Just Accepted Manuscripts
Thematic Call for papers: URBAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Pianificazione intelligente nell'era dell'incertezza: decisioni, conoscenza, complessità e tecnologie emergenti

Domenico Camarda
Politecnico di Bari, Italia

Published 2026-01-02

Keywords

  • Intelligent planning,
  • Artificial intelligence,
  • Knowledge-based decision-making,
  • Urban digital twins,
  • Scenario building

How to Cite

Camarda, D. (2026). Pianificazione intelligente nell’era dell’incertezza: decisioni, conoscenza, complessità e tecnologie emergenti. Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti. https://doi.org/10.36253/contest-15647

Abstract

Traditional spatial planning shows increasing limitations in addressing the complexity and dynamism of real contexts, often resulting in plans that are abstract and difficult to implement. The advent of emerging technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers new perspectives to manage complex data and support informed decisions, but also shows risks of amplification of inequalities and persistence of existing biases. The text explores these issues in a framework of historical and theoretical evolution of planning, highlighting the dialectic between traditional top-down models and the need for multi-agent and knowledge-based approaches, more collaborative and adaptive. Through the analysis of experiments with generative AI and applied ontologies, some potential and limits of current technologies in the construction of future scenarios and in the management of diffused knowledge are outlined. A central epistemological challenge emerges, consisting in integrating advanced tools with inclusive participatory processes, shifting the emphasis towards collaborative knowledge structures capable of responding to the changing needs of communities and promoting more equitable and sustainable decisions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Albrechts L., Healey P., Kunzmann K.R. 2003, Strategic spatial planning and regional governance in Europe, «Journal of the American Planning Association», vol. 69, n. 2, pp. 113-129.
  2. Alexander E.R. 2016, There is no planning—only planning practices: Notes for spatial planning theories, «Planning Theory», vol. 15, n. 1, pp. 91-103.
  3. ANVUR 2017, Valutazione della Qualità della Ricerca 2011-2014: Rapporto finale, Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema Universitario e della Ricerca, Roma.
  4. ANVUR 2022, Valutazione della Qualità della Ricerca 2015-2019: Rapporto finale, Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema Universitario e della Ricerca, Roma.
  5. Ariza-Álvarez A., Soria-Lara J.A., Aguilera-Benavente F. 2023, Re-thinking the role of exploratory scenarios for adaptive policymaking: An application for land use and transport planning, «Futures», vol. 149, pp. 103139.
  6. Arrow K.J. 1963, Social Choice and Individual Values, Wiley, New York.
  7. Asimov I. 1950, I, robot, Gnome Press, New York.
  8. Batty M. 2022, The conundrum of ‘form follows function’, «Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science», vol. 49, n. 7, pp. 1815-1819.
  9. Bell W. 2003, Foundations of Futures Studies: History, Purposes, and Knowledge, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick (NJ).
  10. Bhardwaz S., Kumar J. 2023, An Extensive Comparative Analysis of Chatbot Technologies-ChatGPT, Google BARD and Microsoft Bing, in IEEE (ed.) 2nd International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence and Computing (ICAAIC2023), IEEE, Salem, India, pp. 673-679.
  11. Borgo S., Ferrario R., Gangemi A., Guarino N., Masolo C., Porello D., Sanfilippo E.M., Vieu L. 2022, DOLCE: A descriptive ontology for linguistic and cognitive engineering, «Applied Ontology», vol. 17, n. 1, pp. 45-69.
  12. Borri D., Camarda D., Balena P., Giustozzi M. 2020, Partecipazione e cognizione multi-agente nella strategia territoriale per Taranto: Note prodromiche al nuovo piano, «Archivio di Studi Urbani e Regionali», vol. 127, pp. 148-171.
  13. Burns T. 2004, A Practical Theory of Public Planning: The Tavistock Tradition and John Friend’s Strategic Choice Approach, «Planning Theory», vol. 3, n. 3, pp. 211-223.
  14. Camarda D. 2018, Building sustainable futures for post-industrial regeneration: the case of Taranto, Italy, «Urban Research & Practice», vol. 11, n. 3, pp. 275-283.
  15. Camarda D., Patano M. 2023, If this is a planner: Artificial intelligence’s way towards scenario building, «Plurimondi», vol. 20,
  16. Camarda D., Patano M. 2024, Exploring generative AI in planning: A scenario-building simulation for the master plan of Bari, Italy, in M. Schrenk, V.V. Popovich, P. Zeile, P. Elisei, C. Beyer, J. Ryser, H.R. Kaufmann (eds.), Keep on Planning for the Real World: Climate Change Calls for Nature-Based Solutions and Smart Technologies, Corp, Mannheim, pp. 321-331.
  17. Clementi A., Dematteis G., Palermo P.C. (eds.) 1996, Le Forme del Territorio Italiano. Laterza. Bari.
  18. Cottineau C., Batty M., Benenson I., Delloye J., Hatna E., Pumain D., Sarkar S., Tannier C., Ubarevičienė R. 2024, The role of analytical models and their circulation in urban studies and policy, «Urban Studies», vol. 0, n. 0, pp. 00420980241237410.
  19. Deng T., Zhang K., Shen Z.-J. 2021, A systematic review of a digital twin city: A new pattern of urban governance toward smart cities, «Journal of Management Science and Engineering», vol. 6, n. 2, pp. 125-134.
  20. Etzioni A. 1967, Mixed-scanning: A "third" approach to decision-making, «Public Administration Review», vol. 27, n. 5, pp. 385-392.
  21. Etzioni A. 2014, The Common Good, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
  22. Fischer F. 2000, Citizens, Experts, and the Environment: The Politics of Local Knowledge, Durham: Duke University Press,
  23. Forester J. 1984, Bounded rationality and the politics of muddling through, «Public Administration Review», vol. 44, n. 1, pp. 23-31.
  24. Forester J. 1998, Pianificazione e potere. Pratiche e teorie interattive del progetto urbano, Dedalo, Bari.
  25. Friedmann J. 1993, Pianificazione e dominio pubblico. Dalla conoscenza all'azione, Dedalo, Bari.
  26. Friend J., Hickling A. 1997, Planning Under Pressure: The Strategic Choice Approach, Butterworth - Heinemann, London.
  27. Friend J.K., Jessop W.N. 1969, Local Government and Strategic Choice, Tavistock, London.
  28. Giray L. 2023, Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT: A Guide for Academic Writers, «Annals of Biomedical Engineering», vol. 51, n. 12, pp. 2629-2633.
  29. Habermas J. 1984, The Theory of Communicative Action: Reason and the Rationalization of Society, Beacon Press, Boston.
  30. Hall P. 1999, Cities in Civilization: Culture, Innovation, and Urban Order, Pantheon Books, New York.
  31. Healey P. 1997, Collaborative Planning: Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies, Macmillan, Houndmills (UK).
  32. Inayatullah S. 2008, Six pillars: Futures thinking for transforming, «foresight», vol. 10, n. 1, pp. 4-21.
  33. Jungk R., Mullert N. 1996, Future Workshop: How to Create Desirable Futures, Institute for Social Inventions, London.
  34. Kennora U. 2023, Engineering and urban planning, <https://www.reddit.com/r/urbanplanning/comments/10lcqmc/engineering_and_urban_planning/> (17/06/2024)
  35. Khakee A., Barbanente A., Camarda D., Puglisi M. 2002a, With or without? Comparative study of preparing participatory scenarios using computer-aided and traditional brainstorming, «Journal of Future Research», vol. 6, pp. 45-64.
  36. Khakee A., Barbanente A., Puglisi M. 2002b, Scenario building for Metropolitan Tunis, «Futures», vol. 34, pp. 583-596.
  37. Khakee A., Strömberg K. 1993, Applying futures studies and the strategic choice approach in urban planning, «Journal of the Operational Research Society», vol. 44, n. 3, pp. 213-224.
  38. Kunzmann K.R., Koll-Schretzenmayr M. 2015, The state of planning and planning education in Europe, in M. Macoun, K. Maier (eds.), Annual AESOP Congress, Definite Space – Fuzzy Responsibility, AESoP, Prague,
  39. Kunzmann K.R., Wegener M. 1991, The pattern of urbanization in Western Europe, «Ekistics», n. 350, pp. 282-291.
  40. Lindblom C.E. 1959, The science of "muddling through", «Public Administration Review», vol. 19, n. 2, pp. 79-88.
  41. Lynch K. 1960, The Image of the City, Cambridge: The MIT Press,
  42. Maciocco G. (ed.) 1991, Le dimensioni ambientali della pianificazione urbana. Franco Angeli. Milano.
  43. Mazza L., Alexander E.R., Moroni S. 2012, Planning without plans? Nomocracy or teleocracy for social-spatial ordering, «Progress in Planning», vol. 77, n. 2, pp. 37-87.
