Using structured systems analysis to design an integrated system for transport planning and environmental analysis

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Using structured systems analysis to design an integrated system for transport planning and environmental analysis

This paper applies Yourdon's (1989) structured systems analysis techniques to transport planning, and the environmental analysis of transport plans. It is usual for planners to treat these activities as separate processes or "systems". Six serious shortcomings are identified in prevailing approaches to accounting for the environmental impacts of transport plans. The application of systems analysis has elucidated opportunities for overcoming these problems by integrating the two processes. The paper highlights the benefits of using these methods to direct research into, and development of, an integrated transport planning- environmental analysis system. Techniques applied are data flow diagrams, a Venn diagram and an entity-relationship diagram. Significant potential exists for integration within a geographic information system(GIS), although adoption of integrated methods by transport planners is likely to be incremental. Research confirms the usefulness of systems analysis in guiding the development of a GIS application to accommodate integrated transport planning and environmental analysis. Systems analysis also facilitates more careful and effective design of the databases underlying GIS analysis.