Site-selection on the basis of territorial analysis methods

The object of research is the site-selection process for the rental housing construction. This form of real estate is becoming more widespread in the west, while in Russia it's development is currently on initial stage. The article proposes the site-selection solution on the basis of existing methods of territorial analysis, calculation of employment shares, location quotients, Hirschmann-Herfindahl index and Kano model application, as well as application examples of the obtained databases in the conditions of a narrowly formulated problem. The research results are the mechanisms for solving three types of problems depending on the nature of the initial data according to correspondence between the properties of the object under construction and the urban territories

Land Use Compatibility Assessment Using a Mdified Topsis Model: a Case Study of Elementary Schools in Tehran

Being one of the most controversial issues in urban planning, land use planning has always been in the focus of researches. Land use planning is a subdivision of urban planning which tends to arrange land uses in order to avoid conflicts among them. In order to achieve a transparent and effective urban planning, land uses should be located and allocated in an ideal situation so that avoid negative impacts from neighbouring parcels and land uses. Neighbouring land uses can produce externalities and negative impacts on other land uses because of inter-land use interaction. These externalities may be undesirable effects such as noise, air and visual pollution or may be caused by hazardous facilities. The main objective of this research is to propose a new multi-criteria evaluation model for land use compatibility assessment. Considering the fact that a considerable number of factors affect the compatibility degree of neighbouring land uses, a multi-criteria evaluation approach is employed to address the aforementioned problem. This research employs the integration of Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) methods to facilitate land use compatibility evaluation with respect to optimism degree. The applicability of the proposed model is illustrated by the problem of land use compatibility assessment for elementary schools in Tehran. The results indicate that most of the current schools are situated in a location which is incompatible for the land use type of elementary school especially in the southern and central parts of the city

Advancing Urban Healthcare Equity Analysis: Integrating Public Participation GIS with Fuzzy Best–Worst Decision-Making

This study provides an innovative collaborative spatial decision support system (SDSS) that aims to ensure an equitable spatial distribution of healthcare services. Evaluating the equality of access to health services across different geographical areas is important, as it requires the analysis of various criteria such as the proximity of health centres and hospitals (HCHs), the quality of services offered, connectivity to primary roads, the availability of public transportation hubs, and the density and distribution patterns of HCHs. This purpose is accomplished via the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. The proposed model includes the weights of the criteria, which are determined through the ordered weighted average (OWA) and evaluated based on their ORness, which ranges from 0 to 1. Furthermore, this model is improved by the best–worst fuzzy method (F-BWM). This approach produces a spatial map that clearly shows the equity of healthcare systems in urban environments. The findings show that the maximum score observed in this study was 0.38% (with an ORness value of 1), whilst the minimum score recorded was 0.28%. In the most severe scenario (ORness = 0), over 70% of the region shows different degrees of fairness, ranging from moderate to suitable and very suitable conditions. Governments and health authorities can use this information strategically to allocate resources and address inequities in access to healthcare facilities

Integration of territorial analysis methods in site selection on the example of Saint Petersburg

Capital construction of residential buildings for the purpose of subsequent rent is gaining more and more widespread in the western countries. In Russia, in particular in St. Petersburg, this form of business is just emerging. Due to relevance of this industry, the question of selection the most suitable site for construction arises. The article proposes the solution site-selection case basing on existing methods of territorial analysis, as well as provides examples of application of the obtained databases in the conditions of a narrowly formulated problem. The main tools in the analysis are the calculations of the shares of employment, location quotient and the Hirschman-Herfindahl Index. The mechanisms of solving three types of problems are given, depending on the nature of the input information due to the study of the correspondence between the properties of the object under construction and the urban territories. The theory is formulated on the example of a large city Saint Petersburg and is more suitable for large agglomerations with a population of more than a million people

Geosimulation and Multicriteria Modelling of Residential Land Development in the City of Tehran: A Comparative Analysis of Global and Local Models

Conventional models for simulating land-use patterns are insufficient in addressing complex dynamics of urban systems. A new generation of urban models, inspired by research on cellular automata and multi-agent systems, has been proposed to address the drawbacks of conventional modelling. This new generation of urban models is called geosimulation. Geosimulation attempts to model macro-scale patterns using micro-scale urban entities such as vehicles, homeowners, and households. The urban entities are represented by agents in the geosimulation modelling. Each type of agents has different preferences and priorities and shows different behaviours. In the land-use modelling context, the behaviour of agents is their ability to evaluate the suitability of parcels of land using a number of factors (criteria and constraints), and choose the best land(s) for a specific purpose. Multicriteria analysis provides a set of methods and procedures that can be used in the geosimulation modelling to describe the behaviours of agents. There are three main objectives of this research. First, a framework for integrating multicriteria models into geosimulation procedures is developed to simulate residential development in the City of Tehran. Specifically, the local form of multicriteria models is used as a method for modelling agents’ behaviours. Second, the framework is tested in the context of residential land development in Tehran between 1996 and 2006. The empirical research is focused on identifying the spatial patterns of land suitability for residential development taking into account the preferences of three groups of actors (agents): households, developers, and local authorities. Third, a comparative analysis of the results of the geosimulation-multicriteria models is performed. A number of global and local geosimulation-multicriteria models (scenarios) of residential development in Tehran are defined and then the results obtained by the scenarios are evaluated and examined. The output of each geosimulation-multicriteria model is compared to the results of other models and to the actual pattern of land-use in Tehran. The analysis is focused on comparing the results of the local and global geosimulation-multicriteria models. Accuracy measures and spatial metrics are used in the comparative analysis. The results suggest that, in general, the local geosimulation-multicriteria models perform better than the global methods

Aplicação conjunta de modelo de projeção urbana e mapeamento de áreas aptas à urbanização sustentável no município de Itajubá (MG).

