Local ordered weighted averaging in GIS-based multicriteria analysis

Abstract

The Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) is a multicriteria combination procedure. An underlying assumption of the conventional or global OWA model is the spatial homogeneity of its parameters. This paper presents a spatially explicit or local form of OWA. The local model is based on the range sensitivity principle, which suggests that criterion weights depend on spatially variable range of criterion values. The local GIS-OWA procedure is used in a case study of evaluating socio-economic status in London, Ontario. The case study compares the global and local GIS-OWA methods. While the results of conventional GIS-OWA are essentially unmappable (with exception of the overall OWA scores), the results of local OWA modelling can be mapped and examined with GIS. © 2014 Taylor & Francis.