Urban Green Space Suitability Evaluation Based on the AHP-CV Combined Weight Method: A Case Study of Fuping County, China

Zhiming Li,Shiguang Shen,Zhengxi Fan

doi:10.3390/su10082656

Abstract

Urban green space (UGS) provides critical ecosystem services and alleviates environmental problems caused by rapid urbanization. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is recognized as a traditional technique to identify the weight of the UGS suitability evaluation. We reveal the limitations of the AHP method for its subjectivity and uncertainty. Then, we introduce the AHP and coefficient of variation (AHP-CV) combined weight method to better evaluate the suitability of UGS. Based on the principle of minimum information entropy, the AHP-CV combined weight method takes advantage of both the AHP and CV methods, thus keeping a good balance between subjectivity and objectivity. We used the green space system planning of Fuping County in China as a case study. A new evaluation index system was established using 4 aspects. Our results show that high-suitability areas are mainly distributed around the northern mountainous regions, 2 important rivers and the outer areas of the central city. By comparing the UGS suitability evaluation results obtained by the AHP, CV, and AHP-CV combined weight methods, we found that the AHP-CV method was optimal. Therefore, the AHP-CV combined weight method will not only enrich spatial Multi-Criteria Decision-Making techniques but also have a wide application in the related fields of land-use planning.

Highlights

Since China’s rapid urbanization has caused urban sprawl and the decrease of urban green space, the urban ecological environment is under tremendous pressure [1]
The results show that the distribution law of the green space suitability grade in Fuping County is generally high in the north and low in the south, and the urban ecological environment sensitive areas are highly concentrated
This method can reflect the actual situation, it ignores the influence of expert knowledge, which can lead to inaccurate results Sustain(aFbilgituyr2e0518b,)1. 0T,h2e65re6fore, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-coefficient of variation (CV) combined weight method is a better choice for determining th1e1 of 15 weight of the index since it takes the advantage of both the AHP and CV methods (Figure 5c)

Summary

Introduction

Since China’s rapid urbanization has caused urban sprawl and the decrease of urban green space, the urban ecological environment is under tremendous pressure [1]. Determining suitable locations for UGS is the primary task of improving the urban ecological environment [9,10,11]. Ecological suitability evaluation is an important quantitative analytic method for ensuring sustainable land use [12,13,14], and can be understood as the process of assessing the potential of land development. It provides the basis for scientific decision-making for the rational use of land resources [15,16,17].

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion