MOPLAND - A Co-construction Conceptual Model for Participatory Land-Use Modelling in Spatial Planning

The MOPLAND project operates to promote participatory, representative, and transparent decision-making approaches in Spatial Planning as well as to strengthen governance and science-policy interface for land-use and land cover change sustainability. MOPLAND is a 1.5-year research project funded under the 1st edition of the FCT RESTART Programme.

The project is aimed specifically at co-creating a conceptual model of Participatory Land-Use Modelling in Spatial Planning. Such representation is expected to frame participatory modelling in Spatial Planning, that stems from scientific research, but it is also collaboratively created by discussion participants.

The outcomes from MOPLAND’s research, participatory spatial modelling, and social engagement will be incorporated in a tool developed to assist stakeholders collectively envision adaptative co-planning land-use and land-cover (LULC) scenarios.

Objectives

The overarching goal of the MOPLAND project is to foster effective and impactful forms of governance in service of land-use planning in the Portuguese context by developing a participatory modelling approach involving key stakeholders in the design of land-use plans and in the discussion of local policies. And, thus, to provide a way forward to better link the Spatial Planning, LULC change research, social engagement, and decision-making domains.

Participatory Modelling

Develop a conceptual model for participatory land-use modelling, co-created with key stakeholders.

Research-to-Policy Integration

Foster inclusive governance by exploring participatory approaches in existing frameworks, assessing barriers and opportunities.

Decision Support Tool

Develop a tool to help stakeholders visualize and co-plan adaptive land-use and land-cover scenarios.

Social Engagement

Enhance social engagement by integrating public participation and fostering stakeholder dialogue to improve land-use planning.

Outputs

Books & book chapters

Faria de Deus, R., Tenedório, J. A., & Rocha, J. (2021). Modelling Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes: A Hybrid Approach to a Coastal Area. In: Tenedório, J. A., Estanqueiro, R., & Henriques, C. D. (Ed.), Methods and Applications of Geospatial Technology in Sustainable Urbanism (pp. 57-102). IGI Global.
http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-2249-3.ch003

Publications

Faria de Deus, Raquel; Tenedório, José António; Pumain, Denise; Rocha, Jorge; Pereira, Margarida. “100 Years of Land-Use and Land-Cover Data: What Has Been the Effect of Spatial Planning in Coastal Land-Use and Land-Cover Change?”. Sustainability 15 9 (2023): 7636.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15097636.

Raquel Faria de Deus; José António Tenedório. “Coastal Land-Use and Land-Cover Change Trajectories: Are They Sustainable?”. Sustainability (2021).
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168840.

Thesis / Dissertation

Deus, Raquel Margarida Viana Faria de. “GIS-based measurement, analysis and modelling of Land-use and Land-Cover change in coastal areas. The case of the Algarve, Portugal”. PhD, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/16262.

Datasets

soon

Online Resources

Tenedório, J. A. (2025, January 31). Relevância dos Modelos Espaciais Quantitativos para Planeamento e Ordenamento do Território (Relevance of quantitative spatial models for Spatial Planning) [Workshop presentation]. 1st Participatory Workshop “Together for Sustainable Territories,” organized by the MOPLAND research team. YouTube. [Video in Portuguese]. https://youtu.be/q6Ev8_t0XgE

Participatory workshop sessions

The project involves a collaboration between the MOPLAND team, local government, and key stakeholders in two Portuguese case studies to perform participatory workshops.

Participatory workshop’s main purposes:

Co-create a shared representation of how stakeholders perceive the land-use and land-cover system to function in the territory concerned, as well as the way they understand that participatory modelling should be introduced into Spatial Planning,

Enable adaptation and anticipation, by gathering key stakeholders together to promote collaborative decision-making as regards future sustainable land-use planning.

Activities

2nd Participatory Workshop

Together for Sustainable Territories

It aims to co-construct future land-use and land-cover scenarios for coastal municipal territories in light of current societal, environmental, and technological challenges.

📅 April 29, 2025
⏰ 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
🏡 ONLINE

Registration

Labs

“Nós Fazemos o Futuro”

The MOPLAND project drives the “Nós Fazemos o Futuro” (in English: “We Make the Future” labs, with the next initiative scheduled for May. Follow the preliminary results of the creative spatial modelling labs with children and young people.

April–May 2025

1st Participatory Workshop

Together for Sustainable Territories

These participatory workshops aim to promote social engagement in land use land cover changes spatial modelling in coastal municipalities, allowing the general public to share their opinions, expectations, and visions about these territories.

30/01/2025