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Combining Analytical Hierarchy Process and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering in Search of Expert Consensus in Green Corridors Development Management

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Abstract

Environmental management and planning are instrumental in resolving conflicts arising between societal needs for economic development on the one hand and for open green landscapes on the other hand. Allocating green corridors between fragmented core green areas may provide a partial solution to these conflicts. Decisions regarding green corridor development require the assessment of alternative allocations based on multiple criteria evaluations. Analytical Hierarchy Process provides a methodology for both a structured and consistent extraction of such evaluations and for the search for consensus among experts regarding weights assigned to the different criteria. Implementing this methodology using 15 Israeli experts—landscape architects, regional planners, and geographers—revealed inherent differences in expert opinions in this field beyond professional divisions. The use of Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering allowed to identify clusters representing common decisions regarding criterion weights. Aggregating the evaluations of these clusters revealed an important dichotomy between a pragmatist approach that emphasizes the weight of statutory criteria and an ecological approach that emphasizes the role of the natural conditions in allocating green landscape corridors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the geographers, landscape architects, and regional planners, whose experience and expertise played an indispensable role in the success of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel

    Aviad Shapira

  2. Environmental and Hyper-Spectral Remote Sensing Laboratory, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel

    Maxim Shoshany

  3. Urbanics Ltd.-Planning, Economics, Environment, 1 Jabotinsky St., 52520, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Sigal Nir-Goldenberg

Authors
  1. Aviad Shapira
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  2. Maxim Shoshany
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  3. Sigal Nir-Goldenberg
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Correspondence to Aviad Shapira.

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Shapira, A., Shoshany, M. & Nir-Goldenberg, S. Combining Analytical Hierarchy Process and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering in Search of Expert Consensus in Green Corridors Development Management. Environmental Management 52, 123–135 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0064-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0064-2

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