VII. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008 DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.1 1 GIS BASED ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT Vesna KOSCAK MIOCIC-STOSIC– Sonja BUTULA – Berislav MARKOVIĆ Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetosimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, vkoscak@agr.hr Abstract: The need for sustainable rural development is widely recognised and acknowledged as the European social goal. Such concept implies certain mechanisms and procedures that will assure implementation of landscape, environment and nature protection demands. This paper presents an approach for reconciliation of conflicting interests between development and protection from the planning perspective. The methodological approach of suitability modelling is presented in a case study of land-use planning process for a typical rural area of continental Croatia, the area of Samobor-Zumberacko Gorje. The suitability models were developed for a type of rural tourism – family estate, frequently listed in agro-environment programmes for similar areas. Suitability maps allowed the identification of both conflicting interests to be located in space. Such models are relevant tool for representation of spatial potentials and possible degradations due to a landscape change as well as society's diversified interests and can be a promising starting point for a process of resolving conflicts and reaching the best possible consensus on future land use in rural areas. Keywords: suitability, rural area, landscape, planning Introduction Sustainability concept, as the overall paradigm of our time is the basis for economic, social, technological and environmental considerations. The implementation of sustainability into planning outcomes – spatial plans is a complex task. It could be implemented by planning process which takes into account the whole complex system and use models that that offer alternatives of clearly defined aim, i.e. choosing location as Antal and Grasselli (2007) putted. In that respect a simulation models integrate different characteristics that play important role in site selection (Farkas et al, 2005). Recent European agro-environmental and rural policies aim at fostering economic, ecological and societal development of rural areas (Zanker, 2007). Many countries are presently evaluating existing policies and developing new ones on a basis of their observed and potential environmental impacts (Tarnawa, 2006). The landscape character of Croatia is highly rural. The national strategy of rural development envisages a rural tourism as important driving force directed towards the priority goal achievement: increase of competitiveness in rural areas without a negative impact on the environment. The current Rural development model refers to sustainable rural development and sets up measures for stimulation and promotion of rural tourism. Therefore, it is to be expected that new programmes and projects for development of rural tourism will be initiated. Methodological aspect of spatial dimension or allocation issue of such developmental activities is not so clearly set. Materials and methods The study is methodologically set as the part of the evaluation phase of a planning process that yields with a decision on environmentally sound allocation of certain land use. The assessment instrument was a suitability analysis that comprises dual assessment of spatial criteria for development (analysis of a space attractiveness) and