A methodology to select the best locations for new urban forests using multicriteria analysis

In densely populated and sparsely wooded areas, the creation of urban forests has become an important objective of a responsible social policy. This policy framework is based upon the experience gained over recent years from carrying out several feasibility studies for large-scale afforestation projects in Flanders, Belgium. Whilst conducting these studies, a methodology was developed which selected the most suitable and feasible locations for the establishment of large urban forests, with a view to achieving the highest chance of successful implementation. This methodology is a step-by-step multicriteria approach with three stages: (1) the excluding stage, which uses excluding criteria leading to a number of locations potentially suitable for afforestation. These are called 'potential locations'; (2) the suitability stage, which tests the potential locations on their suitability, leading to the selection of a limited number of (theoretically) 'most suitable locations'. Three groups of criteria are used for this selection, related to the potential for (a) recreational quality, (b) structural strengthening of the landscape, and (c) ecological quality. This is followed by (3) the feasibility stage, where the most suitable locations are then tested for their feasibility. Initially, these locations are analysed for possible conflicts with other types of land use; the three main criteria used for this selection being (a) their acceptability by the agricultural sector, (b) their appropriateness for nature conservation and landscape protection and (c) their compatibility with urban planning. Where several 'most suitable locations' have a similar acceptability score, the final choice of the location of the urban forest is determined by opportunity criteria--defined primarily by the potential for the immediate realization of the afforestation project. As a result of the three stages of the multicriteria analysis, the most suitable and feasible location(s) are selected for further political scrutiny prior to implementation.