Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System Research Articles

Exploring the environmental value of ecosystem services for a river basin through a spatial multicriteria analysis

Environmental quality preservation and nature conservation are complex land use planning problems, involving not only environmental aspects but also socio-economic and operational factors and represent ecosystem services of fundamental importance to human well-being, for health, livelihoods and survival. The present paper proposes a Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) development for the assessment of the environmental quality of the river basin of the Pellice river in the Province of Turin (Italy) with the objective of increasing awareness of environmental issues in the territorial planning phase. In order to fulfill this goal, the environmental quality issues were divided into two main aspects, “naturalness” and pressures”, which represent the strengths and the weaknesses of the territory. Different criteria were considered for each theme and were integrated into composite maps by a weighted linear combination of factors resulting from a focus group with several experts in different fields. The results of this approach generated a final suitability map of the study area. The map identifies some critical zones that need mitigation measures and highlights areas with high environmental quality which require future specific monitoring procedures and valorization actions. The application was performed by means of the IDRISI software. This paper is based on an integrated approach which facilitates the comprehension of complex phenomena and aims at exploring innovative MCDA models in the field of the environmental quality preservation assessment of territorial transformation.

Design of Multi-Criteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) for Animal Production

This paper presents a Multi-criteria spatial decision support system (MC-SDSS) as a tool for decision making and planning. MC-SDSS can be used to assess different criteria with different weights. We believe that such tool can be utilized to help policy/decision makers to improve animal production in Egypt. MC-SDSS facilitates the integration of the exploration and evaluation phases of the decision-making process in a transparent and interactive system that allows policy/decision makers to carry out the analyses without advanced geographical information system (GIS) or multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) training. We use weighted overlay method to support data spatial analysis, and then visualize and analyze different such as Diseases, Climate, Veterinary care and Economical factors which affect the animal production in Egypt. Policy/Decision makers can change their weights and parameters with this tool for their different study areas. Moreover they can use final suitability maps from this tool. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ij-ai.v2i3.1948

Ecological land suitability analysis through spatial indicators: An application of the Analytic Network Process technique and Ordered Weighted Average approach

Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS) are increasingly popular tools in decision-making processes and in policy making, thanks to their significant new capabilities in the use of spatial or geospatial information.Many spatial problems are complex and require the use of integrated analysis and models. The present paper illustrates the development of a MC-SDSS approach for studying the ecological connectivity of the Piedmont Region in Italy. The MC-SDSS model considers ecological and environmental spatial indicators which are combined by integrating the Multicriteria Decision Aiding (MCDA) technique named Analytic Network Process (ANP) and the Ordered Weighted Average (OWA) approach. The ANP is used for the elicitation of attribute weights while the OWA operator function is used to generate a wide range of decision alternatives for addressing uncertainty associated with interaction between multiple criteria. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated by different OWA scenarios that report the ecological connectivity index on a scale between 0 and 1. The OWA scenarios are intended to quantify the level of risk taking (i.e., optimistic, pessimistic, and neutral) and to facilitate a better understanding of patterns that emerge from decision alternatives involved in the decision-making process.The purpose of the research is to generate a final map representing the ecological connectivity index of each area in the region under analysis, to be used as a decision variable in spatial planning. In particular, by using the resulting index map as a means of analysis, it is possible to identify, for the sake of nature conservation, some critical areas needing mitigation measures. In addition, areas with high ecological connectivity values can be identified and monitoring procedures can therefore be planned. The study concludes highlighting that the applied methodology is an effective tool in providing decision support for spatial planning and sustainability assessments.

