Spatial multi-criteria evaluation to enhance governance: changes in Malaysian planning

Spatial planning and decision support methods are to make the process of planning and decision making more transparent. In this paper we would like to present an ongoing change process observed in Malaysia, where multi-criteria decision-making is currently being introduced in a strategic public transport study in two different forms. The study is about the selection of one of three light network expansions around the city of Kuala Lumpur. The options are a grid, a radial and a concentric system. This study follows one of two pathways of spatial multicriteria analysis. The other study is about the identification of possible transit zones in this network. This study takes the other of the two pathways. To discuss these experiences we first define governance and good governance or ‘democratic’ governance. Then we propose a model of the planning and decision making process and define in detail what spatial multicriteria analysis means to this process. Only over the last few years software and methodology has become available to spatially perform multi-criteria analysis. We discuss the newly released ILWIS-SMCE as an example of such software. The main advantage of having such software and methodology is to structure the evaluation problem, which we will demonstrate with the transit zone study. Then we will look at the procedural changes in the planning process and the consequences for governance.
Interestingly this change process is based on several key-individuals in academia, government and private sector. We believe that many lessons are still to be learned from the changes ongoing in Malaysia.