Integration of GIS and soft computing for suitability evaluation of high-density urban development: The logic scoring of preference method

The Logic Scoring of Preference (LSP) method is based on soft computing principles for complex spatial decision-making that integrates large number of criteria and capture human logic reasoning. The main objective of this study is to develop, implement and apply the LSP method in the Geographic Information System (GIS) environment for the land suitability evaluation for high-density urban development. Two different stakeholders, urban developer and urban planner, were considered. The geospatial datasets of Metro Vancouver Region, Canada, were used to implement the GIS-based LSP method. Several LSP aggregator groups have been compared and the results indicate that there are differences between the two stakeholder's perspectives on suitable locations for high-rise urban development. The GIS-LSP method provides an effective way for identifying the best location for high density urban developments and thus contribute to more sustainable urban practices that can minimize the impact of the urban sprawl.