Elizabeth Bowie, "Methods for Generating Suitability Maps: a Comparative Evaluation"

A Comparative Evaluation:

There are a few different ways to conceive suitability maps. This article focuses on a number of them: the Gestalt, McHarg (ordinal combination), linear combination, nonlinear combination, factor combination, cluster analysis, rules of combination, and the hierarchical combination methods. Many of these methods favor one another and therefore work pleasingly together to create land suitability maps. When determining which method you might use, one needs to first access the particular location for development. Is it a small scale or large scale area? Will factors be independent of one another or dependent? All of this is relative to your site, but the best method for most studies is to begin with the linear and nonlinear methods and then follow with the rules of combination. With all of these methods, it is not possible to make evaluative statements about several uses to the site. One must make some assumptions about the demands for uses of and on the site, and we cannot use this information alone. We need to understand the economic analysis of the area to go forward.