Comparison of Multi-criteria evaluation (AHP and WLC approaches) for land capability assessment of urban development in GIS

Occurring the environmental problem, in different dimensions, is result from not observing the environmental considerations and criteria in locating new cities. Since the environment has a limited ecological potential for human uses, the ecological potential assessment provides a well suited bed for environmental planning thus The main purpose of this article is to compare different criteria based on librarian studies and expert opinions and determining suitable criteria to determine proper criteria by applying multicriteria decision-making Methods for land capability assessment to establish new cities.

In this research, multicriteria assessment approach includes Weighted Liner Composition(WLC) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are utilized in ecological potential assessment of Zardrud basin of Khouzestan Province for urban development by using geological information system (GIS) based on 13 criteria which includes: slope, evaluation, aspect, rainfall, average temperature, land type, soil, land use, distance to river, distance to industries, distance to road, earthquake bearing and fault zones. Land capability map is developed in which it shows prioritized and proper areas for urban development in the aforementioned range.

Research results show that most import ants factors on urban development were earthquake bearing, land use and soil and show that northern, part of zard basin and in the terms of political partitions Ghale Tol of central part of Baghmalek town is of the most rank in urban development. Results obtained from this study can be used as a pattern to be utilized for urban planner and designer in order to well suited urban location with respect to observing the environmental considerations.