Evaluation of environmental sustainability in urban areas with the approach of fine dust problem using multi-criteria decision making technique of linear allocation and artificial neural network (case study: Ahvaz)

Environmental sustainability assessment is one of the most important tools in the process of sustainable development planning and therefore attention to it in policy-making and planning is inevitable. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the environmental sustainability in urban areas with the approach of the dust problem using multi-criteria decision-making technique of linear allocation and artificial neural network in Ahvaz metropolis. In this research, first, by studying the theoretical foundations of the research, the criteria that are effective for environmental sustainability were identified. Then, the documentary and library method and referring to different departments and organizations were used to collect information in the theoretical part. However, the main information of the research was collected using field studies (completing questionnaires, observations and field studies). The research process was such that a questionnaire was designed to implement the methodology through the criteria obtained from the study of the problem literature and distributed among the people in 8 regions by stratified random sampling method. The sample size of the total areas was determined based on the unlimited Cochran's formula in the form of population classes of the areas. Keywords: Environmental stability, particulate matter, linear allocation, artificial neural network, Ahvaz