GIS Based Sustainable Growth Model for South College Station, TX - Video Presentation 2010

GIS based Site Suitability Analysis (Participatory Approach) click to view video presentation

March-September 2010: GIS Based Sustainable Growth Model for South College Station. Work experience with the city of College Station,TX. A video presentation can be viewed on Youtube.

This project has developed a growth model for south College Station area, exploring the viability of incorporating sustainable development concepts in a real world scenario. The methodology involves participatory approach for multi objective decision making with GIS based analytical process. The project uses analytical hierarchy process in map overlays and map algebra for locating community swimming facility; uses vector analysis for incorporating street furniture on bike and pedestrian ways and for finding target areas to implement sustainable energy practices. 

The project recommends strategies for developing the upcoming south College Station area through the defined goals and objectives attributing to the cause of sustainable development in an incremental way, and then using them in a GIS based analysis for practical implications. The goals and objectives in compliance with the comprehensive plan 2009 have made sustainable and cost effective recommendations. The project's is to identify the most favorable site for the allocation of a community swimming facility against many upcoming private pools, addressing the issue of water conservation in the city of College Station. The site suitability analysis based on Analytical Hierarchy Process has been used for this goal using the criteria of land use plans, walkibility to the existing neighborhoods, proximity to the new development areas, access to the main roads and market land values in GIS based modeling. The participatory approach in this analysis has helped achieve unbiased results in the weighted overlay map outputs.

The second goal aims for identifying sites for installing street furniture that will also suffice the need of natural surveillance on streets. The installation is planned in a prioritized manner by conducting GIS based vector analysis for this goal. The installation will take place dispersively in phases for benefiting a larger population in one go than pouring the initial resources in a concentrated area. Recycled materials are recommended to be used for the construction at the least possible cost and solar powered advertisement billboards have also been recommended on some of the street furniture for recovering the cost in the long run.

Conclusion: The GIS based sustainable growth model for the south of College station is a strategy based planning method which focuses on project viability in terms of cost, time and resources. Issues of water conservation, environment, neighborhood safety and aesthetics are tackled by using GIS based modeling with raster and vector calculations. Multi Objective Decision making, using Single Output Map Algebra (SOMA) was used with a participatory approach in evaluating scores by pair wise comparison in the analytical hierarchy process that has brought less biased results in map outputs.