A geographic visualization approach to multi-criteria evaluation of urban quality of life

This paper proposes to use geographic visualization principles in conjunction with multicriteria evaluation methods to support spatial decision-making. Interactive maps can be combined with analytical tools to explore various settings of multi-criteria evaluation parameters that define different decision-making strategies. In a case study, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to calculate composite measures of urban quality of life (QoL) in Toronto. The AHP allows for an interactive blending between different QoL models, while offering a view on spatial patterns in the processed QoL indicators. This feature is used in interviews with domain experts to gather their feedback on the utility of geographic visualization in urban QoL assessment.