Current mobility strategies tend to pursue sustainable solutions with low environmental and economic impact, such as the disincentive to the use of private vehicles. Mobility on foot is among the most advantageous forms for short distances, especially if different technological and infrastructural solutions are inserted in the urban context such as underpasses that limit the likely conflicts with motor vehicles. These solutions, however, are not easily perceived as positive because people often do not like to change their usual routes or because they feel psychological discomfort when they pass through closed places. This research work focuses on the evaluation of the benefits of including a small underpass in the city of Rijeka, Croatia and through an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria analysis, it was possible to prioritize a number of decision-making alternatives, related to qualitative and quantitative evaluations, otherwise not directly comparable, and combining multidimensional measurement scales into a single priority scale. This analysis allows to provide cues for local and non-local urban planning, encouraging through the participatory form an active comparison between the population and local authorities and at the same time allows to assess which multidisciplinary processes (psychological/engineering) are possible to put in place to encourage the research on pedestrian behavior.

Since complex urban systems are a combination of different spatial typologies and may have various complex characteristics (human, environmental, social, economic, political, and cultural), decision-making cannot be done without a holistic approach and complex analysis and evaluation of the possible development scenarios. This is especially true in today’s world, where spatial and urban planning must consider various objectives such as sustainable development, accessibility, landscape characteristics, and public interests on a strategic level. This results in the need to use appropriate decision support and decision-making tools in the strategic urban planning process of complex urban environments with Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL) characteristics to improve urban development and resilience. The proposed evaluation model, “Strategic Planning for Urban Resilience—SPUR model,” is based on a holistic approach to spatial planning with an emphasis on the strategic sustainable development of urban voids as HULs and was tested on the case study of the Delta area in the City of Rijeka, Croatia. The proposed holistic approach can help in scenario building, evaluation, and selection of planning alternatives, as well as decision-making processes in urban management, by enabling the evaluation and control of complex scenarios from a sustainable development perspective.

Generally the safety of public areas plays a fundamental role in the liveability of a city. Different evacuation simulations are carried out over the years in order to mitigate the problems connected to a chaotic movement of pedestrians. The panicgenerated by a possible risky event, often involves variations in the trajectories assumed in the same spaces in safe conditions. This is due to the variations in speed, pedestrian density in the sub-areas and if not properly evaluated, the evacuation process could generate crowds and therefore congestion, reducing the distance from the area object of an event. The present study focuses on the evaluation of different scenarios applied to the named square of Kalamaria (Greece) which is located near the two biggest pedestrian areas of the city. The study approach, based on pedestrian micro-simulation, is focused on the dynamic assignment,implemented in order to shape the path pedestrian choice behaviour by omitting the creation of static routes and using the OD matrix as flow input instead. Different steps are established in order to enquire input data, to calibrate the tool and obtain the results. These are based on the definition of areas and sub-areas in accordance with the pedestrian social force model.Through dynamic pedestrian assignment, different parameters were compared including speeds, density pedestrian and the LOS (Level Of Service), crossing the main square which may lead to benefits or criticalities as the risk level increases.

The paper describes the shifting perspective from the contemplative view to the dynamic-evolutionary view of heritage and the main characteristics of the resulting multi-criterial decision-aid tool for the evaluation of heritage. With the integration of conservation in planning processes and with opening of the procedures to public participation, there is a need for decision-aid tools that can help increase rationality and transparency in decision-making processes related to planning. By understanding the contemporary view of heritage and the landscape, it is possible to create tools capable of accounting for spatial complexity and the extant cultural, social, historic and economic relations. With this in mind, a specific tool was created that can be used for the analysis, diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of spatial heritage (registered and under consideration for protection), identifying opportunities, defining strategies for heritage management processes, and in the creation and evaluation of development and management scenarios. The paper illustrates a shift in the consideration of heritage in spatial planning and presents an application of the developed model in a case study.

Cities are traditionally considered as centers of prosperity, but after a long process of deindustrialization, the classical opportunities presented by cities as administrative, production, financial and cultural hot spots can no longer be taken for granted without questioning the present organizational and spatial models. After an introduction to the decision-aid tools and processes needed to orient development in a sustainable way, the paper describes the characteristics and an application of the decision-aid tool created for analysis, diagnosis and evaluation of opportunities. The proposal briefly considers the reconnection of the city with its region, urban renewal, creative and productive activities, necessary support institutions, contemporary sustainable economic approaches and infrastructure. This approach is illustrated on the case of the incubator proposal for the City of Rijeka, Croatia, once an important port and industrial city with a long history. The technological modifications in the functioning of the port and abandoning of industrial production in the proximity, but also geological formation and prevalent building typologies, make the case exemplary of the problems faced in contemporary cities. The paper proposes a process and tools for analysis and evaluation and indicators for the sustainability of the proposal.

Mediterranean towns and their surroundings show specific characteristics, such as urban structure, presence of complex stratification of heritage, and often seasonality, which makes the choice of spatial organization and construction technology for building construction of high importance in relation to sustainable development. For such purpose, the SOnCT model, based on multi-criteria decision analysis, has been developed which takes into account optimal building interventions in Mediterranean towns from a sustainable development perspective, highlighting their spatial-technical aspects. The presented research answers the questions of how sustainable development goals can be implemented in the case of construction interventions in Mediterranean areas, especially in smaller settlements that present very fragile status and specific characteristics not comparable to northern towns. This paper presents the construction and verification of the evaluation and prioritization model for selecting the optimal spatial organization and construction technology based on the criteria of sustainability, spatial characteristics, and the United Nations’ Sustainable development goals.