Applications of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and analytical network process (ANP) for industrial site selections in Isfahan, Iran

Industrial sites are key factors in urban and regional land use planning. Therefore, determining the location of industrial areas is a critical and complex process for development and success. Industrial site selection aims in identifying the most suitable sites for industry creation, considering a set of influential criteria. Therefore, site selection generally and industrial site selection specifically can be categorised as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem that requires detailed evaluation of various dimensions. This study developed a set of clusters containing 10 selection criteria for industrial site selection in Isfahan metropolitan area, Iran. The relationships between the criteria and clusters were modelled and analysed using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and analytical network process (ANP). AHP and ANP agree in finding distance to water bodies and distance to other industries as the most and least important selection criteria. Four patches have been identified as suitable alternatives for industrial construction. While AHP found Borkhar Patch 1 as the most appropriate alternative, ANP demonstrated the superiority of Ardestan Patch over others. Conducting a sensitivity analysis for the models confirmed both models robustness in industrial site selection decisions.