Multi-Criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process Assessment of Different Impacts of Local and Global Legal Regulations on Sustainable Development of the Commune

The application of the same global legal regulations to areas with different climates, landscapes, and cultural and urban conditions may ultimately lead to decisions that are unsuitable for the region, which could result in poor investment and development decisions for the municipality. This article examines how sustainability regulations established locally, in response to local conditions, differ from global regulations created without considering the differences between the areas to which they apply. Selected criteria were assessed in relation to global and local regulations, and then, based on these criteria and their weights, rankings of the strengths and weaknesses of municipalities were proposed in relation to the selected criteria, the weights of which were evaluated depending on the adopted global or local regulations. The AHP method was used to conduct this multi-criteria assessment, based both on expert group opinions and artificial intelligence tools. The aim of this analysis was to demonstrate differences in the hierarchies of sustainable development aspects implemented globally and locally, as well as local conditions. The assessment results indicate discrepancies between expert knowledge, which takes into account local conditions, and the priorities resulting from general legal regulations. Some areas important from a local perspective, such as building density or mixed-use development, are insufficiently addressed in legal regulations, both under Polish and EU law and local law. This also contradicts current trends in urban planning theory, which advocates a shift away from zoning. Others, such as energy efficiency in buildings and renewable energy sources, are strongly present in both national and EU law but are not implemented in local regulations.