Climate change represents a “wicked problem” meaning that it is hard to know what exact effects it will generate on human and natural systems. At the same time are stakes high since the effects likely will be vast, generating both winners and losers. Understanding how climate change will play out demands assessing interrelated impacts from weather related changes and changes in social systems over time, incorporating political, physical as well as perceptional aspects. An important departure in my research is to develop methods for assessing these combined effects in various contexts, including management of buildings, planning of new built areas and development of new strategies.
Reflexive decision-making
Managing wicked problems demands reflexive decision-making and planning processes which incorporate aspects of the above changes as well as perspectives of key stakeholders who are effected by, or can influence the outcome of, the decisions taken. In municipal planning this can include, for example, perspectives from several sectors, organizations and citizens. Dr Glaas research focuses on how such decision and planning processes can be facilitated through new interactive forms of governance, communication and interaction, including the development of visualization supported approaches and techniques.
