Patrizia Lombardi

The urban decision processes should be optimized according to the current “green” context. Despite the literature advocate for an open availability of data to facilitate higher quality science and a more effective science-policy boundary, one of the main challenges when dealing with energy processes is the absence of accurate data. This paper aims at illustrating a stakeholder-oriented approach based on Multi-Criteria Analyses (MCA) in defining the set of evaluation criteria and their relevance in supporting the development of “what-if” urban energy retrofitting scenarios.

The article illustrates a piece of research concerning the development and application of display platforms (Spatial Decision Support System - SDSS) able to integrate assessment methods of financial and economic nature. The aim of the proposed SDSS platform is to support the development of urban scenarios focusing attention on improving energy conditions at district level in service of public and private policies.

This paper gathers reflections on what can bring together academics and practitioners involved in energy-related European Union (EU) funded projects aiming at, or striving to reach, higher integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Spatial visualization is a very useful tool to help decision-makers in the urban planning process, i) to define future energy transition pathways, ii) to implement energy efficiency strategies and iii) to integrate renewable energy technologies in the context of sustainable cities. There is thus a need to develop new tools to understand the energy consumption patterns across cities. Statistical methods are often used to understand the driving parameters of energy consumption but rarely used to evaluate future urban refurbishment scenarios.