Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Recreational Potential in Post-Industrial Landscapes: A Case Study of the Prydniprovsk Region

This article explores methodological approaches and specific methods for addressing the scientific challenge of spatial planning organization of recreational areas in the Prydniprovsk region of Ukraine. The study aims to provide a systematic foundation for the investigation and understanding of spatial planning phenomena; to develop a structured framework for landscape and recreational zoning of the region's territory; to establish a toolkit for integrating interdisciplinary approaches; to facilitate comparative studies through standardized methods of data collection and analysis, enabling the identification of trends and regularities in various contexts; and to lay the groundwork for generating practical recommendations. As a result of the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative indicators of recreational resources, the specific characteristics of the region's recreational assets were identified, revealing their overall deficiency. The article presents a detailed application of cartographic methods based on geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation according to defined categories. This approach enabled the structuring of the Prydniprovsk region's landscape-recreational, historical-cultural, and socio-economic resources within the framework of their recreational and tourism potential. Consequently, areas with the highest composite index values were identified and designated as having the greatest potential for the development of recreational and tourism functions. These zones serve as core recreational districts in the formation of a regional tourism and recreation network. By applying area-based parameters to the selected territories, the study developed a clear taxonomy for establishing a hierarchical spatial model of