Eric de Noronha Vaz was a former Group Leader and Senior Scientist at the GIScience Research Group of the Institute of Geography in Heidelberg and Invited Assistant Professor at the Universidade do Algarve.

Research Interests

• Regional Sciences
• Applied Complex Systems
• GIScience
• Cellular Automata
• Spatial Modeling
• Land Cover / Land Use Change
• Urban Geography

Awards

• 2011, Advanced Land Training, European Space Agency
• 2010, Best Paper Award, World Science and Engineering Association
• 2010, Best Masters Student Experience, New University of Lisbon
• 2009, Visiting Fellow, Massachussets Institute of Technology
• 2008, THEMES IV, Marie Curie Grant
• 2006, Management Assessment Selection, SONY Europe

Memberships

• 2011, Member of the Urban Economics Asssociation
• 2009, Member of the International Society of Ecological Economics
• 2008, Member of the Association of American Geographers
• 2007, Member of the Portuguese Association of Regional Development
• 2006, Member of the Portuguese Association of Young Entrepreneurs

Academic Appointments

• 2011, Group Leader for “GIScience for Sustainability”, Heidelberg University, Germany
• 2011, Invited Assistant Professor, University of the Algarve, Portugal
• 2010, Director of Advanced Training, Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of the Algarve, Portugal

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed International Journals
Vaz, E.; Cabral,P.; Caetano, M.; Painho, M. and Nijkamp, P., 2011, “Urban heritage endangerment at the interface of future cities and past heritage: A spatial vulnerability assessment”, Habitat International. (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2011.10.007)

Vaz, E.; Brito, A.; Painho, M. and Nijkamp, P., 2011, “Impacts on environmental law and regulations on agricultural land-use change and urban pressure”, European Planning Studies. (submitted)

Vaz, E.; Caetano, M.; Nijkamp, P. and Painho, M., 2011, “A multi-scenario prospection of urban change – a study on urban growth in the Algarve”, Landscape and Urban Planning. (DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.10.007)

Vaz, E.; Noronha, M. T. and Nijkamp, P., 2011, “Gravity Models for Agricultural Land-use change: The Case of the Algarve”, International Journal of Sustainable Development. (in press)

Vaz, E.; Nainggolan, D.; Nijkamp, P. and Painho, M., 2011, “Crossroads of Tourism: a complex spatial system analysis of tourism and urban sprawl”, International Journal of Sustainable Development. 14(3), pp. 225-241.

Vaz, E.; Caetano, M.; Nijkamp, P.,2011, “A Multi-level spatial urban pressure analysis of the Giza Pyramid Plateau in Egypt”, Journal of Heritage Tourism, 6(2), pp. 99-108.

Vaz, E.; Cabral, P.; Caetano, M.; Painho, M and Nijkamp, 2010, P.“ Urban Cultural Heritage Endangerment: Degradation of historico-cultural landscapes”, Geophysical Research Abstracts, 12, EGU2010-6821.

Vaz, E.; Caetano, M.; Nijkamp, P., 2010, “Trapped between antiquity and urbanism – a multi-criteria assessment model of the greater Cairo Metropolitan area”, Journal of Land Use Science. (DOI: 10.1080/1747423X.2010.519059)

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
Vaz, E.; Noronha, M. T.; Nijkamp, P., 2011, “Spatial Analysis for Policy Evaluation of the Rural World: Portuguese Agriculture in the Last Decade”, Chapter 7, Ed. Torre, A. and Traversac, J-B, Territorial Governance: Local Development, Rural Areas and Agrofood Systems. (Springer Verlag: Dordrecht). In Press.

Vaz, E.; Bernardes, J. P. and Nijkamp, P., 2010, “Past Landscapes for the Reconstruction of Roman Land Use: Eco-History Tourism in the Algarve”, Ed. Krause, A. and Weir, E., Ecotourism: Management, Development and Impact, (NOVA Publishers: New York), pp. 241-255.

Vaz, E. and Nijkamp, P., 2009, “Historico-Cultural Sustainability and Urban Dynamics”, Ed. Maciocco, G.and Serreli, S., Enhancing the City: New Perspectives for Tourism and Leisure, (Springer Verlag: London), pp. 155-174.

