Contesting the role of regional geomorphology in spatial planning through non-eucledian geometries and fuzzy clustering methodologies

Abstract

Regional Geomorphology is defined as the scientific discipline in charge of explaining the spatial distribution oflandforms at both regional and sub-regional scales, and has been traditionally considered by land use and spatialplanners, as an essential scientific field when attempting to define both landscape character and dynamics. The useof landforms, and land-units, to delimit and define planning units useful for land and natural resource managementis a classic procedure intensively and extensively employed on classic Spatial planning science. Such relation-ship(geomorphology/planning) has traditionally been approached through the design and application of eitherphysiographic (synthetic) or parametric (analytical) landform-based methodologies. Either by using a syntheticor analytical approach, the definition and delimitation of homogeneous land units is as essential step to define aproper planning strategy and geographically delimit decision-making. Nevertheless, the once high importance thatwas once attributed to landforms on regional definition and characterization, has recently suffered from a continu-ous decrease in both scientific and operational (political/administrative) popularity, and is actually reduced almostexclusively to very specific, and exclusively specialized planning procedures (e.g. watershed planning, naturalhazard mitigation, landscape impact assessment...). Out of the multiple causes that might explain the aforemen-tioned decrease on the importance of regional geomorphology within Spatial Planning, there should be speciallyhighlighted the recent trend that is refocusing Spatial Planning towards a more complex socio-environmental,and progressively less exclusively land-use-centred, discipline, thus progressively shifting Its main focus towardsunravelling the complex dynamics that define humanenvironmental systems. Therefore, and in order to properlyaddress Its new complex objectives, Spatial planning needs to embrace the socio-environmental paradigm and Itsassociated principles, therefore inevitably assuming the importance of concepts such as the complexity and uncer-tainty of Land-Systems. This paper discusses the applicability of a conceptual methodology specifically designedto provide Regional Geomorphology with both the epistemic foundations and practical tools, necessary to demon-strate Its ability to act as a complex science, and thus get back to the core of Spatial Planning decision making.For such purpose, a number of quantitative indicators of complexity and uncertainty in landforms and land-unitswere designed, tested and implemented, using the theoretical basis provided by tools such as fractal and com-plex geometric analysis, and fuzzy clustering methodologies. The possibility to obtain fuzzy metrics and limits oflandforms and land-units, and to quantify the spatial uncertainty associated with their delimitation and definition,intends to contribute, both epistemologically and from an applied perspective, to generate more flexible and lesserratic methodologies for Spatial Planning, adding reliability and accuracy to land-system-based decision making.