces. In this case, remote

sensing can help to determine the air quality of the sites by

using MODIS to evaluate the aerosol optical thickness

(AOT) (Ngai, 2011). AOT is a measure of radiation

extinction due to the interaction of radiation with aerosol

particles in the atmosphere (NASA, 2010). Low AOT value

implies that it is a good environment for building

columbarium facilities. Also, overlay and buffering can help

to calculate the size of the greening space in the potential

sites. The polygon shapefiles of green areas can overlay

with the satellite image onto the basemap. Buffering can be

set to indicate the size of greening space. With more

greening space, the environment will be better.

3. Limitation on GIT

Firstly, there are different opinions from the public in the public

engagement. It is difficult to present the idea from a particular

interviewee on planning of columbarium facilities. It will be time

consuming and costly if everyone’s idea is presented with the use of

GIT.

Secondly, the psychological view from the general public cannot be

considered by using GIT. According to the view from the public, there

is local disturbance among the communities in the building of

columbarium facilities. To comfort them, there are alternative

solutions in planning the graveyards’ locations and the design of

columbarium facilities. For the location of the graveyards, the

government can consider outlying islands. Although the accessibility

may not be as good as other developed areas in Hong Kong, such

locations can minimize the local disturbance. The transport network

to the outlying island can be designed in the later planning stage.

The columbarium facilities can be in form of Cemetery Park. This can

provide more supplies to cope with the increasing demand from the

public.

Alternatively, the columbarium facilities can be located in some

buildings with trees surrounded. When columbarium facilities are

located in buildings, it is difficult for people to recognize them from

the outlook of the buildings. Also, if there are trees surrounding the

buildings, it will become more difficult for people to know what kind of

buildings they are. This can reduce the annoyance on the

columbarium facilities for the public.

In conclusion, CAD, VR and GIS help in the process of planning new

columbarium facilities. In the stage of public engagement, both CAD

and VR help to produce accurate and reliable information on the design

of new columbarium facilities. In the stage of decision making, GIS

helps to define the potential sites for new columbarium facilities with 5

criteria - availability of land, gentle and flat aspects of landscapes, good

transportation, distances from the residential area and suitable

environment. However, there are limitations on GIT. Firstly, an opinion

from a particular resident cannot be reflected with the use of GIT.

Secondly, GIT ignores the psychological views of the public. For the

solution of the limitations, the new columbarium facilities can be located

on the outlying islands or using trees as a barrier to hide the

columbarium facilities.

Reference

1. Sunesson, K., Allwood, C. M. & Paulin, D. (2008) Virtual Reality As a

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h ttp://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/3582317_CriticalTools0.pdf

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http://www.fhb.gov.hk/download/press_and_publications/consultation

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