A urbanização no Brasil vem ocorrendo de forma pouco planejada gerando problemas sociais e ambientais. O planejamento sustentável é essencial para melhorar essa realidade, já que visa realizar um desenvolvimento ambiental, social e economicamente equilibrado. Para a concretização deste planejamento, os municípios necessitam, principalmente, da implantação de metodologias de gestão que sejam replicáveis e economicamente acessíveis. Esse trabalho teve o objetivo de aplicar de forma conjunta a modelagem de projeção urbana e o mapeamento de áreas aptas à urbanização ambientalmente sustentável, de modo a auxiliar o planejamento urbano de Itajubá (MG). Para isso, realizou-se um estudo de caso de natureza aplicada com objetivos exploratórios, buscando não somente conhecer a dinâmica histórica e a projeção da expansão urbana para o ano de 2030, mas também identificar os critérios que regem a sustentabilidade urbana para modelar o mapeamento das áreas aptas à expansão. Na primeira etapa do trabalho, aplicou-se o modelo de alteração do uso e ocupação do solo Land Change Modeler (LCM – EASTMAN, 2012) sobre a área de estudo. O modelo foi embasado nas imagens classificadas do Landsat 5 e 8 dos anos de 1986, 2001 e 2017, e na rede de transporte e mapa de declividades da cidade de estudo. Na segunda etapa, foi utilizada a análise de decisão multicritério, através do Processo Analítico Hierárquico (AHP), para desenvolver o modelo de priorização de áreas aptas à urbanização ambientalmente sustentável. A avaliação do comportamento histórico e projeção de crescimento para 2030 em Itajubá pôde mostrar que a cidade apresenta características marcantes de crescimento horizontal. Ao contrapor este crescimento com os dados de renda da população, foi possível constatar que as populações de renda mais baixa vêm sendo majoritariamente afastadas das áreas centrais do município. O mapa de potencial de transição de solo não urbano para urbano indicou que o maior potencial ocorre nas áreas próximas das áreas já construídas da cidade, localizadas às margens das estradas de acesso às cidades vizinhas. O modelo de priorização foi estruturado a partir da definição de critérios embasados nos conceitos de sustentabilidade, encontrados na literatura e nas leis que regem a expansão urbana. A hierarquia e ponderação dos critérios foram realizadas com auxílio da matriz par a par, através da análise de especialistas no tema do estudo. A combinação dos critérios foi realizada através da Combinação Linear Ponderada. O mapeamento mostrou que apenas 14% da área total do município, considerando áreas não urbanizadas e já urbanizadas, é apta à urbanização ambientalmente sustentável. A aplicação conjunta dos métodos mostrou que dezessete bairros da cidade estão crescendo e tendem a crescer sobre áreas de baixa aptidão para expansão urbana. Concluiu-se que a tendência de crescimento urbano analisada tende a gerar impactos sociais e ambientais diversos, excluindo populações e aumentando as vulnerabilidades do ambiente. Para melhorar essa realidade, foram propostas melhorias na delimitação das zonas de expansão urbana e nas zonas de adensamento, constantes no atual Plano Diretor do município (ITAJUBÁ, 2003)

Examining Ecosystem Drought Responses Using Remote Sensing and Flux Tower Observations

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Water is fundamental for plant growth, and vegetation response to water availability influences water, carbon, and energy exchanges between land and atmosphere. Vegetation plays the most active role in water and carbon cycle of various ecosystems. Therefore, comprehensive evaluation of drought impact on vegetation productivity will play a critical role for better understanding the global water cycle under future climate conditions. In-situ meteorological measurements and the eddy covariance flux tower network, which provide meteorological data, and estimates of ecosystem productivity and respiration are remarkable tools to assess the impacts of drought on ecosystem carbon and water cycles. In regions with limited in-situ observations, remote sensing can be a very useful tool to monitor ecosystem drought status since it provides continuous observations of relevant variables linked to ecosystem function and the hydrologic cycle. However, the detailed understanding of ecosystem responses to drought is still lacking and it is challenging to quantify the impacts of drought on ecosystem carbon balance and several factors hinder our explicit understanding of the complex drought impacts. This dissertation addressed drought monitoring, ecosystem drought responses, trends of vegetation water constraint based on in-situ metrological observations, flux tower and multi-sensor remote sensing observations. This dissertation first developed a new integrated drought index applicable across diverse climate regions based on in-situ meteorological observations and multi-sensor remote sensing data, and another integrated drought index applicable across diverse climate regions only based on multi-sensor remote sensing data. The dissertation also evaluated the applicability of new satellite dataset (e.g., solar induced fluorescence, SIF) for responding to meteorological drought. Results show that satellite SIF data could have the potential to reflect meteorological drought, but the application should be limited to dry regions. The work in this dissertation also accessed changes in water constraint on global vegetation productivity, and quantified different drought dimensions on ecosystem productivity and respiration. Results indicate that a significant increase in vegetation water constraint over the last 30 years. The results highlighted the need for a more explicit consideration of the influence of water constraints on regional and global vegetation under a warming climate