A multiobjective optimization approach to smart growth in land development

In this paper we apply a multiobjective optimization model of Smart Growth to land development. The term Smart Growth is meant to describe development strategies that do not promote urban sprawl. However, the term is somewhat open to interpretation. The multiobjective aspects arise when considering the conflicting interests of the various stakeholders involved in land development decisions: the government planner, the environmentalist, the conservationist, and the land developer. We present a formulation employing linear and convex quadratic objective functions subject to polyhedral and binary constraints for the stakeholders. The resulting optimization problems are convex, quadratic mixed integer programs that are NP-complete. We report numerical results with this model for Montgomery County, Maryland, and present them using a geographic information system (GIS).