Local Weighted Linear Combination

The article focuses on one of the most often used GIS-based multicriteria analysis methods: the weighted linear combination (WLC). The WLC model has traditionally been used as a global approach based on the implicit assumption that its parameters do not vary as a function of geographical space. This assumption is often unrealistic in real-world situations. The article proposes a new approach to GIS-based multicriteria analysis. It develops a local form of the global WLC model. The range sensitivity principle is used as a central concept for developing the local WLC model. The principle postulates that the greater the range of criterion values is, the greater the weight assigned to that criterion should be. Consequently, the local criterion weight can be defined for each neighborhood within a study area as a function of the range of criterion values in a given neighborhood. The range of criterion values provides also the base for defining the local value function. The article presents the theory behind the local WLC modeling and illustrates an implementation of the model in a GIS environment.