Geodesign in Developing Countries: The example of the Master Plan for Wulingyuan National Scenic Area, China

- Geodesign's main potential areas of application are in developing countries.
- We introduced the application of Geodesign in the Wulingyuan National Scenic Area.
- We discussed the contributions and improvements that Geodesign has made.
- We should promote the adoption of Geodesign in developing countries.

Geospatial technology and the design profession have been growing and developing side by side in the US for more than three decades. The newly-coined word Geodesign not only describes a practice of applying geographic knowledge and technology in the design process but also marks new pathways in application and academic research. However, the places that need Geodesign the most are in many low-tech developing countries where large-scale developments and significant landscape changes are occurring. This paper uses the master plan for the Wulingyuan National Scenic Area, China as an example to discuss the contributions of Geodesign to developing countries such as China. The Wulingyuan National Scenic Area is a World Heritage Site and home to many wildlife species. The explosive growth of tourism in the park since the 1980s has caused significant environmental deterioration. The challenges of balancing development and conservation, the spatial analyses and final planning strategies and outcomes are introduced to show how the concepts and techniques from Geodesign have improved the planning process. At the end of the article, the authors argue for the promotion of Geodesign in developing countries through education, data sharing, and more accessible collaborative geospatial tools.