Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Scale Issues and GIS-MCDA

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Geographic Information Science

Part of the book series: Advances in Geographic Information Science ((AGIS))

Abstract

Decision-making is a process. In many decision situations, the process operates across geographic, temporal, and organizational scales. Every change in scale brings about a new decision/evaluation problem, and consequently, the results of GIS-MCDA are scale dependent. This chapter is concerned with the issues of scale in GIS-MCDA. It defines the different meanings of scale and discusses the connotations of spatial, temporal, and operational scales in the context of multicriteria decision analysis. This chapter also provides an overview of approaches for tackling the issues of multiscale in GIS-MCDA and discusses the modifiable areal unit problem in GIS-based multicriteria analysis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agarwal, C., Green, G. M., Grove, J. M., Evans, T. P., & Schweik, C. M. (2002). A review and assessment of land-use change models: Dynamics of space, time, and human choice. General Technical Report NE-297. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alvanides, S., & Openshaw, S. (1999). Zone design for planning and policy analysis. In J. Stillwell, S. Geertman, & S. Openshaw (Eds.), Geographic information and planning (pp. 299–315). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Can, A. (1992). Residential quality assessment: Alternative approaches using GIS. The Annals of Regional Science, 23(1), 97–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, C., & Lam, N. (1997). Understanding the scale and resolution effects in remote sensing and GIS. In D. A. Quattrochi & M. F. Goodchild (Eds.), Scale in remote sensing and GIS (pp. 57–72). Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, B., & Rinner, C. (2014). Locally weighted linear combination in a vector geographic information system. Journal of Geographical Systems, 16(3), 343–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, K., Blong, R., & Jacobson, C. (2003). Towards an integrated approach to natural hazards risk assessment using GIS: With reference to bushfires. Environmental Management, 31(4), 546–560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delmotte, S., Lopez-Ridaura, S., Barbier, J. M., & Wery, J. (2013). Prospective and participatory integrated assessment of agricultural systems from farm to regional scales: Comparison of three modeling approaches. Journal of Environmental Management, 129, 493–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, Y., & Wilson, J. P. (2008). Multi-scale and multi-criteria-mapping of mountain peaks as fuzzy entities. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 22(2), 205–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groot, J., Rossing, W., Jellema, A., Stobbelaar, D., Renting, H., & Vanittersum, M. (2007). Exploring multi-scale trade-offs between nature conservation, agricultural profits and landscape quality methodology to support discussions on land use perspectives. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 120(1), 58–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, M., Braaten, J. R., Veitch, S. M., Lees, B. G., & Sharma, S. (2005). Multi-criteria decision analysis in spatial decision support: The ASSESS analytic hierarchy process and the role of quantitative methods and spatially explicit analysis. Environmental Modelling and Software, 20(7), 955–976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karydas, C. G., Sarakiotis, I. L., & Zalidis, G. C. (2014). Multi-scale risk assessment of stream pollution by wastewater of olive oil mills in Kolymvari, Crete. Earth Science Informatics, 7(1), 47–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, N. (2004). Fractals and scale in environmental assessment and monitoring. In E. Sheppard & R. B. McMaster (Eds.), Scale and geographic inquiry: Nature, society, and method (pp. 23–40). MA: Blackwell.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, N., & Quattrochi, D. A. (1992). On the issues of scale, resolution and fractal analysis in the mapping sciences. Professional Geographer, 44(1), 88–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesslie, R. G., Hill, M. J., Hill, P., Cresswell, H. P., & Dawson, S. (2008). The application of a simple spatial multi-criteria analysis shell to natural resource management decision making. In C. Pettit, W. Cartwright, I. Bishop, K. Lowell, D. Pullar, & D. Duncan (Eds.), Landscape analysis and visualisation: Spatial models for natural resource management and planning (pp. 73–96). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X., & Liu, X. (2007). Defining agents’ behaviors to simulate complex residential development using multicriteria evaluation. Journal of Environmental Management, 85(4), 1063–1075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X. (2013). GIS-based local ordered weighted averaging: A case study in London, Ontario (Master’s Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository, Paper 1227. Available from http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1227. Last accessed July 02, 2014.

