A Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model for Coastal Land Use Planning

Abstract

Modern planning theories encourage approaches that consider different stakeholders with a variety of discourse types and values to minimise politically motivated and single interest dominated decisions. Quantitative approaches such as Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques combined with GIS have been applied successfully in a number of land suitability analysis and environmental planning and management scenarios. The use of spatial MCDM techniques can improve the transparency and analytic rigor of the future land use decisions. In the last decade, applications of the MCDM techniques in GIS-based land suitability procedures have increased, however, applying these techniques at large-scale planning processes is rare. This highlights the need for examining how quantitative approaches such as MCDM techniques can integrate and therefore improve local planning and decision-making outcomes. This study is considered to be the first that by using a realistic and detailed set of criteria and group decision making, compares two MCDM techniques (analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) Fuzzy AHP) in defining the extent of land-use zones at a large scale in Australia. The presented approach is particularly helpful in situation where local decision-makers are left with considerable room for discretion during the political transitions. Consequently, this research examines the application of MCDM methods in local land use planning for a 17,500 ha area, controlled by four local government areas (LGAs) in the northeast Gold Coast, located in southeast Queensland, Australia.