Optimization Methods as a Base for Decision Making in Land Consolidation Projects Ranking

Abstract

Land consolidation (LC) is an activity that brings numerous benefits to rural areas. However, being resource demanding, the LC requires a decision on where it should be provided or where the limited resources should be distributed in order to maximize its effects. In order to avoid the subjective decision maker’s preferences, optimization methods for identifying the priorities are recommended. Bearing in mind that every optimization method could give different results, we proposed the utilization of multiple optimization methods for ranking the cadastral municipalities which are candidates for providing LC. In this research, the main aim was to find if it is possible to avoid the subjective decision making in cadastral municipalities (CM) as a candidate for LC ranking by utilizing the statistical approach. Additionally, in this research, the analysis was provided, varying the number of optimization criteria. In this research, two assumptions were adopted: (1) every single optimization method has the same weight, and (2) the differences between different ranks are results of random errors. After determining the average ranking of a certain cadastral municipality, its interval of ranking is calculated by using the Student’s distribution. Cadastral municipalities that belong within the interval of available resources are candidates for providing LC. In the case study, fifteen cadastral municipalities were researched, including eight and ten criteria for optimization, and results showed that there are significant differences between ranks of cadastral municipalities varying depending on the method utilized.

Sensitivity of Multi-Criteria Analysis Methods in Rural Land Consolidation Project Ranking

“…Bearing in mind that these methods could be classified as hybrid methods, as they consisted of a mathematical algorithm and the subjective preferences explicated by the researcher (quantified by weights), it could be stated that every person has their own preference system. The statistical approach was based on the following assumptions: (1) every optimization method has the same weight (i.e., the resulting rankings are treated as being of the same importance), and (2) the differences between different ranks are the result of random errors [35]. Following this idea, it was possible to assume that every person would define their own matrix of weights in the AHP method.…”

“…Quantitative methods based on mathematical algorithms applied to given sets of data, which represent some indicators and defined preferences quantified by weights, are the basis of multi-criteria decision analyses, and they are widely used in the domain of research in land consolidation project ranking and decision making [32][33][34][35].…”

A New Method for Assessing Land Consolidation Urgency, including Market Value

“…To implement an effective analytical procedure, a preliminary analysis of the structure of the acquired input data was carried out, and a framework plan was defined, including the adaptation of source information, development of original authors' research tools, and calculation and interpretation of the resulting data. The thematic ranges of the analysis were partly developed on the basis of the combined experience of previous research, reported in the world literature, concerning the methodology of the assessment of land consolidation urgency and the evaluation of the agricultural land spatial structure [17,26,[38][39][40]. The adopted action strategy, in schematic terms, is shown in Figure 2.…”

“…The approach that assumes the selection of potential objects to be consolidated, based on the assessment of the actual condition of the spatial structure and the delimitation of areas with the most urgent needs, is supported in numerous titles of the global scientific literature. Research on the methodology for assessing and hierarchising land consolidation needs has been conducted, e.g., in China [14][15][16], Croatia [17], Cyprus [18], Turkey [19], Poland [11,[20][21][22][23][24][25], Serbia [26], Finland [27], Estonia [28], Lithuania [29], Ukraine [30], and Slovakia [31][32][33].…”

Automated Processing of Data in the Comparative Estimation of Land Value during Land Consolidation Works

“…Other authors to discuss the issue of limited resources are Janus and Taszakowski, who emphasise the necessity to prioritise the urgency of land consolidation for projects in waiting to ensure the optimum benefits of the utilised resources [28]. Delimitation of potential consolidation objects according to consolidation works urgency is also the subject of studies conducted by Marinković et al The proposed solution comprises an integration of selected methods for evaluating the agrarian structure to maximise the reliability of outcomes and make it possible to reject those standing out as non-representative [29]. Stręk et al, see a possibility to improve the efficiency of land consolidation by eliminating the so-called external plot patchwork upon the assumption of possible expansion of the nominal area of land exchange onto adjacent localities [30].…”