  • Ligtenberg, A., Bregt, A. K., & van Lammeren, R. (2001). Multi-actor-based land use modelling: Spatial planning using agents. Landscape and Urban Planning, 56(1–2), 21–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez Ridaura, S., van Keulen, H., van Ittersum, M. K., & Leffelaar, P. A. (2005). Multiscale methodological framework to derive criteria and indicators for sustainability evaluation of peasant natural resource management systems. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 7(1), 51–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malczewski, J. (2011). Local weighted linear combination. Transactions in GIS, 15(4), 439–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malczewski, J., & Liu, X. (2014). Local ordered weighted averaging in GIS-based multicriteria analysis. Annals of GIS, 20(2), 117–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nobrega, R. A. A., Brooks, C., O’Hara C., & Stich, B. (2012). Multi-scale GIS data-driven method for early assessment of wetlands impacted by transportation corridors. In B. M. Alam (Ed.), Application of geographic information systems (p. 20). Intec Open Access Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nobrega, R. A. A., Holland, J., Stich, B., & O’Hara, C. (2011). Using multi-criteria decision making to highlight stakeholders values in modern corridor planning process. Journal of Transportation and Land Use, 4(3), 105–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw, S. (1984). The modifiable areal unit problem. Norwich: GeoAbstracts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, K. (2002). Integrating spatio-temporal environmental models for planning ski runs. Utrecht: Proefschrift Universiteit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poff, B., Tecle, A., Neary, D. G., & Geils, B. (2010). Compromise programming in forest management. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, 42(1), 44–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin, X. (2013). Local ideal point method for GIS-based multicriteria analysis: A case study in London, Ontario. Master’s Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quattrochi, D. A., & Goodchild, M. F. (1997). Scale in remote sensing and GIS. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratsiatou, I., & Stefanakis, E. (2001). Spatio-temporal multicriteria decision making under uncertainty. In Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Robust and Fuzzy Techniques in Geodesy and GIS, Zurich, Switzerland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabri, S., Ludin, A. N. M. M., & Ho, C. S. (2012). Conceptual design for an integrated geosimulation and analytic network process (ANP) in gentrification appraisal. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 5(3), 253–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sacchelli, S., de Meo, I., & Paletto, A. (2013). Bioenergy production and forest multifunctionality: A trade-off analysis using multiscale GIS model in a case study in Italy. Applied Energy, 104(C), 10–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, D. C. (2009). Quantitative ecology: Measurement, models, and scaling. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuurman, N., Bell, N., Dunn, J., & Oliver, L. (2007). Deprivation indices, population health and geography: An evaluation of the spatial effectiveness of indices at multiple scales. Journal of Urban Health, 84(4), 591–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scolozzi, R., & Geneletti, D. (2012). A multi-scale qualitative approach to assess the impact of urbanization on natural habitats and their connectivity. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 36, 9–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Store, R., & Jokimäki, J. (2003). A GIS-based multi-scale approach to habitat suitability modeling. Ecological Modelling, 169(1), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tate, N. J., & Atkinson, P. M. (2001). Modelling scale in geographical information science. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Herwijnen, M. (1999). Spatial decision support for environmental management. Amsterdam: Free University Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, D. (2009). The modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). In A. S. Fotheringham & P. Rogerson (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of spatial analysis (pp. 105–124). Los Angeles: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, F. (1998). SimLand: A prototype to simulate land conversion through the integrated GIS and CA with AHP-derived transition rules. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 12(1), 63–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, F., & Webster, C. J. (1998). Simulation of land development through the integration of cellular automata and multicriteria evaluation. Environment and Planning B, 25(1), 103–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J. (2004). Effects of changing scale on landscape pattern analysis: Scaling relations. Landscape Ecology, 19(2), 125–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, J., Ashton, N., & Rinner, C. (2010). Spatio-temporal multi-criteria analysis: Conceptual challenges and application to health service planning. Paper presented at workshop on geospatial visual analytics: Focus on Time at the 13th AGILE International Conference on Geographic Information Science, Guimarães, Portugal, May 10–11, 2010. Available from Ryerson University Library and Archives, Digital Repository. http://digital.library.ryerson.ca/, July 2, 2014.

  • Zheng, H., Zhong, E., Delgado Tellez, R., Zhang, X., & Wang, S. (2010). Evaluation of the urban development patterns of Beijing from 1988 to 2007 by time series classification approach. In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Information Science and Engineering (ICISE), Hangzhou, China (pp. 3697–3700), December 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, M., & Chen, Y. (2011). An aggregation framework for time series-based MCDA. In The Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Grey Systems and Intelligent Services (GSIS) (pp. 571–575), September 15–18. Nanjing: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubaryeva, A., Thiel, C., Zaccarelli, N., Barbone, E., & Mercier, A. (2012a). Spatial multi-criteria assessment of potential lead markets for electrified vehicles in Europe. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 46(9), 1477–1489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubaryeva, A., Zaccarelli, N., Del Giudice, C., & Zurlini, G. (2012b). Spatially explicit assessment of local biomass availability for distributed biogas production via anaerobic co-digestion: Mediterranean case study. Renewable Energy, 39(1), 261–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada

    Jacek Malczewski

  2. Department of Geography, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada

    Claus Rinner

Authors
  1. Jacek Malczewski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Claus Rinner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacek Malczewski .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Malczewski, J., Rinner, C. (2015). Scale Issues and GIS-MCDA. In: Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Geographic Information Science. Advances in Geographic Information Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74757-4_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation