Urban Green Space Suitability Evaluation Based on the AHP-CV Combined Weight Method: A Case Study of Fuping County, China

Urban green space (UGS) provides critical ecosystem services and alleviates environmental problems caused by rapid urbanization. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is recognized as a traditional technique to identify the weight of the UGS suitability evaluation. We reveal the limitations of the AHP method for its subjectivity and uncertainty. Then, we introduce the AHP and coefficient of variation (AHP-CV) combined weight method to better evaluate the suitability of UGS. Based on the principle of minimum information entropy, the AHP-CV combined weight method takes advantage of both the AHP and CV methods, thus keeping a good balance between subjectivity and objectivity. We used the green space system planning of Fuping County in China as a case study. A new evaluation index system was established using 4 aspects. Our results show that high-suitability areas are mainly distributed around the northern mountainous regions, 2 important rivers and the outer areas of the central city. By comparing the UGS suitability evaluation results obtained by the AHP, CV, and AHP-CV combined weight methods, we found that the AHP-CV method was optimal. Therefore, the AHP-CV combined weight method will not only enrich spatial Multi-Criteria Decision-Making techniques but also have a wide application in the related fields of land-use planning.