Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis of Urban Planning Methods towards Resilient Open Urban Spaces

Cities are dynamic systems that need to plan for development with resilience, while facing an increasing set of multidimensional challenges and emerging operating trends (e.g. Smart Cities) (Schmitt, 2015). In the framework of new Urban Strategies (Digital Europe Program, 2021-2027; Green Deal, 2019), local authorities play a key role in making the right decisions for covering current and future needs. Public/outdoor urban spaces are vital parts of cities as they define citizens’ quality of life and the ability of cities to respond to urban challenges. In this context, this research aims to support the decision-making process for shaping, designing and managing public/outdoor urban spaces by using measurable and multicriteria indicators to evaluate alternative climate-sensitive design and regeneration plans of urban areas within risk and uncertainty. Emphasis is placed on both supply and demand for outdoor urban areas. Demand is studied by disaggregate analysis for identifying citizens’ needs through questionnaire survey. Supply side is placed at the center of the research by developing a multiple-criteria assessment methodology of urban planning methods. The main evaluation criteria involve the bioclimatic impact of the studied methods, the air pollution detected in microclimate as well as financial cost for their implementation and operation. In particular, questionnaires’ results revealed that citizens prefer open spaces as they provide a feeling of freedom and the chance to be closer to nature. Based on these, citizens visit open spaces with green areas, incoorporating nature based solutions, as well as places that support walkability and green mobility. In addition, simulation and cost assessment results regarding the studied methods showed the planning solutions involving medium size plants and greenery are low cost interventions, creating favorable microclimate conditions and leading to medium CO2 concentration. The benefit of the current research is in the innovative, interdisciplinary and holistic approach of a complex real-word problem combining different research areas, such as environmental science, bioclimatic urban planning and decision-making process. The multiple-criteria analysis of urban plans leads to a model of the decision-making process on open urban spaces to enhance citizens’ quality of life and to ensure urban resilience as well as cities’ operational and sustainable future

Enabling Sustainable Freight Air Transport in the Adriatic Region through Development of ICT Platform

Freight transport in the Adriatic area suffers from persistent organizational, operational and service barriers and the negative impacts of road transport. Multimodal interventions could reduce CO2 emissions and other impacts, including air and noise pollution, and road congestion. Integrated sustainable solutions can act to improve traffic flow and logistics, and management of goods and tourism supply. Multimodal optimization of road-sea combined transport can be augmented to include air modal share on existing and new routes for sensitive freight with emphasis on yearlong operations. This paper adresses the need to improve and extend the availability of passenger routes to allow the potential for mixed cargo in the Adriatic with a case study in Italy-Greece transport. Such plans are hampered by the overlong (up to 15 hours) duration of air trips, which could reduce product quality within a few hours after harvest. Fast shipment and delivery of affordable fresh products, such as mozzarella and strawberries is essential, and would benefit from nonused passenger cargo. Fresh products could use available hold space, guaranteeing lower-than-conventional shipping time at affordable price. The new service would establish new shipping options for fresh products, empowering Italian and Greek local producers. The service will be enabled through an integrated ICT platform that was developed to offer user access (e.g. to information on departure time, load space availability, goods allowed for transportation), and facilitate creation of new market opportunities for fresh producers. The platform supports the identification of demand and supply (by creating accounts as seller or buyer) and the booking of transport. The platform end user (seller or buyer) can find the proper passenger carrier for shipping fresh products to the airport of origin. Platform design includes Operational (OR) and NonOperational (NOR) requirements. For assuring traceability and location information, static and dynamic RFID tags and portable RFID readers, as well as GPS devices and/or tracking smartphones and supporting infrastructure were included