Spatial UTA (S-UTA) – A new approach for raster-based GIS multicriteria suitability analysis and its use in implementing natural systems for wastewater treatment

The identification of sites for locating new natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT), such as stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands, should combine multiple crucial factors (environmental, design, social and economic), and thus the implementation of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods is required. In addition, the spatial nature of the site selection process necessitates the use of geographic information systems (GISs) because they are unanimously recognized as the most appropriate tool capable of supporting sophisticated spatial decision making. The resulting multicriteria spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSSs) provide a consistent framework for dealing with conflicting objectives while integrating the decision makers' (DMs') preferences in spatially related patterns/problems. A map-based, interactive UTAII implementation is presented, which provides a link between a well-understood decision support method and exploratory geographic visualization. Spatial UTA (S-UTA) is applied in a real case study concerning the ranking of candidate sites for implementing natural systems for wastewater treatment in the Evros–Rodopi prefectures of northeastern Greece. Finally, the obtained results are compared with those derived using other MCDM approaches to evaluate the performance of S-UTA in GIS-based land use suitability analyses.

Suitability analysis for siting MSW landfills and its multicriteria spatial decision support system: Method, implementation and case study

Multicriteria spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSS) have emerged as an integration of geographical information systems (GIS) and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods for incorporating conflicting objectives and decision makers’ (DMs’) preferences into spatial decision models. This article presents a raster-based MC-SDSS that combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and compromise programming methods, such as TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution) and Ideal Point Methods. To the best of our knowledge it is the first time that a synergy of AHP and compromise programming methods is implemented in raster-driven GIS-based landfill suitability analysis. This procedure is supported by a spatial decision support system (SDSS) that was developed within a widely used commercial GIS software package. A real case study in the Thrace region in northeast Greece serves as a guide on how to conduct a suitability analysis for a MSW landfill site with the proposed MC-SDSS. Moreover, the procedure for identifying MSW disposal sites is accomplished by performing four computational models for synthesizing the DMs per criterion preferential system. Based on the case study results, a comparison analysis is performed according to suitability index estimations. According to them Euclidean distance metric and TOPSIS present strong similarities. When compared with Euclidean distance metric, TOPSIS seems to generate results closer to that derived by Manhattan distance metric. The comparison of Chebychev distance metric with all the other approaches revealed the greatest deviations.

A Web 3.0-driven Collaborative Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System

Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) is one of the most common tools for solving the spatial decision problems. Using the MC-SDSS in the Web 2.0 environment enhances the collaborative decision making by providing a flexible problem-solving framework, where the relevant GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools and information are provided for active participation/collaboration. However, the Web 2.0-based collaborative GIS-MCDA knowledge including the user generated content (preferences/opinions) and the GIS-MCDA elements are not machine-understandable. Thus, such knowledge cannot be interpreted, processed, searched, shared, and reused by the Web-based software agents and applications. Additionally, the GIS-MCDA models are often constructed based on the knowledge and understanding that arises out of the subjective viewpoints and they lack a shared and common reference for collaboration, thus making it hard for participants to collaboratively solve the decision problem. To address these problems, this paper proposes the Web 3.0-based collaborative MC-SDSS, which integrates the Web 2.0 (a Web of people) community methods and the Semantic Web (a Web of meaning) technologies. The collaborative/participatory GIS-MCDA knowledge is semantically modeled in an ontological framework as a backbone of the Semantic Web. The ontology is needed to express the collaborative GIS-MCDA knowledge in a shared, unified, structured, meaningful, and machine-interpretable form, ready for software agents and people to interpret, process, communicate, share, and reuse it. The paper demonstrates an implementation of the proposed Web 3.0-based MC-SDSS for solving the parking site selection problem in Tehran, Iran.

An ontology-based multicriteria spatial decision support system: a case study of house selection

The paper proposes an ontology-based multicriteria spatial decision support system (MC-SDSS) for the house selection problem. The house selection ontology serves as a foundation for spatial multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) in the house selection domain. It is built using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). The ontology represents the spatial MCDA knowledge associated with house selection using semantic machine-interpretable concepts and relationships in such a way that they can be used by machines not just for display purposes, but also for processing, automation, integration, and reuse across applications. It contains concepts (or classes) including quantitative and qualitative criteria (objectives and attributes), decision alternatives (houses for sale), criterion weights, and location attributes of the decision alternatives. The concepts are organized into a hierarchical classification structure using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. To evaluate the decision alternatives, a set of rules is implemented within the OWL knowledge base with the Semantic Web Rule Language. The rules are expressed as combinations of the OWL concepts and their properties. The paper illustrates an implementation of the proposed ontology-based MC-SDSS architecture using a case study of house selection in the City of Tehran, Iran.