Fernandes, S.; Noronha, M. T. and Vaz, E., 2008, “E-Learning Tool for Regional Development”, Ed. Putnik, G. D. and Cruz-Cunha, M. M., Encyclopedia of Networked and Virtual Organizations, (IGI Global: Hershey), pp. 467-474.

Conference Proceedings
Dominguez, A.; Relinque, F.; Vaz, E.; Oltra, C., 2012, “Sustainability Crisis in the countryside of southern Europe: the perspective of local experts.”, Planet Under Pressure 2012, 25th – 29th March 2012, Excel London, UK (Accepted)

Vaz, E.; Koch, M.; Krisztin, T., 2011, “Of Cells and Cities: a Comparative Econometric and Cellular Automata Approach to Urban Growth Modeling”, 16th International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Development in the Information Society GeoMultimedia 2011, 18-22 May 2011, Essen, Germany.

Vaz, E. and Noronha, M. T., 2010, “Gravitational Models and Spatial Foresight: From Agricultural Policy to Agricultural Loss”, WSEAS Conference, 3-5 November 2010, Faro, Portugal.

Vaz, E.; Caetano, M.; Nijkamp, P. and Painho, M., 2010, “A multi-scenario prospection of urban change – the case of urban growth in the Algarve”, European Regional Science Association Conference (ERSA) 2010, 19-23 August 2010, Jonkoping, Sweden.

Vaz, E.; Brito, A.; Nijkamp, P. and Painho, M., 2010, “Impacts on environmental law and regulations on agricultural land-use change and urban pressure: the Algarve case”, European Regional Science Association Conference (ERSA) 2010, 19-23 August 2010, Jonkoping, Sweden.

Galindo, P.; Noronha, M. T..; Nijkamp, P.; Vaz, E., 2010, “Regional Innovation Performance of Firms in Portugal”, European Regional Science Association Conference (ERSA) 2010, 19-23 August 2010, Jonkoping, Sweden.

Vaz, E.; Cabral, P.; Caetano, M.; Painho, M. and Nijkamp, P., 2010, “Urban heritage endangerment - proximity of future cities to past heritage: A spatial vulnerability assessment GIRA 2010 - Corporate Governance, Innovation, Social and Environmental Responsibility, 9-11 September 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.

Vaz, E.; Noronha, M. T. and Nijkamp, P., 2008, “Rurality and Spatial Analysis for Decision Support”, IASME / WSEAS International Conference – Energy, Environment, Ecosystems and Sustainable Development, 11-13 June, Faro, Portugal.

Published Discussion and Working Papers
Vaz, E., Nijkamp, P, Painho, M. and Caetano, M., 2011, “A Multi-scenario forecast of urban change: a study on urban growth in the Algarve”, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 11-142/3.

Galindo, P., Noronha, M. T. and Vaz, E., 2011, “Analysis of Regional Innovation Performance in Portugal - Results from an External Logistic BIPLOT Method”, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 11-106/4.

Vaz, E., Nijkamp, P., Painho, M. and Caetano, M., 2010, “A Multi-Scenario Forecast of Urban Change: A Study on Urban Growth in the Algarve”, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper No. 11-142/3.

Vaz, E. and Nijkamp, P., 2009, “Historico-Cultural Sustainability and Urban Dynamics – A Geo- Information Science Approach to the Algarve Area”, Serie Research Memoranda, n. 21, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.

Vaz, E. , Bernardes, J. P. and Nijkamp, P., 2009, “Past Landscapes for the Reconstruction of Roman Land Use: Eco-history Tourism in the Algarve”, Serie Research Memoranda, n. 50, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.

Vaz, E. , Noronha, M.T. and Nijkamp, P., 2009, “Spatial analyses for policy evaluation of the rural world: portuguese agriculture in the last decade”, Serie Research Memoranda, n. 7, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.

Vaz, E. , Caetano, M. and Nijkamp, P., 2009, “Trapped between antiquity and urbanism - a multi-criteria assessment model of the greater cairo metropolitan area”, Serie Research Memoranda, n. 6, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.