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Using a hybrid Delphi hierarchical process, the development of a holistic index to measure city competitiveness in Malaysia: a case study from Penang Island

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Abstract

Assessing city competitiveness is a key to achieving sustainable city development by monitoring the factors that influence everyday urban living. A holistic index was developed that accounts for the economic, sociocultural and environmental dimensions of city competitiveness. We present a detailed account of how to develop a city competitiveness index using a hybrid Delphi hierarchy process (HDHP) model that can serve as a blueprint for other studies. The model was created by consulting with experts across multiple qualitative and semi-quantitative rounds of data collection to help select the most important and sensitive criteria and sub-criteria that affect city competitiveness. In our study, the HDHP model found that for Penang Island, economic competitiveness, with a weight of 0.595 and a corresponding inconsistency (CI) of 0.04, was deemed to have a greater impact on city competitiveness than environmental competitiveness, having a weight of 0.276 and a CI of 0.02, and social and cultural competitiveness, with a weight of 0.128 and a CI of 0.08. Zone 1 has a weight of 0.360, which means it has less of an influence than Zone 2, which has a weight of 0.636 as an option in terms of economic competitiveness. Economic and environmental competitiveness have a significant impact on Zone 2. We highlight that the index to city competitiveness assessment (CCA) needs to be complex to balance economic, sociocultural and environmental aspects and that such knowledge will enhance our understanding of the type of data that need to be monitored by agencies for modelling purposes.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by the Universiti Siens Malaysia (USM), TRGS grant under KPT with project number (203/ppjauh/6761004). The authors thank all the government agencies of Penang Island who helped in this project, as well as the many pilots, who made this project possible. The authors also thank the Department of Environment (DOE), DID, JUPEM, Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Penang Development Corporation (PDC), Penang Institute, Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPN), City Council of Penang (MBPP), Penang Green Council (PGC), Penang Skills Department Centre (PSDC) and Public Work Department (IKR) for providing time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Milad Bagheri & Wan Izatul Asma binti Wan Talaat

  2. School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

    Radziah Adam & Ku Azam Tuan Lonik

  3. Quantity Surveying Department, School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

    Mastura Jaafar

  4. School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue , Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Isabelle D. Wolf

  5. Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Isabelle D. Wolf

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  1. Milad Bagheri
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Bagheri, M., Adam, R., Jaafar, M. et al. Using a hybrid Delphi hierarchical process, the development of a holistic index to measure city competitiveness in Malaysia: a case study from Penang Island. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 9, 693–721 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-022-01509-0

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