Quantifying how a zone is residential: A Multi-Criteria Decision Making approach

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on various aspects of our lives, including education, work dynamics, and social interactions. Dealing with the provision of building utilities in such circumstances has become a for-midable challenge. During lockdowns, it becomes crucial to allocate resources strategically, giving priority to residential areas over commercial and financial districts based on population density. Identifying residential areas is of utmost importance not only for effective emergency response during natural disasters but also for ensuring fair distribution of electricity and gas when resources are scarce. However, accurately delineating residential zones is challenging due to the intricate nature of urban landscapes. This paper aims to discuss a comprehensive indicator that utilizes open-source intelligence and incorporates a multi-criteria decision-making framework to assess the likelihood of an area being residential. This indicator will greatly assist in optimizing resource allocation for power, gas, and water distribution. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a case study conducted in Nicosia, Cyprus, is presented.