Coastal Zone Canada 2025 Conference information, including program and abstracts, can be found here
Abstract
Spatial planning is process that is essential for the transdisciplinary management of changing coastal environments. The process aims to influence the spatial distribution of activities in a way that balances environmental, economic and social needs. As community input becomes increasingly recognized for its vital role in decision-making, there is a growing need to explore how conventional decision support tools (DSTs) account for, and communicate place-based knowledge (e.g., Indigenous and Local Knowledge systems). Such knowledge systems enhance the contextual applicability of decisions that better reflect present and future uses of a place. This study explores the suitability of six Decision Support Tools (DST) used in spatial planning to collect and communicate place-based perspectives: Canada Marine Planning Atlas, participatory mapping, ArcGIS StoryMap, Marxan, the Marine Spatial Planning Board Game, and virtual reality. Through a scoping review and semi-structured interviews with spatial planners, marine and coastal researchers, and users who reside and/or work in coastal environments in Nova Scotia, key characteristics that make DSTs suitable for communicating place-based knowledge as well as tool design limitations are identified. Also identified are the rightsholder and stakeholder engagement, data collection, and communication stages of the spatial planning process at which each of the selected DST are most effectively applied. The results are meant to inform the design and use of DSTs in a way that better account for and serve local coastal users throughout the stages of the spatial planning process, thereby supporting informed and sustainable decision-making in the context of coastal planning in the province.
Citation
Khan, J., Goerlandt, F., & Manuel, P. (2025). Advancing innovations in coastal spatial planning by exploring how decision support tools represent place-based knowledge systems in Nova Scotia, Canada. Coastal Zone Canada Conference, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 9-11 June 2025.
Related Blog Post
Khan, J., Legault, A., MacDonald, B.H., Manuel, P., Margeson, M., Martinez Calderon, D., Webster, A., & Wells, P.G. (2025, July 30). Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Relationships: Reflections on the 2025 Coastal Zone Canada Conference. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/strengthening-coastal-resilience-and-relationships-reflections-on-the-2025-coastal-zone-canada-conference/