SimLand: A Prototype to Simulate Land Conversion Through the Integrated GIS and CA with AHP-Derived Transition Rules

This paper presents a prototype of a simulation model based on cellular automata (CA), and multicriteria evaluation (MCE) and integrated with GIS. Speci® cally, a method, analytical hierarchy process (AHP), of MCE is used here to derive behaviour-oriented rules of transition in CA. A t̀ight’ integration strategy is adopted, which means that the modules of MCE and CA are written in the C programming language and built within ARC/INFO GIS. Designed to run on a workstation Unix SimL and fully utilizes the graphical user interface (GUI), which allows the model to be driven by menus and automate the simulation of land conversion in the urban-rural fringe. The combination of three elements, GIS, CA, and MCE, has several advantages: visualization of decision-making, easier access to spatial information, and the more realistic de® nition of transition rules in CA.