The purpose of the Spatial Indicators Project is to create a local centre of excellence to encourage and assist government departments and state funded bodies in Northern Ireland and the Border Region to utilise the data and applications created by MOLAND.

MOLAND (Monitoring Land Cover/Use Dynamics) has defined and validated a methodology in support of European sectoral policies with territorial and environmental impacts for endorsing sustainable urban and regional development.  To this end, MOLAND develops land use digital databases at different dates, to assess and model present and future scenarios of urban and regional development in relation to sustainable development.  The Northern Ireland/Border Counties MOLAND database has been developed by the Directorate General Joint Research Council (DG JRC) of the European Community.

MOLAND consists of a land use reference database and ancillary data sets for the reference year (2000). The ancillary datasets consist of an extensive range of socio-economic and statistical data.  As well as these data sets, MOLAND uses a modelling tool to predict the impact of spatial planning decisions, and to monitor and assess where development in urban areas is likely to take place. The model also has a set of built in indicators of urban and regional sustainability that can be used to compare with calculated indicators in other areas. MOLAND can also be used as a platform for undertaking environmental impact assessments.

For further details please see links below:

Spatial Indicators Brochure

Presentations

Bruce McCormack: Creating a Quality Policy Infrastructure

Pat Colgan: The Future of EU Cohesion Policy Post 2006