Prospect for the Method of Urban Safety Analysis and Environmental Design
Methodology of "MUSE SYSTEM"
Outline
The comprehensive system among MUSE and the information technologies to realize the vision
(Figure 1) was named as MUSE System. This system consists of three fields, namely, Semantics,
Syntactics, and Pragmatics (Figure 2). Semantics is the field in relation to the classification and
the definition of spatial data. Syntactics deals with the relationship between the spatial data and
other elements (i.e., time, location, and social systems). Pragmatics is the field in connection
with the application of the information to the real social life for people.
Semantics
Semantics is the field that deals with the relationship between the digitized GIS spatial data and
the physical elements of the city. In this stage, the physical elements and the spatial data are
classified into some categories and the vocabulary of spatial data is defined clearly. For example,
the element named "Edge" (coastlines, riverbanks, or long walls, etc.) is usually negative
element that interrupts traffic activities (Figure 3). However, the element can be positive one to
prevent fire spread in case of a big fire caused by an earthquake. The purpose of Semantics is to
make a dictionary of urban spatial data which have some meanings depending upon
circumstances. The standardization of spatial data infrastructure as ISO/TC211 is globally under
development. GIS is an important tool to share the spatial information among users. Therefore,
Semantics in MUSE System should be established in the global standardization.
Figure 2 Process to realize MUSE
Syntactics
Syntactics is the field that deals with the relationship between the spatial data prescribed by
Semantics and other elements, i.e., time, location, and social systems (e.g., economy or the laws
and regulations). As a result, it will be possible to simulate the various urban phenomena as well
as damage assessment of the city. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. evaluates GIS
ModelBuilder, which was developed for GIS simulation, as one of the most promising extended
function in the next generation. Figure 4 (L) shows a flow chart of Erosion Hazard simulation
including some ground condition by GIS ModelBuilder. The round shaped node represents a
function to estimate each condition and each function can be changed for a more accurate and
improved urban simulation according to the progress in the research field. The construction of
the method to grasp the urban activities is a principal subject of Syntactics. There are two axes
for the simulation in this stage as shown in Figure 2. One of them is the axis in connection with
its use, the ordinary mode and the emergency mode. Another one is related to the time period to
input data, the static mode and the dynamic mode. The static mode is used for the simulation
with slow updating data like those for disaster management, which is not necessary to update
data every day or every week. On the other hand, the dynamic mode is the real-time simulation
in Internet or Ubiquitous-computing environment. The concept of the urban simulation will be a
new method to recognize and design cities in the next century. For instance, a local government
whose budget is limited can determine the optimal location of open space as a result of a fire
spread simulation shown in Figure 4 (R). It is time to realize the symbioses of the Real City and
the Invisible City with information technologies and spatial data infrastructure as Crane (1960)
described 40 years ago.
Figure 3 Meaning of "Edge"
Figure 4 GIS ModelBuilder © 2000 ESRI (L) and Urban Simulation of Fire Spread (R)
