Hudson Regional Modeling Initiative
The Hudson Regional Modeling Initiative (HRMI) is proposed by the Urban Design Lab (UDL) as a test bed for integrating urban planning and policy with design, technology, and sustainable development. The HRMI is a decision support model for the long term future design and planning of the Hudson Valley region. It is also proposed as an urban platform to evaluate the challenges of climate change, population growth, and environmental health facing the wider New York City area, and global cities around the world.
Critical to the success of the HRMI will be the development of a digital urban model to enable city planners, policy makers, designers, and others to better utilize scientific knowledge. The model will be a multi-scaled geographic information system (GIS) database interlaced with real time data about the region’s ecosystem providing accurate, scientific data to assist with decision making. This predictive tool will represent a new generation of urban modeling and data gathering.
The UDL is in a unique position to bridge the information gaps between scientists, community groups and policy makers. Data already exist on land use patterns and ecological conditions in the region, but the data is fragmented and can be difficult for non-scientists to interpret. The partnerships the UDL has established within the various communities will allow local groups and governing agencies access to the vital hard data necessary for informed decision making and will create a broader platform for ecologists, biologists, economists, planners, and other professionals.
UDL Team: Richard Plunz, Kenneth Kaplan, Michael Conard, Kubi Ackerman, Dimitris Vlachopoulos