GIS-based geo-environmental evaluation for urban land-use planning: a casestudy

A geo-environmental evaluation for urban land-use planning often requires a large amount of spatial information. Geographic information systems (GIS) are capable of managing large amounts of spatially related information, pro viding the ability to integrate multiple layers of information and to deriv e additional information. A GIS-aid to the geo-environmental evaluation for urban land-use planning is illustrated for the urban area of Lanzhou City and its vicinity in Northwest China. This evaluation incorporates topograph y, surficial and bedrock geology, groundwater conditions, and historic geol ogic hazards. Urban land-use is categorized according to the types of land- use and projects planned, such as high-rise building, multi-storey building , low-rise building, waste disposal, and natural conservation. Multi-criter ia analysis is performed to evaluate development suitability of the geo-env ironment for each category, according to appropriately measured and weighte d factors. A suitability map for each category is developed using an algori thm that combines factors in weighted linear combinations. It is demonstrat ed that the GIS methodology has high functionality for geo-environmental as sessment. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.