Multi-criteria approach for prioritizing and managing public investment in urban spaces. A case study in the triple frontier

Abstract

The aspirations of public administrations to meet quality parameters and standards in urban spaces have fostered new strategies and tools that allow users to give safety and well-being. The participation and interaction of different actors during decision-making in the context of allocation of public resources implies a significant degree of complexity when prioritizing actions in public works. The objective of the study focuses on obtaining an urban street condition index (USCI) that allows an efficient diagnosis of urban infrastructure. The study provides an innovation component for decision-making through the construction of guidelines to prioritize spending on investment in urban infrastructure. The case study has been developed in three countries, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina (Triple Border) with the aim of drawing management guidelines during the process in public entities. The results for Brazil and Argentina present streets with satisfactory USCI. Paraguay reflects a significant lack of urban infrastructure and compliance of accessibility regulations. Regarding the city of Foz de Iguazú, it has been observed that 50% of the roads require prevailing actions to improve the mobility of the roads; 40% of these reflect reduced mobility and deterioration of urban components, configured as an urgent action, and only 10% of the roads studied reflect adequate mobility conditions.