Metaplanning: About designing the Geodesign process

Geodesign entails complex processes involving multidisciplinary teams of professionals supporting stakeholders and communities in devising and choosing sustainable future development scenarios for their territories. The roles and the relationships among the actors may vary according to the underlying planning paradigm or style which the local normative and socio-cultural factors shape in the actual practices. Methods and tools to be used in the process phases may vary accordingly. A Geodesign study is characterised by the integrated usage of Geographic Information Science methods and tools to transform spatial data into relevant knowledge for informed design and decision-making. Thus, central to Geodesign are such issues as how to design and manage such complex processes, and how to orchestrate digital methods and tools in Geodesign support systems architectures. To address these challenges, the concept of metaplanning is proposed as an aid to the design of Geodesign processes. Expected benefits of the metaplanning exercise include better process understanding by the participants, improvements in management, and enhanced process transparency and accountability. Moreover, metaplanning may drive the integration of digital information technologies to support the Geodesign workflows.After the formalization of the concept, a Business Process Management (BPM) approach to metaplanning is proposed for its operationalization, aiming at both improving the Geodesign process and easing the creation of process-oriented 2nd generation Planning Support Systems. After a critical discussion on the possible advantages of the metaplanning approach to the design of process-oriented Geodesign workflows and support systems, issues setting the future research agenda in this domain are outlined.