GIS-Based Framework for Supporting Land Use Planning in Urban Renewal: Case Study in Hong Kong

Abstract

Land use planning plays an important role in achieving sustainable urban development. One of the problems planners frequently encounter is the absence of an integrated quantitative approach to assessing land-use suitability and supporting land use planning (site level), particularly in urban renewal. This paper develops a geographic information system (GIS)-based framework to solve this problem. The framework consists of three main modules: land information database, planning/policy control mechanism, and model of land-use suitability analysis (LUSA). In the process of developing this framework, three tasks are completed. First, key factors affecting land-use decision making in urban renewal planning are identified and 20 of them are quantitatively examined from five perspectives of land attributes: inherent/physical, locational, social, economic, and environmental. Second, two submodels, namely, the criterion-value generation model and suitability assessment model are designed and built for LUSA in land redevelopment/urban renewal. Third, five types of land use, i.e., residential, commercial, industrial, government/institutional/community (G/IC), and open space in Hong Kong are defined and considered for land-use suitability grading. Several new planning approaches such as scenario planning, public participation, and collaborative interaction are included in this framework to improve planning processes by enhancing their adoption and application in urban (land use) planning. This proposed framework is found to be a useful tool for both practitioners and researchers involved in sustainable land use planning in urban renewal.