  44. McLoughlin J.B. 1969, Urban and Regional Planning: A Systems Approach, Faber & Faber, London.
  45. Nozick R. 1993, The Nature of Rationality, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
  46. Olesen K. 2018, Teaching planning theory as planner roles in urban planning education, «Higher Education Pedagogies», vol. 3, n. 1, pp. 302-318.
  47. Palagin O., Kaverinskiy V., Litvin A., Malakhov K. 2023, OntoChatGPT Information System: Ontology-Driven Structured Prompts for ChatGPT Meta-Learning, «International Journal of Computing», vol. 22, n. 2, pp. 170-183.
  48. Pelzer P. 2017, Usefulness of planning support systems: A conceptual framework and an empirical illustration, «Transportation Research A», vol. 104, pp. 84-95.
  49. Poli G., Cuntò S., Muccio E., Cerreta M. 2024, A spatial decision support system for multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of river basin districts: The case study of Sarno river, Italy, «Land Use Policy», vol. 141, pp. 107123.
  50. Properzi P., Ombuen S. (eds.) 2020, Rapporto dal Territorio 2019. INU Edizioni. Roma.
  51. Sandercock L. 1998, Towards Cosmopolis: Planning for multicultural cities, Wiley, Chichester.
  52. Santoro S., Esposito D., Camarda D., Borri D. 2021, A Hybrid Approach for the Acquisition and Analysis of Distributed Knowledge on Spatial Planning: The Case Study of the Master Plan for Brindisi (Italy), «Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering», vol. 146, pp. 195-204.
  53. Santoro S., Stufano Melone M.R., Camarda D. 2020, Building strategic scenarios during Covid-19 lockdown, «TeMA-Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment», vol. 13, n. 2, pp. 229-240.
  54. Sardar Z. 2010, The Namesake: Futures; futures studies; futurology; futuristic; foresight—What's in a name?, «Futures», vol. 42, n. 3, pp. 177-184.
  55. Scandurra E. 2001, Gli Storni e l'Urbanista. Progettare nella Contemporaneità, Meltemi, Roma.
  56. Schlagwein D., Willcocks L. 2023, ‘ChatGPT et al.’: The ethics of using (generative) artificial intelligence in research and science, «Journal of Information Technology», vol. 38, n. 3, pp. 232-238.
  57. Schön D.A. 1993, Il Professionista Riflessivo: Per una Nuova Epistemologia della Practica Professionale, Dedalo, Bari.
  58. Sharifi A., Khavarian-Garmsir A.R., Allam Z., Asadzadeh A. 2023, Progress and prospects in planning: A bibliometric review of literature in Urban Studies and Regional and Urban Planning, 1956–2022, «Progress in Planning», vol. 173, pp. 100740.
  59. Simon H.A. 1945, Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-making Processes in Administrative Organization, Macmillan, London.
  60. Simon H.A. 1955, A behavioral model of rational choice, «The Quarterly Journal of Economics», vol. 69, n. 1, pp. 99-118.
  61. Simon H.A. 1982, Models of Bounded Rationality, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
  62. Stiglitz J.E., Greenwald B., Gallegati M., Richiardi M.G. 2008, The asymmetric effect of diffusion processes: Risk sharing and contagion, «Global Economy Journal», vol. 8, n. 3
  63. Stufano Melone M.R., Camarda D. 2024, Spatial-cognition ontology models in policymaking: Dealing with urban landmarks in literary narratives, «TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment», vol. SI 1, pp. 29-44.
  64. Susskind L., Cruikshank J.L. 1987, Breaking the Impasse: Consensual Approaches to Resolving Public Disputes, Basic Books, New York.
  65. van Dijk T. 2021, What collaborative planning practices lack and the design cycle can offer: Back to the drawing table, «Planning Theory», vol. 20, n. 1, pp. 6-27.
  66. Wagg D., Worden K., Barthorpe R., Gardner P. 2020, Digital twins: state-of-the-art and future directions for modeling and simulation in engineering dynamics applications, «ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part B Mechanical Engineering», vol. 6, n. 3
  67. White J., Fu Q., Hays S., Sandborn M., Olea C., Gilbert H., Elnashar A., Spencer-Smith J., Schmidt D.C. 2023, A prompt pattern catalog to enhance prompt engineering with chatgpt, «arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.11382»,
  68. Wolfram S. 2023, What is ChatGPT doing... and why does it work?, <https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/02/what-is-chatgpt-doing-and-why-does-it-work/> (19/06/2024)