Decision Analysis for Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure Systems: Design and Planning with Digital Supports

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing exposure of cities to climate-induced risks requires integrating decision analysis into designing and planning of infrastructure systems [1–4]. The limited resources available to public administrations prompt them to prioritize proactive approaches to reduce the damage caused by risk events [5–7]. These approaches include updating conventional planning methods with scenario-based approaches which are supported by decision analysis methods and digital tools, including interoperable platforms and monitoring tools such as remote sensing and spatially enabled decision-support systems [8–11].

According to these remarks, this Special Issue aims to explore how decision analysis and informative support tools interact with planning and design methods to enhance the resilience and sustainability of infrastructure systems [12,13]. Our goal is to gather research articles and critical essays that

• Evaluate existing digital decision support systems for the quality and efficacy for creating resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
• Assess the quality of spatial support tools for addressing the impact of extreme events on local communities and infrastructures.
• Establish novel frameworks in research and practice for developing digital decision support systems for addressing urban infrastructure

References

1. IPCC. (2023). Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (H. Lee & J. Romero, Eds.). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647
2. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. UNDRR. https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030
3. European Commission. (2021). Accounting for ecosystems and their services in the European Union (INCA): Final report from phase II of the INCA project aiming to develop a pilot for an integrated system of ecosystem accounts for the EU (2021 edition). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2785/197909
4. Meerow, S., Newell, J. P., & Stults, M. (2016). Defining urban resilience: A review. Landscape and Urban Planning, 147, 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.11.011
5. Ahern, J. (2011). From fail-safe to safe-to-fail: Sustainability and resilience in the new urban world. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100(4), 341–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.02.021
6. United Nations. (2014). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting 2012: Central Framework. United Nations. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/seeaRev/SEEA_CF_Final_en.pdf
7. European Commission. (2013). Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES): An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2779/12398
8. Sugumaran, R., & DeGroote, J. (2010). Spatial Decision Support Systems: Principles and Practices. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b10322
9. Ochoa, V., & Urbina-Cardona, N. (2017). Tools for spatially modeling ecosystem services: Publication trends, conceptual reflections and future challenges. Ecosystem Services, 26, 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.06.011
10. Reinwald, F., Brandenburg, C., Gabor, A., Hinterkörner, P., Kainz, A., Kraus, F., Ring, Z., Scharf, B., Tötzer, T., & Damyanovic, D. (2021). Multi-level toolset for steering urban green infrastructure to support the development of climate-proofed cities. Sustainability, 13(21), 12111. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112111
11. Geertman, S., & Witte, P. (2024). From PSScience to digital planning: Steps towards an integrated research and practice agenda for digital planning. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 114, 102183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2024.102183
12. Malczewski, J. (1999). GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis. John Wiley & Sons.
13. Di Cesare, E. A., Floris, R., Cocco, C., & Campagna, M. (2018). Linking knowledge to action with geodesign. In R. Papa, R. Fistola, & C. Gargiulo (Eds.), Smart planning: Sustainability and mobility in the age of change (pp. 179–198). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77682-8_12

Prof. Dr. Marina Rigillo
Dr. Gabriella Esposito De Vita
Dr. Martina Di Palma
Guest Editors

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• decision analysis
• resilient and sustainable infrastructure
• digital decision support systems
• climate vulnerability
• planning and design support system
• multi-criteria decision-making
• scenario analysis
• geospatial analysis
• citizen science
• natural capital accounting