Title: A model for spatial multicriteria hierarchical clustering

Authors: Karim Lidouh; Yves De Smet

Addresses: Department of Computer and Decision Engineering, SMG Research Unit, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue F.D. Roosevelt CP 210/01, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ' Department of Computer and Decision Engineering, SMG Research Unit, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue F.D. Roosevelt CP 210/01, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract: Research on the problem of multicriteria territory partitioning is at its begin. This is mainly due to the fact that it involves tools from fields that are to this day still young. To answer this shortage, we propose an adaptation of a multicriteria clustering method that takes spatial constraints into account. Two variants are described and tested on an illustrative case. This example deals with the partitioning of the Walloon region in Belgium into clusters with a similar level of well-being as perceived by its inhabitants.

Keywords: multicriteria analysis; hierarchical clustering; preference modelling; territory partitioning; spatial constraints; Belgium; well-being; districting.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCDM.2016.075617

International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making, 2016 Vol.6 No.1, pp.1 - 13

Received: 01 Nov 2014
Accepted: 29 Apr 2015
Published online: 30 Mar 2016 *

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