An appraisal of analytic network process and its role in sustainability assessment in Northern Italy

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.

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 made 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.

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.

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.

This study is one of the first examples of the application of the ANP to the field of urban transformation at an international level.