Modelling and Social Learning in Rural Landscape Analysis and Management

To explore the potential of modelling praxis as a site of integration between different academic disciplines concerned with rural economics and land use.
To establish and enhance a set of working relationships among consortium members.
To establish the dept of current expertise and opportunities for progress within a range of relevant fields. In particular: systematic inquiry comprising computer and non-computer-based modelling of social and environmental interactions within landscapes, model interface design, decision support tools, social learning and soft systems methodology.
To develop research proposals for RELU and other research funding programmes for action research into the integration of different modelling approaches in support of decision-making and social learning at the landscape level.
To support two workshops and provide resources for a facilitator to develop the concept with potential research partners.
To produce a review paper detailing the different traditions of modelling practice relevant to sustainable landscape management issues, making the findings of the workshop available to a wider audience.