MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE SITES FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN BROOKLYN Research Introduction: This research uses three separate methods of Multi Criteria Decision Analysis to compare different methods of residential site selection in Brooklyn New York. Criterion to be compared are listed below and remain fairly consistent across analyses, altered based on the ability for the method to accommodate them.
How do variations in multi-criteria analysis effect what neighborhoods and lots are displayed as having high development potential and do more intensive methods result in dramatically different results or not?
AREA METHOD ANALYSIS
DISTANCE METHOD ANALYSIS
TWO STEP FLOATING CATCHMENT METHOD
Map 1a: Area Method with high scoring Census Tracts outlined
Map 2a: Distance Method with high scoring network shapes outlined
Map 3a:Modified Two-Step Floating Catchment Method
Map 1b: Area Method mapped by Development Potential
Map 2b: Highest scoring areas mapped by development potential
Map 3b: Overall map of two step method with locator
Hospitals F GG F F G F G G F
F G G F F G F G FG G F F GG F
F G
Flood zones
Open space
Subway stops
Schools
Underdeveloped lots
Population density F F G G change: F 2010-2014 FG G G F F G FG G F
F G F G G F
F GG F F G
0
5
Miles 10
Map 1c: Close up of Highest scoring areas
Map 2c: Close up of high scoring areas
The area method of comparison uses the census tract as a unit of area for comparison. This method of comparison is a vector based multi criteria analysis. The area method looks at density of chosen criterion. These counts are normalized by area of the census tract. Higher scoring areas have a higher number of services per census tract. In Step two, shown in Map 1b and 1c, development potential lots were overlaid on the high scoring census tracts to show areas with the most development potential among those serviced most highly.
The distance method of comparison focuses on how much area each service serves as opposed to strictly the density of the services within the chosen area. The area method looks at density of chosen criterion using distance network analysis rasters of a quarter mile, a generally accepted walking distance, as opposed to area. High numbers of services in these areas are indicated by many overlapping distance networks. From this method, fewer areas made it to the highest segment of the Index Score, indicating it was more selective.
High scoring neighborhoods this method indicates have potential for development include: Borough Park Crown Heights Bed-Stuy Bushwick
The areas that scored highest once developable lots were overlaid were similar to those identified in the area method and include: Park Slope Borugh Park Bushwick Bed-Stuy
RESEARCH SUMMARY Results of Methods 1 and 2 show neighborhood development potential similar to areas targeted by developers in recent years, indicating the methodologies are correctly identifying neighborhoods where there is capacity for additional residential development. While Method 3 did not give results consistent with the other methods, it provided results that look at development potential from a different point of view, rather identifying areas with services where there is a lack of residential housing. This finding, rather than used by developers, could be used by planners to target new areas for rezonings. Overall results show more complex methods show different though not necessarily more valuable results than simpler methods of Multi-Criteria Analysis.
The floating two-step catchment area method is a modified version of the traditional floating two-step catchment method. This method looks at the demand on particular services by aggregating the inverse of the population in that network area to the service node, then summing service values within the census tract area for a final score per census tract to determine a weighted score per area. Results indicate a different focus than Methods 1 and 2 providing a method for planners to look at areas with potential to be rezoned to higher density or residential uses. High scoring neighborhoods in this set include: Red Hook Downtown Brooklyn / DUMBO Gowanus
SOURCES: NYC Department of Education, School Point Locations, 2017 NYC DCP, MapPluto_14v2, 2014 NYC DCP, MapPluto_17V1.1, 2017 US Census, B01003 ACS 2012 & ACS 2017 5-year NYU Spatial Data Repository 2015 New York City Hospitals, 2015
Map 3c:close-up of high scoring areas with development potential lots overlaied
LAURA N. SEMERARO || YASHESH PANCHAL || RAMYA RAMANATHAN Baruch / CUNY stops_nyc_subway_may2015, 2015 NYC DCP, Census Blocks 2010, 2010 FEMA, NYC Flood Zone data
GUIDED BY: PROF. LEAH MEISTERLIN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GSAPP ADVANCED SPATIAL ANALYSIS - SPRING 2018