- Gestalt method: The area is mapped and similar regions are identified. Additional maps are drawn for each homogeneous location representing each possible land use, which are compared and analyzed to ascertain the best possible land use. However, this method is not very commonly used because it requires intense knowledge of the place in question, usually only acquired when the planner has the opportunity to live in the space and dedicate an ample amount of time to it. It is also more difficult to communicate it effectively.
-Ordinal combination method: The area is mapped according to qualities of the land, including slope, soil type, vegetation, climate, etc., and each quality has a rating associated with it corresponding to its value. Therefore, the land use is determined by the suitability rating given to it based on the comparable qualities of other areas.Some shortfalls include that the rating is subjective to the expert, and each rating must be done on the same scale to be comparable.
- Linear combination method: The rated qualities of the ordinal combination method are compared with different weights with the most weight put on the most important value and the least weight put on the least important, though each rating is put on the same interval scale.
- Values suitability analysis: Human values (like aesthetic preferences, etc.) are taken into account with similar weight to quantifiable costs and benefits in deciding land suitability. This is done frequently in deciding incorporation of open spaces and their management techniques.
- AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process): A method that determines the weight of each component of the land making it favorable or unfavorable for each use. It has the capability to identify inconsistencies in judgement.