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To achieve the ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals, it is crucial to act on cities. Indeed, cities are responsible for 67% of the world's primary energy consumption and about 70% of energy-related CO2 emissions. To support the urban energy transition, a broad implementation of zero-emission districts or, even better, positive energy districts (PEDs) is expected. PEDs can be defined as energy-efficient and energy-flexible urban areas that aim to provide a surplus of clean energy to the city by using renewable energies. However, in developing the PEDs concept, it is necessary to consider not only the technical issue of energy systems but also the environmental, social, and economic spheres. To be effective, it is important to provide decision-makers with tools such as Urban Sustainability protocols for PEDs, which can effectively assess the complexity of the impacts a PED might have on other urban transformations from a multi-stakeholder perspective. LEED for Neighborhood Development, BREEAM Communities, and CASBEE for Cities are the most widely used and known protocols in the world for the evaluation of districts. These certification protocols were established before the concept of PEDs and, therefore, are not considered. However, they exhibit some shared characteristics which permit the evaluation of PEDs' sustainability. In fact, through this research, an attempt is made to analyze how the implementation of sustainability protocols in existing PED projects can improve sustainability, but also how PED projects can improve evaluation systems through interventions that have not been considered so far. To test a methodology that could be extended in future case studies, an analysis of three of the world's best-known certification systems, LEED-ND, BREEAM-CM, and CASBEE-UD, was conducted on two completed PEDs case studies, Tampere and Salzburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-methodological approach for assessing the sustainability of urban projects. The proposed framework has the objective of addressing the different dimensions involved in the analysis (economic, environmental, social, technological, cultural, etc.), following the subsequent phases for the definition of the projects (from a very general masterplan to more detailed preliminary projects). Design/methodology/approach -- The multi-methodological approach is organized according to subsequent steps, involving the application of different evaluation methods, namely SWOT analysis, multicriteria analysis, discounted cash flow analysis and sensitivity analysis. With the aim of better illustrating the proposed approach, the method is applied on a real case concerning the project of a new boulevard in the city of Skopje. Findings -- The proposed approach resulted to be successful in structuring the complex planning context and in increasing and improving the information for the project, thus acting as a learning process. Originality/value -- The paper is based on the experimentation of an hybrid approach for addressing planning process. The multi-methodological framework can be useful in supporting decision making process in the domain of urban projects. In this sense, the proposed framework is able to communicate the planners', designers' and decision maker's perspectives, to enhance transparency in the decision process and thus to increase acceptance. [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 Multiple criteria decision analysis is a valuable and increasingly widely-used tool to support decision-making processes where there is a choice to be made between different options. This approach is particularly useful in the context of sustainability assessment where a complex and interconnected range of environmental, social and economic issues must be taken into consideration and where objectives are often competing. It has been generally agreed that when dealing with sustainability issues, neither an economic reductionism nor an ecological one is possible. Because in general, economic sustainability has an ecological cost, and because ecological sustainability has an economic cost, an integrative framework such as multicriteria evaluation is needed for tackling sustainability issues properly. In this sense, the analysis of the possible interactions among the elements is of particular importance for assessing the sustainability of a certain transformation. Within this context, a very important role is played by the 'non-additive measurement theory', that makes use of the Choquet integral. This last represents the generalization of the weighted average method and provides a computational structure for aggregating information, taking into account interactivity between criteria. The present paper proposes a multicriteria approach that is able to support decision makers in the choice of the best solution for the reuse of an abandoned open-pit quarry. Five alternative options have been compared based on different indicators that have been aggregated using the Choquet integral in order to obtain the global sustainability level of each solution and to better highlight the trade-offs between the aspects involved in the decision. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Multicriteria analyses (MCAs) are used to make comparative assessments of alternative projects or heterogeneous measures and allow several criteria to be taken into account simultaneously in a complex situation. The paper shows the application of different MCA techniques to a real decision problem concerning the choice of the most sustainable wastewater treatment (WWT) technology, namely Anaerobic digestion, Phytoremediation and Composting, for small cheese factories. Particularly, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and its recent implementation, the Analytic Network Process (ANP), have been considered for prioritizing the different technologies. The models enable all the elements of the decision process to be considered, namely environmental aspects, technological factors and economic costs, and to compare them to find the best alternative. The AHP and ANP techniques are applied through specific software packages with user-friendly interfaces called Expertchoice and Superdecision, respectively. A comparison of the merits obtained from the different models shows that Phytoremediation results as the most sustainable WWT technology for small cheese factories and that the use of the ANP method, which allows more sophisticated analysis to be made, succeeds in offering better results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose - The paper, which is based on an integrated approach that is able to aid the comprehension of complex phenomena, aims to investigate innovative models and tools in the field of sustainability assessment of territorial transformations. The model has been applied to a real case study related to the choice of alternative projects for the requalification of a downgraded urban area in Turin (Italy). Design/methodology/approach - The work proposes the use of a comprehensive key environmental indicator framework and multi-criteria analysis to evaluate the sustainability of different strategies. The evaluation has been performed through the application of the analytical network process (ANP) and by means of a set of indicators, which have been arranged according to the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR) framework. The assessment model provides priority lists of the importance of the considered indicators and alternatives. All the analysis elements are modelled with the ANP, taking into consideration the interconnections between the indicators and their respective cumulative importance. Findings - According to the aim of the paper, the most important element in the performed analysis refers to the variation of the well-being of the population, followed by the changes in the accessibility and attractiveness of the area, then by the effects on the real estate market and the presence of new cycle tracks. Originality/value - The work is the first study at a national level and one of the first applications at an international level in research concerning the use of the DPSIR framework integrated with an ANP analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A resilient city includes multiple energy carriers, high-efficiency infrastructure, lower resource demand to decarbonize and sustain the urban system in accordance with the Paris Agreement, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the various recovery plans following the COVID-19 pandemic period. To achieve these goals, a key role is played by all urban sectors, which can reduce environmental impacts and accelerate the green transition at larger scale. Intervening on a district scale obviously requires the evaluation of different aspects, taking into account both economic and non-economic criteria, as well as different points of view, involving all stakeholders. This paper proposes a multi-step evaluation procedure that extends the European manual-based Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to include the extra-economic benefits and the stakeholders' opinion in the evaluation, according to the COmpoSIte Model for Assessment (COSIMA) method. This is the first application of COSIMA in the urban design sectors (i.e. buildings, water, public lighting, transportation and waste management) where different sustainable measures for a real case study located in Turin (Italy) were compared to define the most suitable transformation scenario according to multiple criteria. The results have shown how invasive scenarios allow achieving the greatest benefits, despite the huge initial costs of realization. • Decarbonizing the urban system is a priority nowadays. • Considering an urban regeneration process all urban sectors is necessary. • COSIMA proposes a standardized approach to evaluate projects at the district level. • The multi-step approach evaluates energy, environmental, social performances. • Sectors considered are residential buildings, water, transport, waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]