Holistic model to analyze and prioritize urban sustainable buildings for public services

Abstract

A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodology is presented in this paper that is used to analyse and to assess public-service building projects for the promotion of smart sustainable cities. Its main purpose is to compare different types of projects (hospitals, schools, museums, etc.) and to prioritize the investments that present the most favourable global results. The methodology, known as MIVES, constructs a model that assists decision-making on the basis of consistent and transparent criteria. It incorporates the value function concept that attaches a value to different types of variables for the purpose of arriving at a final value in relation to pre-defined criteria. In this study, the model is based on the three basic pillars of sustainability (economy, environment, and society) presented in a triple-layer decision tree. Its application to four urban projects, presented as examples, showed encouraging results with a wide range of values.Peer Reviewe