Integrating DEA and AHP for Optimizing Rural Road Network Planning Under the Common Prosperity Framework: A Case Study of Yueqing City

Yesen Lu, Hualong Huang, Zhihua Zhang, Qiugang Tao, Jinrui Gong and Zhenyu Mei ()
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Yesen Lu: Zhejiang Provincial Transportation Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 314050, China
Hualong Huang: Zhejiang Jiaogong Hongtu Transportation Construction Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310013, China
Zhihua Zhang: Zhejiang Jiaogong Hongtu Transportation Construction Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310013, China
Qiugang Tao: Institute of Intelligent Transportation System, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Jinrui Gong: Institute of Intelligent Transportation System, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Zhenyu Mei: Institute of Intelligent Transportation System, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: Transportation infrastructure serves a pivotal role in driving regional development. This study proposes a decision-making framework for rural road network planning within the context of China’s common prosperity initiative. An integrated model combining Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is developed, where DEA is employed to identify technically efficient planning alternatives and AHP is used to rank these alternatives based on social and environmental benefits. Applying the model to the case of Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, the findings reveal that common prosperity-oriented schemes, particularly the Scheme, which emphasizes full industrial coverage and balanced equity, achieve a superior balance among construction costs, industrial coverage, regional equity, and carbon emissions. Theoretically, this research advances transportation planning by incorporating equity-focused metrics, such as the Gini coefficient, into efficiency analyses, thus promoting a socially sustainable approach to infrastructure development. Practically, the proposed method offers a systematic and actionable tool for local governments to optimize rural transportation networks in support of common prosperity and balanced regional growth. The resulting framework not only identifies technically efficient and equitable layouts but also offers planners a transparent tool for balancing cost, social equity, and environmental impact in future rural infrastructure projects.

Keywords: common prosperity; road network planning and layout; data envelopment analysis; analytic hierarchy process; benefits evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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