Search

Urban regeneration programs involve a series of intricate activities that utilize human, material, and financial resources, executed at varying times and in diverse manners. Within this complex scenario, a major challenge lies in effectively managing concurrent developments across multiple buildings and infrastructure projects, while also harmonizing the interests of all parties engaged in urban regeneration initiatives. This paper introduces a multi-step strategy designed to enhance and streamline urban management amid the multifaceted decision-making processes characteristic of urban regeneration efforts. Specifically, the multi-criteria decision-making model ELECTRE TRI-B is employed to sort the array of basic tasks within a complex transformation endeavor into priority groups based on various evaluative criteria. To ascertain the significance of these criteria and rank each task according to the interests of the stakeholders likely to be impacted, a panel of specialists, including construction experts, economists, and environmental assessors, is convened. Following this, project actions are organized in a Gantt chart reflecting the construction priority determined by the evaluation model. This approach facilitated the temporal organization of master plan activities, incorporating insights from a broad spectrum of experts including municipal technical staff, professionals, and the community at large. The findings indicate that this comprehensive and interactive approach to performance measurement enabled the handling of extensive datasets and the refinement of financial, economic, environmental, and social resources, all while adhering to logical constraints and urban policy demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A resilient, diversified, and efficient energy system, comprising multiple energy carriers and high-efficiency infrastructure, is the way to decarbonise the European economy in line with the Paris Agreement, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the various recovery plans after the COVID-19 pandemic period. To achieve these goals, a key role is played by the private construction sector, which can reduce economic and environmental impacts and accelerate the green transition. Nevertheless, while traditionally decision-making problems in large urban transformations were supported by economic assessment based on Life Cycle Thinking and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) approaches, these are now obsolete. Indeed, the sustainable neighbourhood paradigm requires the assessment of different aspects, considering both economic and extra-economic criteria, as well as different points of view, involving all stakeholders. In this context, the paper proposes a multi-stage assessment procedure that first investigates the energy performance, through a dynamic simulation model, and then the socio-economic performance of regeneration operations at the neighbourhood scale, through a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The model based on the proposed Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluations II (PROMETHEE II) aims to support local decision makers (DMs) in choosing which retrofit operations to implement and finance. The methodology was applied to a real-world case study in Turin (Italy), where various sustainable measures were ranked using multiple criteria to determine the best transformation scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper illustrates the development of an evaluation model for supporting the decision-making process related to an urban regeneration intervention. In particular, the study proposes an original multi-methodological approach, which combines SWOT Analysis, Stakeholders Analysis and PROMETHEE method for the evaluation of alternative renewal strategies of an urban area in Northern Italy. The article also describes the work carried out within an experts’ panel that has been organized for validating the structuring of the decision problem and for evaluating the criteria of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we deal with an urban and territorial planning problem by applying the Non Additive Robust Ordinal Regression (NAROR). NAROR is a recent extension of the Robust Ordinal Regression family of Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding methods to the Choquet integral preference model which permits to represent interaction between considered criteria through the use of a set of non-additive weights called capacity or fuzzy measure. The use of NAROR permits the Decision Maker (DM) to give preference information in terms of preferences between pairs of alternatives with which she is familiar, and relative importance and interaction of considered criteria. The basic idea of NAROR is to consider the whole set of capacities that are compatible with the preference information given by the DM. In fact, the recommendation supplied by NAROR is expressed in terms of necessary preferences, in case an alternative is preferred to another for all compatible capacities, and of possible preferences, in case an alternative is preferred to another for at least one compatible capacity. In the considered case study, several sites for the location of a landfill are analyzed and compared through the use of the NAROR on the basis of different criteria, such as presence of population, hydrogeological risk, interferences on transport infrastructures and economic cost. This paper is the first application of NAROR to a real-world problem, even if not already with real DMs, but with a panel of experts simulating the decision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reuse of historical buildings can be seen as a complex decision problem because of the presence of different objectives to be pursued, the public/private nature of the goods under investigation, the existence of several values (historical, artistic, cultural, economic, etc.), the presence of different actors (public government representatives, architects, architectural historians, developers and owners). In decision problems related to the reuse of historical assets conflicts can arise and the availability of analytical frameworks able to support the process is getting more and more important. It has been generally agreed that Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can offer a formal methodology to deal with such decision problems, taking into account the available technical information and stakeholders’ values. This paper considers the problem of sustainability assessment in cultural heritage projects using the Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT) approach, which is a particular kind of MCDA technique. Starting from a real case concerning the reuse of historical buildings in the metropolitan area of Torino (Italy), the paper aims at exploring the contribution of MAVT for decision problems in the field of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSSs) are rapidly gaining traction for planning and policy-making, thanks to their significant new capabilities in the use of spatial or geospatial information. The present paper illustrates the development of a basic MCSDSS (Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System) that integrates spatial information techniques such as GIS (Geographic Information System) and Multicriteria Analysis (MCA). Many spatial problems are complex and require the use of integrated analysis and models. In the work a methodological framework for such integration is provided, highlighting the advantages and characteristics of GIS and MCA coupling and paying attention to the issues of transparency and applicability. The method is illustrated with reference to a case study in the Province of Varese (Italy). The purpose of the research is to generate a suitability map of the study region, concerning the characterization of biodiversity conservation, to be used as a decision variable in spatial planning. Different criteria are considered in the analysis and the results are obtained in the form of maps and analyzed through IDRISI Andes software. In particular, by using the resulting suitability map as a means of analysis, it is possible to identify, for the sake of biodiversity conservation, some critical areas needing mitigation measures. In addition, areas with high biodiversity conservation values can be highlighted and monitoring procedures can therefore be planned. The study concludes with some lessons learned during the development of the MCSDSS and highlights that the applied methodology is an effective tool in providing decision support for spatial planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose The aim of the paper is to assess an urban transformation project in Italy, from a sustainability point of view. Taking into consideration alternative solutions for the project (zero option, initial project and final project), the paper highlights the most important elements for the sustainability evaluation and the best solution for the transformation. Designlmethodology/approach The sustainability assessment of the transformation project is performed using a particular multicriteria analysis, the analytic network process (ANP). Multi-criteria techniques provide a useful support when a choice must be thade among several alternatives with different objectives and criteria and also allow one to include tangible and intangible factors in the evaluation. The ANP is used to derive relative priority scales of absolute numbers from individual judgments and it offers a general framework to deal with complex decisions which provides a comparison of the different options. Findings The priority list of the alternatives gives a great deal of importance to the final project, with respect to the other possibilities. With reference to the most relevant criteria for the sustainability of the project, the problems related to energy efficiency, the aspects concerning the landmark and the new services for the inhabitants were given the most importance. Practical implications The procedure described in the paper is suitable for dealing with the complexity of the problem, in a transparent way, taking into consideration the multiplicity of the aspects involved and the presence of several stakeholders in the decision-making process. Originality/value This study is one of the first examples of the application of the ANP to the field of urban transformation at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]