Fuzzy Multicriteria Model for Postearthquake Land-Use Planning

Abstract

A multicriteria model is developed for analyzing land-use strategies for reducing the future social and economic costs in areas with potential natural hazards. A multicriteria decision-making procedure consists of generating alternatives, establishing criteria, assigning criteria weights, and applying the compromise ranking method. The alternatives are constructed to address various scenarios of sustainable hazard effects mitigation. They are generated in the form of comprehensive land-use plans. The alternative plans are developed with consideration of the redevelopment of urban areas and infrastructures and of multipurpose land use, including restrictions on buildings in hazardous areas. The plans have to be evaluated using specified criteria: public safety, reliability, social environment, natural environment, economy, culture, and politics. The multicriteria model can address all relevant conflicting effects and impacts in their spatial units. Traditional approaches to evaluation of alternatives are characterized by uncertainties and are usually imprecise. The fuzzy multicriteria model described herein has been developed to deal with “qualitative” (unquantifiable or linguistic) or incomplete information. The objective is to provide a methodology for weighing land uses and choosing the best alternatives. An application of this model is illustrated with the postearthquake regional planning problem in central Taiwan.