The application of a Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MCSDSS) for the assessment of biodiversity conservation in the Province of Varese (Italy)

Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSSs) are rapidly gaining traction for planning and policy-making, thanks to their significant new capabilities in the use of spatial or geospatial information.The present paper illustrates the development of a basic MCSDSS (Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System) that integrates spatial information techniques such as GIS (Geographic Information System) and Multicriteria Analysis (MCA). Many spatial problems are complex and require the use of integrated analysis and models. In the work a methodological framework for such integration is provided, highlighting the advantages and characteristics of GIS and MCA coupling and paying attention to the issues of transparency and applicability. The method is illustrated with reference to a case study in the Province of Varese (Italy). The purpose of the research is to generate a suitability map of the study region, concerning the characterization of biodiversity conservation, to be used as a decision variable in spatial planning. Different criteria are considered in the analysis and the results are obtained in the form of maps and analyzed through IDRISI Andes software. In particular, by using the resulting suitability map as a means of analysis, it is possible to identify, for the sake of biodiversity conservation, some critical areas needing mitigation measures. In addition, areas with high biodiversity conservation values can be highlighted and monitoring procedures can therefore be planned. The study concludes with some lessons learned during the development of the MCSDSS and highlights that the applied methodology is an effective tool in providing decision support for spatial planning.

ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS (AHP) AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS): AN INTEGRATED SPATIAL ASSESSMENT FOR PLANNING STRATEGIC CHOICES

In the contemporary debate regarding environmental assessment and integrated approaches, a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) designed to help a user or a group of users reach more effective decisions by solving semi-structured spatial problems can be supported by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) combined with an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This paper explores the potential of Multi-Criteria Spatial Decision Support Systems (MCSDSS), denominated Integrated Spatial Assessment (ISA), for the field of land-use planning. Such a system takes into account both technical knowledge regarding the decision problem at hand and the lay knowledge of the local community in the construction of shared planning choices. Through the empirical investigation of an operative case study, an integrated evaluative approach implemented by means of MCSDSS can go beyond spatial and hierarchical limits - taking into account the different components, clarifying weights and recognizing different priorities - to define appropriate strategies, considering social participation and dynamic dialogue among different experts in keeping with sustainability principles. http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v4i1.102

Integrated sustainability assessments: a spatial multicriteria evaluation for siting a waste incinerator plant in the Province of Torino (Italy)

The present paper proposes a spatial multicriteria approach for supporting decision makers in the siting process of a waste incinerator plant in the Province of Torino (Italy). Municipal solid waste management is an intrinsically complex problem because it involves different interconnected elements and must achieve objectives that are often in conflict. Given the spatial nature of the problem, a useful support is provided by a family of methods that are rapidly gaining traction for planning and policy-making, named multicriteria spatial decision support systems, which are based on geographical information systems and multicriteria analysis coupling. In the present study, a methodological framework is proposed for the integration of geographical information systems with a specific multicriteria analysis technique, named Analytic Network Process. The method is illustrated with reference to a case study in the Province of Torino. The purpose of the research is to generate a suitability map of the area under analysis in order to locate a municipal solid waste incinerator plant. The application allows the dependence relationships between the criteria to be assessed and the relative importance of all the elements to be evaluated. The results are obtained in the form of maps analyzed through the ILWIS 3.3 GIS software and have been further verified through a “what-if” analysis with reference to the clusters priorities in order to test the robustness of the model. The implementation of the spatial Analytic Network Process technique gives an originality value to the present research since it represents one of the first applications at both the national and international levels.

