GIS-BASED MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS (MCDA) FOR PRIORITIZING TREE-PLANTING SITES IN HALIFAX URBAN PARKS

Abstract

In Halifax, the lack of canopy cover and urges for better management of urban forests stimulated the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), which was adopted by council in 2012. One goal of the UFMP is to increase the canopy cover in Halifax peninsula to 40% in parks. To achieve this goal, two questions need to be solved: where to plant trees and where to plant first. Thus, this research provided a two-phase solution by incorporating GIS-based Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The first phase selected candidate parks by setting limitations on park location, management authority, area, and a ground survey. This phase resulted in identification of 28 candidate urban parks in the Halifax peninsula. The second phase included eight criteria to feature benefits brought by urban trees. These criteria were weighted by experts through consultations and then used to calculate the ranking of the 28 parks.