Information Support System For Urban-Regional Plan Preparation At the National Urban Planning Institute
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Date
1993-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Planning in general and urban-regional plan preparation
in particular is now becoming increasingly an information
intensive activity so much so that the success of the
planning exercise depends on the availability of
adequate, timely and reliable information. In Third World
countries including Ethiopia, information intensive
activities like planning are very much affected by poor
information support services.
It is in this context that this study deals with the
design of an information support system that can provide
information tailored to the needs of NUPI's planners,
researchers and other professional staff involved in the
preparation of urban-regional plans. The study employed
a structured method of system analysis and design
technique. The required data to design the system were
collected by questionnaire survey, interviews and
observations.
The design of the system was preceded by analysis of the
existing system problems and suggestions for preliminary
problem solutions. The study reveals that the existing
system does not have a well-established data processing
procedure resulting, at times, in the underutilization
and improper use of information collected at high cost.The users' information requirements were identified as
the prime basis for the design of the new system. The
information required by NUPI is very diversified
including economic, population, services, natural
resources, crop production, land use, etc. It covers
almost all human experience, generally. In order to
satisfy users' information requirement, the system
functions such as sample data processing and map
preparation that are applied to process the raw data into
usable forms are described and documented with the help
of data flow diagrams and a set of algorithm
descriptions, referred to as logical system design.
Basing on the logical system, the design of the physical
system was developed for implementation which includes
generation and selection of system al ternati ves, and
design of prototype output, input data elements, and
database. In general terms, the system design proposed in
this study can help in partly alleviating the existing
problems. The study recommends other system design
projects to bring about complete solutions to the
prevailing problems.
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Keywords
Information Support System