One of the chapters is called “More Quality, Less Quantity: Using the Eco-Account Instrument to Increase Efficiency in the Execution of Large-Scale Projects” by Jan Schmid and Laura Mato Julcamoro. In this work, the authors address the increasing pressure on land and the requirements of strict nature conservation laws, which pose significant challenges for infrastructure projects, particularly when it comes to securing compensation areas. They present the eco-account instrument as an efficient solution that allows compensation measures to be implemented and secured in advance, thereby reducing time-critical issues and conflicts with other land uses. Their analysis shows that this approach can use up to 23% less land for the same environmental value, improving both the temporal and financial efficiency of large-scale projects.

Another chapter is called “The Draft Proposal of an Algorithm for Land Readjustment Forecasting” by Dr. Felipe Francisco De Souza. In this work, De Souza introduces an algorithm to predict the outcomes of land readjustment projects, based on a comprehensive historical analysis of 120 years of Baulandumlegung in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The framework combines principles of spatiotemporal statistics and historical institutionalism to account for how early legal and political decisions constrain future developments. The algorithm integrates six statistical methods into a single predictive pipeline, with an iterative machine learning classifier at its core to forecast outcomes and trace how major events influence project design, financing, and dispute resolution.

Book information and download:

https://vdf.ch/land-management-in-a-changing-world-e-book.html

We would like to thank the editors Prof. Vida Maliene and Dr. Reinfried Mansberger for the opportunity to contribute to this volume.