The assessment of cities' livability integrating human wellbeing and environmental impact

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Andreia Zanella (Author) Other; Ana Maria Cunha Ribeiro dos Santos Ponces Camanho (Author) FEUP; Teresa Galvão Dias (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Annals of Operations Research

Vol. 226 No. 1

Pages: 695-726

ISSN: 0254-5330

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 35 Citations

Scopus - 46 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-14S

DOI: 10.1007/s10479-014-1666-7

Abstract (EN): This study develops a tool to assess livability in European cities covering two components of livability: human wellbeing and environmental impact. First, we propose a conceptual model to assess cities' livability, that extends the concept of urban livability to include a component related to environmental sustainability. Second, we address the measurement of cities' livability. For this purpose, a new composite indicator was constructed based on a data envelopment analysis model specified using a directional distance function. In addition to assigning a summary measure of performance for each city, the composite indicator can be used to guide improvements concerning different livability objectives. One of the innovative features of the model proposed is to enable, by the specification of different directional vectors, focusing separately on each component of livability (e.g., human wellbeing and environmental impact) or alternatively considering cities' potential for improvement in all indicators simultaneously. In addition, it is possible to incorporate a new type of weight restrictions, specified as assurance regions type I, that reflect the relative importance of both desirable and undesirable outputs in percentage terms. Finally, this paper approached the assessment of the evolution of cities' performance over time using the Luenberger productivity indicator.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 32