Android-based multi-criteria evaluation approach for enhancing public participation for a wind farm site selection

Abstract

This project presents a hypothetical case study of an interactive mobile-based Public Participation Geographical Information Systems (PPGIS) prototype for selection of best alternative for new offshore wind farm development in Lake Erie, northern Ohio. The prototype implements a client-server architecture where Android operating system is used for the client side, and Google Cloud Platform services and GeoServer/PostgreSQL for the server side. The potential benefits from this prototype are demonstrated through an interactive Android interface where the importance of three decision alternatives is evaluated by multiple participants using different evaluation criteria. The individual evaluation scores are aggregated by using a mathematical Pairwise comparison voting method while the sum of all individual Pairwise comparison scores yields the group solution. The results from the group solution are interactively returned and used for building consensus and to aid understanding of potential solutions coalesced from multiple participants’ perspectives.