Spatial planning support using a group map table

Currently the regional water authorities are developing new ideas for river regulation, aiming at a more natural river functioning. This creates the need to integrate water management with other types of land use such as agriculture, nature, housing and recreation. To support this process a two-step approach was developed. The objective of the first step is to identify the boundaries of the set of relevant alternatives for the plan. A workshop was organized with the main stakeholder groups in the region to explore the spatial claims that follow from the three main functions of the area: agriculture, water and nature. Each stakeholder group had to develop a plan according to their main objectives and, at the same time, indicate areas where they could contribute to the other objectives. They could use various types of maps. The meeting resulted in three plans, each emphasising the interests of one of the three stakeholder groups and it is assumed that these three plans delimit the scope for the final plan. The objective of the second step is to generate a single management plan that best reflects the objectives of all stakeholders involved. Again a stakeholder workshop is organized, however, this time the set of maps and the three plans were digital available in the Group Map Table. This provides the possibility to draw plans using for example a remote sensing map or a soil type map as background. Moreover, the table records who makes which additions. Because all groups have access to the same information and are gathered around the table, each group can easier identify what is essential for them and where they have scope for negotiation. Therefore, the Group Map Table makes it easier to develop a plan that maximizes the result for all groups simultaneously.