Facing Uncertainty With GIS, Using Non-Normative Tools To Plan Non-Normative Territories. The Case of Dropull AMANDA TERPO

Author: Amanda Terpo
Affiliation: Polis University

Abstract
Uncertainty represents an Oxymoron in planning. The truth is that the world, cities, and people have never stood still; they are both complex and indeterminate; therefore, uncertainty refers to the ongoing process of the future. (Klosterman, 1978) GIS enables access to large volumes of data and is a tool for effective decision-making in urban and regional planning. Insofar as it is about predicting the future and anticipating change and addressing both the past and the future of its sites, planning is a process that faces uncertainty eventually (Abbott, 2005). Planning is a form of decision making, which involves data, people, physical territory and social dynamics. (Friedmann, 1987) This paper inquire a step further: what happens with GIS after the plan has come to its full circle. The case of Dropull municipality represented quite a challenge since the newly formed municipality faced a lack of data, informational gap, territorial disparities, and mobility barriers. In attempts to better address these challenges, the team of Polis University, which assisted in the making of the plan, established the possibility of using a tailor-made geographic informational system model as a planning methodology, among others. GIS is defined as an intelligent tool in planning, aimed to develop and support highly complex activities. These challenges were addressed by using GIS mainly oriented towards online data records and overlay of information to bring together both quantitative data with its geographical location. In light of a special emphasis on the question of what happens after the fact, this paper prescribes to Dropull municipality must use this tool to provide both transparency and continuity of information to any future plan attempt.