Ebook: Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management

The idea of this book started at approximately 33.000 feet, somewhere above the Alps. On our way to a workshop in Venice we had the opportunity of appreciating the different types of landscapes and the complex patchwork of urban areas, agriculture, forests, rivers and lakes that can be seen from an aircraft. The complexity of this puzzle, and the complex task of managing its evolution, became the topic of conversation for the rest of the flight. It also became the topic of this book. Land-use management and multicriteria analysis offer countless opportunities for mutual reinforcement. These two fields have developed largely independently, but a trend towards the exploration of their synergies is now emerging. This is clear from the recent literature on land-use management, spatial analysis and spatial planning, which increasingly includes references to multicriteria methodologies and decision analysis. At the same time, a growing share of multicriteria applications now focus on environmental and land-use issues. This book includes contributions from authors coming from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. All together they highlight current issues in multicriteria analysis and land-use management from theoretical, methodological and practical perspectives.

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The proper planning, design and management of land use demands a careful balancing of many goals, and the search for desirable land uses, coupled with effective and sustainable management practices, is made more complex by the interactions between the environment, the economy and society. One of the main reasons underlying the growing interest in multicriteria analysis for land use management is the need for an integrated approach to such complex problems.
Multicriteria analysis can support the structuring of land use problems, allowing the concerns of major actors to be explored, giving trade-offs between conflicting goals, and leading to the evaluation of options from different perspectives. The integration of spatial concepts into multicriteria schemes means that this type of methodology can now make a substantial contribution to land-use management.
The 19 contributions to Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management illustrate the state of the art in the field, highlighting current theoretical, methodological and practical issues. Recommended for a broad readership of scientists, land-use managers and decision makers.

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The proper planning, design and management of land use demands a careful balancing of many goals, and the search for desirable land uses, coupled with effective and sustainable management practices, is made more complex by the interactions between the environment, the economy and society. One of the main reasons underlying the growing interest in multicriteria analysis for land use management is the need for an integrated approach to such complex problems.
Multicriteria analysis can support the structuring of land use problems, allowing the concerns of major actors to be explored, giving trade-offs between conflicting goals, and leading to the evaluation of options from different perspectives. The integration of spatial concepts into multicriteria schemes means that this type of methodology can now make a substantial contribution to land-use management.
The 19 contributions to Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management illustrate the state of the art in the field, highlighting current theoretical, methodological and practical issues. Recommended for a broad readership of scientists, land-use managers and decision makers.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-vii
Land-use management and the path towards sustainability....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 15-15
Conflicts between conservation goals and land use for exotic forest plantations in South Africa....Pages 17-31
Structuring the process of choosing rice varieties at the south of Brazil....Pages 33-45
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Rural landscape and economic results of the farm; a multi-objective approach....Pages 49-60
Multicriteria evaluation of sustainable agricultural land use: a case study of Lesvos....Pages 61-78
Multicriteria evaluation methods in renewable resource management: integrated water management under drought conditions....Pages 79-93
Assessment, evaluation and allocation of funds to infrastructure projects: the case of the road network in Lombardy (Italy)....Pages 95-113
A farm multicriteria analysis model for the economic and environmental evaluation of agricultural land use....Pages 115-136
Front Matter....Pages 137-137
Spatial conflicts in transport policies: an exploration of the perspectives of regional and local actors....Pages 139-162
An algorithm for computing multiple attribute additive value measurement ranges under a hierarchy of the criteria: application to farm or rangeland management decisions....Pages 163-177
Using decision panels to evaluate hydropower development projects....Pages 179-195
Improving decision-making for land-use management key ideas for an integrated approach based on MCA negotiation forums....Pages 197-223
Front Matter....Pages 225-225
Multi-criteria and multi-objective decision making for land allocation using GIS....Pages 227-251
Map transformation and aggregation methods for spatial decision support....Pages 253-270
Multi-criteria analysis and Geographic Information Systems: analysis of natural areas and ecological distributions....Pages 271-292
Multicriterion planning of protected-area buffer zones: an application to Mexico’s Izta-Popo national park....Pages 293-309
Agro-ecological zones and Resource Management Domains (RMDs) in relation to land use planning....Pages 311-331
Front Matter....Pages 333-333
Land-use trends in Europe: simulation, presentation and scenario evaluation of future options....Pages 335-351
Long term comprehensive evaluation strategies for spatial planning, design and management....Pages 353-368
Back Matter....Pages 369-372

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The proper planning, design and management of land use demands a careful balancing of many goals, and the search for desirable land uses, coupled with effective and sustainable management practices, is made more complex by the interactions between the environment, the economy and society. One of the main reasons underlying the growing interest in multicriteria analysis for land use management is the need for an integrated approach to such complex problems.
Multicriteria analysis can support the structuring of land use problems, allowing the concerns of major actors to be explored, giving trade-offs between conflicting goals, and leading to the evaluation of options from different perspectives. The integration of spatial concepts into multicriteria schemes means that this type of methodology can now make a substantial contribution to land-use management.
The 19 contributions to Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management illustrate the state of the art in the field, highlighting current theoretical, methodological and practical issues. Recommended for a broad readership of scientists, land-use managers and decision makers.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-vii
Land-use management and the path towards sustainability....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 15-15
Conflicts between conservation goals and land use for exotic forest plantations in South Africa....Pages 17-31
Structuring the process of choosing rice varieties at the south of Brazil....Pages 33-45
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Rural landscape and economic results of the farm; a multi-objective approach....Pages 49-60
Multicriteria evaluation of sustainable agricultural land use: a case study of Lesvos....Pages 61-78
Multicriteria evaluation methods in renewable resource management: integrated water management under drought conditions....Pages 79-93
Assessment, evaluation and allocation of funds to infrastructure projects: the case of the road network in Lombardy (Italy)....Pages 95-113
A farm multicriteria analysis model for the economic and environmental evaluation of agricultural land use....Pages 115-136
Front Matter....Pages 137-137
Spatial conflicts in transport policies: an exploration of the perspectives of regional and local actors....Pages 139-162
An algorithm for computing multiple attribute additive value measurement ranges under a hierarchy of the criteria: application to farm or rangeland management decisions....Pages 163-177
Using decision panels to evaluate hydropower development projects....Pages 179-195
Improving decision-making for land-use management key ideas for an integrated approach based on MCA negotiation forums....Pages 197-223
Front Matter....Pages 225-225
Multi-criteria and multi-objective decision making for land allocation using GIS....Pages 227-251
Map transformation and aggregation methods for spatial decision support....Pages 253-270
Multi-criteria analysis and Geographic Information Systems: analysis of natural areas and ecological distributions....Pages 271-292
Multicriterion planning of protected-area buffer zones: an application to Mexico’s Izta-Popo national park....Pages 293-309
Agro-ecological zones and Resource Management Domains (RMDs) in relation to land use planning....Pages 311-331
Front Matter....Pages 333-333
Land-use trends in Europe: simulation, presentation and scenario evaluation of future options....Pages 335-351
Long term comprehensive evaluation strategies for spatial planning, design and management....Pages 353-368
Back Matter....Pages 369-372
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