Integrating buildings into a rural landscape using a multi-criteria spatial decision analysis in GIS-enabled web environment

There is often a difficult relationship between rural buildings and the landscape. This may be overcome by methodologies that support a decision-making processes for establishing harmonious relationships and sustainable environment integrity within a unique framework. Preliminary results are presented from a continuing broad research project developing a spatial methodology for integrating new rural buildings associated with tourist functions into landscapes and coupling multi-criteria evaluations (MCE) into a web environment that uses a geographic information system (GIS) technique. Use of the internet allows users easy access to diverse GIS data sources and also allows support collaboration amongst planners, stakeholders and the public. The aim of this methodology, which applies an overlay and index method involving several parameters, is to evaluate its suitability in the study region, Hervás, Spain, in order to optimally plan for rural building integration within its landscape. The methodology used intermediate suitability maps classified by five evaluation criteria, namely physical, visual, economic, social, and environmental criteria. A combination of the five intermediate maps resulted in a final composite suitability map for buildings in a rural landscape. The possibility of designing and implementing a GIS-enabled web application with the methodology, consisting of a general overview, a multi-criteria spatial decision support system, an interoperable knowledge map and a post-task questionnaire to identify spatial models for the different perceptions of building integration within the rural landscape and to certify the possible economic impact on tourism, is presented.