Selecting an appropriate location for a shopping mall using multi-criteria decision making techniques and geographic information systems: A case study of Konyaaltı (Antalya)

The significance of branding and fashion culture in our lives has made shopping malls a preferred destination. Shopping malls not only bring together a wide range of products under one roof but also offer convenience, comfort, and a secure shopping experience, making them a top choice among consumers. Moreover, they have become an essential place for those who allocate their time for shopping in today's world. However, due to increasing competition and the irreversibility of location decisions, the most crucial factor for a shopping mall project is considered to be its location. In this context, in order to ensure the sustainability of a shopping mall, a variety of criteria need to be taken into account and innovative scientific methods need to be employed in the location determination process. Antalya province, particularly the Konyaaltı district, is one of Turkey's major tourist destinations with a dense population. It also stands out culturally and geographically compared to other districts. The eleven shopping malls in the Muratpaşa and Kepez districts of Antalya province play a significant role in the preferences of the population in the Konyaaltı district. This study aims to determine the most suitable locations for a new shopping mall project in the Konyaaltı region. To achieve this goal, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Techniques (MCDM), specifically the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), have been utilized. AHP enables the ranking of decision problems based on a specific priority hierarchy, providing a better understanding of the current situation. With this method, the established criteria are compared in pairwise groups, and their importance levels are determined. In this study, first, the boundaries of the study were defined as the city center of Konyaaltı district in Antalya province and its immediate surroundings, where the active population is concentrated. Three main criteria were established for the shopping mall location: geographical features, accessibility, and demographic characteristics. These criteria were further divided into a total of eleven sub-criteria. AHP is employed to better understand and conclude the current situation regarding a decision problem. Therefore, importance degrees for the eleven criteria were determined using expert opinions from the literature and through oral communication, with values ranging from 1 to 9, and weights were calculated accordingly. Using the calculated weights, the mapped criteria were combined to provide a concrete evaluation. Maps created for each criterion were overlaid to generate a result map. This result map was then compared with commercial parcels in the zoning plans to evaluate suitable areas for presentation to the user. This study serves as a guiding reference for future studies, investors, and decision-makers.