Integrating buildings into a rural landscape using a multi-criteria spatial decision analysis in GIS-enabled web environment

There is often a difficult relationship between rural buildings and the landscape. This may be overcome by methodologies that support a decision-making processes for establishing harmonious relationships and sustainable environment integrity within a unique framework. Preliminary results are presented from a continuing broad research project developing a spatial methodology for integrating new rural buildings associated with tourist functions into landscapes and coupling multi-criteria evaluations (MCE) into a web environment that uses a geographic information system (GIS) technique. Use of the internet allows users easy access to diverse GIS data sources and also allows support collaboration amongst planners, stakeholders and the public. The aim of this methodology, which applies an overlay and index method involving several parameters, is to evaluate its suitability in the study region, Hervás, Spain, in order to optimally plan for rural building integration within its landscape. The methodology used intermediate suitability maps classified by five evaluation criteria, namely physical, visual, economic, social, and environmental criteria. A combination of the five intermediate maps resulted in a final composite suitability map for buildings in a rural landscape. The possibility of designing and implementing a GIS-enabled web application with the methodology, consisting of a general overview, a multi-criteria spatial decision support system, an interoperable knowledge map and a post-task questionnaire to identify spatial models for the different perceptions of building integration within the rural landscape and to certify the possible economic impact on tourism, is presented. ► Spatial methodology formulated with the related spatial planning approaches. ► Web GIS application modelled which regulated rural building integration. ► Application will identify spatial models for the right planning spatial integration. ► Application will certify the possible economic resource of tourism. ► Model will improve users’ learning and appropriate knowledge of use.

Environmental risk management with the use of multi-criteria spatial decision support system DECERNS

Environmental risk-based land management requires implementation of tools for spatial information analysis, problem-oriented models for assessment of risk values, and corresponding methods for decision-making support. A new framework decision evaluation in complex risk network systems (DECERNS) has been developed to address this class of problems. DECERNS is a web-based spatial decision support system (WebSDSS) for multi-criteria analysis of a wide range of spatially-distributed alternatives, including land-use planning and management. It integrates basic and advanced GIS functions with several multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods and tools. One of the features of the DECERNS WebSDSS is a capability to incorporate various generic and site-specific models for risk analysis and assessment of other decision criteria which are considered within a multi-criteria problem. This paper provides an overview of methods and tools used in DECERNS, emphasising the integration of models into the WebSDSS. Application of DECERNS for a case study on multi-criteria risk management for 137Cs contaminated land resulting from Chernobyl is presented.

Development and application of a multi-criteria spatial decision support system for planning sustainable industrial areas in Northern Spain

Abstract The planning, design and construction of an industrial area is quite a complicated and long process due to the scope of the action itself. The drive for a new theory on sustainable industrial areas requires acting upon all of the phases of their life cycles. Industrial location poses a multivariate and semi-structured strategic decision. This article analyzes influential location factors and proposes a multicriteria evaluation model aimed at guaranteeing the viability of industrial areas with their surroundings. The spatial character intrinsic to the problem leads to the design and construction of a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) based on a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform and the integration of other compatible tools. The system is applied to a district of 646.2 km2 located in Cantabria (Northern Spain). The results are discussed with digital maps which differentiate the zones according to their suitability for industrial area location using sustainability criteria.

A Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System Development for Siting a Landfill in the Province of Torino (Italy)

The present paper proposes a spatial multicriteria approach for supporting Decision-Makers in the siting process of a Municipal Solid Waste landfill in the Province of Torino (Italy). In particular, the contribution illustrates the development of a Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support System based on the integration of Geographic Information Systems and a specific Multicriteria Decision Analysis technique, named Analytic Network Process (ANP). This technique, which represents the generalization of the more well-known Analytic Hierarchy Process to dependences and feedbacks, is particularly suitable for dealing with complex decision problems which are characterized by inter-relationships among the elements at stake. The application allows the dependence relationships among the criteria to be assessed, and the relative importance of all the elements that play an influence on the final choice to be evaluated. The purpose of the study is to generate a suitability map of the area under analysis for locating a waste landfill, paying particular attention to the contribution that the spatial ANP offers to sustainability assessments of undesirable facilities. To this end, the simple network structure has been used and both exclusionary and non-exclusionary criteria have been identified and grouped into clusters. The results are obtained in the form of suitability maps analysed through ilwis 3.3 software (52North, ITC, Enschede, The Netherlands) and have been further verified through a sensitivity analysis with reference to the clusters priorities in order to test the robustness of the proposed model. The main findings of this research have proved that the spatial ANP is a useful tool to help technicians to make their decision process traceable and reliable. Moreover, this approach helps Decision-Makers to undertake a sound reflection of the siting problem. Finally, the implementation of the spatial ANP technique gives an originality value to the present research because it represents one of the first applications at both the national and international level. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Site Suitability Analysis for Natural Systems for Wastewater Treatment with Spatial Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process

