Spatial Decision Making

The impetus of this study was the recognition that spatial decision-making, such as site selection, requires advanced means to handle the numerous socio- economic factors while considering physical suitability conditions. Although expert systems (ES), geographic information systems (GIS), and multicriteria decision making (MCDM) techniques have played important roles in solving spatial decision problems, each of these tools has its own limitations and could not be used alone to reach an optimal solution. Simultaneous use of several decision support tools is necessary for reaching optimal solutions for highly complex spatial decision-making problems. This poses the challenge of integrating these decision support tools. This study developed a strategy to facilitate the decision-making process for industrial site selection in the presence of different priorities and uncertainties among the decision criteria. A framework for integrating the strengths of GIS (ArcGIS), ES (Visual Rule Studio), and MCDM (AHP) using COM technology was developed. The design and implementation of the system were illustrated using an industrial site selection case study.