Systemic Analysis of Urban Water Supply and Growth Management

Abstract

Systems techniques offer civil engineers new tools for the analysis and synthesis of systemic issues, and they could be used more effectively in the urban growth and infrastructure arena. This paper discusses three versions of systems techniques and compares their concepts with those of other planning processes. Through a retrospective view of a systems dynamics modeling project, the paper shows how quantitative analysis can be applied to an urban water supply system, and discusses how other systems techniques are used in the decision process. The paper argues that comprehensive models could provide better decision information and inspire greater public confidence in the decision process, but they cannot eliminate uncertainty and conflict, nor can they replace the planning processes with public involvement that have evolved alongside systems technologies. However, systems and model techniques can enable civil engineers to provide more leadership by fathoming the complexity of issues and explaining options more clearly during the decision process.