When decentralized strategies are considered for managing wastewater, natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT) (constructed wetlands) seem to be strongly preferred in comparison with the conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment systems. However, because of their high land requirements, land-use suitability analysis should be conducted to specify adequate areas for their accommodation. Multicriteria spatial decision support systems have emerged as the technology that takes into account both decision criteria and constraints in complex land-use planning problems. This study presents a multiattribute decision analysis approach called the spatial fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (SFAHP) to support raster-based land-use suitability studies for the implementation of NSWT. The SFAHP enables decision makers to circumvent vagueness when they perform evaluations using linguistic variables. Its application in a region of Northeastern Greece using a two-level criteria hierarchical model demonstrates ...

A GIS-based multicriteria spatial decision support system for planning urban infrastructures

The planning of urban infrastructures has important spatial implications. The evaluation of alternative courses of action in this setting requires the explicit consideration of multiple criteria as they have important social, economic, and environmental effects. This paper presents a decision support system aimed at offering the users (e.g., government or municipal agencies) a flexible and user-friendly environment to provide decision aid in urban infrastructure planning. The visualization of available alternatives on maps provides a value-added for decision support processes in urban infrastructure evaluation problems. The development of this system has been motivated by a real world urban case study.

Web-based GIS for collaborative planning and public participation: An application to the strategic planning of wind farm sites

Spatial planning typically involves multiple stakeholders. To any specific planning problem, stakeholders often bring different levels of knowledge about the components of the problem and make assumptions, reflecting their individual experiences, that yield conflicting views about desirable planning outcomes. Consequently, stakeholders need to learn about the likely outcomes that result from their stated preferences; this learning can be supported through enhanced access to information, increased public participation in spatial decision-making and support for distributed collaboration amongst planners, stakeholders and the public. This paper presents a conceptual system framework for web-based GIS that supports public participation in collaborative planning. The framework combines an information area, a Multi-Criteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) and an argumentation map to support distributed and asynchronous collaboration in spatial planning. After analysing the novel aspects of this framework, the paper describes its implementation, as a proof of concept, in a system for Web-based Participatory Wind Energy Planning (WePWEP). Details are provided on the specific implementation of each of WePWEP's four tiers, including technical and structural aspects. Throughout the paper, particular emphasis is placed on the need to support user learning throughout the planning process.

Multicriteria Spatial Decision Analysis in Web GIS Environment

Internet, a client/server system, is a perfect means of GIS data accessing, analyzing and transmission. The World Wide Web, FTP (file transfer protocol) and HTTP programs make it convenient to access and transfer data files across the Internet. Using Internet for GIS makes it easy access to acquire GIS data from diverse data sources in the distributed environment. The geospatial multicriteria decision analysis in a client/server environment is an important and challenging task for the GIS community because of narrow Internet bandwidth for large geospatial data sets. In the present paper, we are developing a multicriteria decision analysis tool for spatial decision making in the web GIS environment. The developed system has been demonstrated for biodiversity conservation and priorities. An attempt has been made to generate the alternative decisions based on priority vectors. The multicriteria technique of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to derive the eigen vectors with the given multiple constraints of conflicting criteria and aims at selecting optimal alternative from the available sets. However, the evaluation recognizes the importance of expert knowledge when assigning the weights for the best spatial priorities. Comparing within classes and alternatives using judgment and decision matrix is based on Saaty's Pairwise Comparison. The Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) software development uses ASP, ArcIMS 9.0, ArcSDE9.0 and Oracle 9i data server in the web GIS environment. The database organization of spatial and non-spatial data is done in the RDBMS environment using ArcSDE and Oracle 9i data server.