Abstract
The measurement of urban performance is one of the important ways in which one can assess the complexity of urban change, and judge which projects and solutions are more appropriate in the context of smart and sustainable urban development. This chapter introduces a new system for measuring urban performances. This is the result of two years of joint cooperation between the authors and the Italian iiSBE members group. It is based on previous research findings in the field of evaluation systems for the sustainable built environment. This new approach is useful for evaluating smart and sustainable urban redevelopment planning solutions, as it is based on benchmarking approaches and multi-scalar quantitative performance indicators (KPIs), from individual building level to city level. A number of important implications of the main findings of this study are set out in the concluding section, together with suggestions for future research.
TopIntroduction
Policy-makers are specifically challenged by the need to achieve sustainable development in cities, promoting a transition that radically decarbonises energy sources without undermining wellbeing and patterns of consumption. This scenario is known as Energy Transition towards a Post-Carbon Society. However, if not properly designed, policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions may affect the resilience of our energy system and its ability to tolerate disturbance and deliver stable and affordable energy services to consumers (http://ec.europa.eu/eip/smartcities/files/operational-implementation-plan-oip-v2_en.pdf) highlights the need for the joint-creation of platforms and decision tools (simulation, visualization/virtualization, open data/information platforms) in order to increase levels of awareness, increase inhabitants’ involvement in the planning and implementation processes, establish social communities, increase energy production within the district (by “prosumers”), and increase the provision of information-intensive energy services.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Built Environment: A material, spatial and cultural product of human labor that combines physical elements and energy in forms for living, working and playing (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Built_environment).
Sustainable Development: A development that meet the needs of present generation without undermining the meets of future generation.
Smart City: A city based on the concepts of knowledge society, competitiveness and sustainable development.
Energy Transition: A process of change from a socio-economic system strongly based on fossil fuel toward a low carbon or a post carbon one.
Assessment Tools: Systems or methodologies used for evaluating activities, goods, issues, processes, projects, products and everything which required a value judgements.
Metrics: Parameters or measures of quantitative assessment used for measurement, comparison or to track performance or production ( www.investopedia.com/terms/m/metrics.asp ).
Performance Indicators: A performance indicator or a key performance indicator (KPI) is a type of performance measurement which is used to evaluate the success of a particular activity in which it engages (adapted from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_indicator).