Urbanization suitability maps: a dynamic spatial decision support system for sustainable land use

摘要

Recent developments in land consumption assessment identify the need toimplement integrated evaluation approaches, with particular attention to thedevelopment of multidimensional tools for guiding and managing sustainableland use. Land use policy decisions are implemented mostly through spatialplanning and its related zoning. This involves trade-offs between manysectorial interests and conflicting challenges seeking win-win solutions. Inorder to identify a decision-making process for land use allocation, thispaper proposes a methodological approach for developing a Dynamic SpatialDecision Support System (DSDSS), denominated Integrated Spatial Assessment(ISA), supported by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) combined with theAnalytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Through empirical investigation in anoperative case study, an integrated evaluation approach implemented in aDSDSS helps produce "urbanization suitability maps" in which spatialanalysis combined with multi-criteria evaluation methods proved to be usefulfor both facing the main issues relating to land consumption as well asminimizing environmental impacts of spatial planning.