A DECISION SUPPORT FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING AND PRIORITIZING URBAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES UNDER UNCERTAINTY CONDITIONS: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The study addresses decision-making under conditions of uncertainty regarding the development of public policies and sustainable development strategies in an urban region in Brazil. Based on the case study, a decision support framework for planning and prioritizing urban sustainable development strategies (SDS) under uncertainty conditions is developed. In the framework social, economic and environmental factors have been considered using a fuzzy multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation approach in order to analyze and select SDSs. Critical factors and sub-factors for SDS are identified with the active participation of a committee of experts and representatives from different sectors of civil society. As a result, a set of urban sustainable development strategies are prioritized using the Fuzzy VIKOR Method that will help local authorities to improve their decisions. The decision support-framework illustrates the combination and application of Operations Research Methods in solving a complex problem related to decision-making in public management.