Comparison of fuzzy-based and AHP methods in sustainability evaluation: a case of traffic pollution-reducing policies

Abstract

In recent years, the debate concerning the concept of sustainability and sustainable development has received increasing attention with reference to interactions between transport and land-use systems. \ud A multi-dimensional vision of sustainable mobility has been accepted as a reference point for stakeholders and experts; it finds a significant representation in the concept of the “three pillars of sustainability” which examines the idea of sustainability from a three-dimensional perspective: social, economic and environmental.\ud This paper presents a Fuzzy-Based Evaluation Method (F-BEM), which is a useful tool for evaluating the sustainability of alternative transport policies. The structure of the method formalises the concept of the “three pillars of sustainability” by means of a set of indicators as input variables. The method determines an overall fuzzy index of the sustainability of each alternative policy analysed and provides information about the combined dimensions of sustainability (equity, viability and bearableness).\ud In order to analyse the operational applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method, various pollution-reducing policies were evaluated with reference to a case study and compared with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. \ud Interpretation of results yielded useful information about the capacity of the model to be used as an alternative to traditional methods of sustainability evaluation, and also indicated further developments of this research

Adjustable Model of Renewable Energy Projects for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of the Nišava District in Serbia

“…The use of fuzzy set theory allows decision-makers to incorporate unquantifiable information, incomplete information, unobtainable information, and partially-unknown facts into the decision model [27][28][29]. The fuzzy AHP method is an extension of the crisp AHP method, in which human judgments are represented as fuzzy values.…”

The future of public transport in light of solutions for sustainable transport development

“…The potential benefits, which cities can gain as a result of the implementation of the abovedescribed solutions, include the following [15]:  Space saving (parking and roadways) and, in turn, reduced expenditure regarding the building of new urban roads  General improvement in the quality of conurbation life (reduced air pollution, reduced noise)  Direct reduction in road traffic disruption by limiting the number of motor vehicles in motion and improving the flow of the traffic…”

“…According to the principles of sustainable transport development, the basic procedure for urban parking systems consists of [7,15]:  Applying a limit on new parking spaces depending on the city's needs  Creating car parking lanes on local and collector streets  Setting up, as a priority, Park&Ride and Kiss&Ride systems near peripheral bus stops, tram termini, and underground and railway stations  Introducing paid parking zones within the very centre of the city, which is characterized by an agglomeration of destinations, as well as in selected parts outside the city centre (the parking charges should vary according to the nature of the urban zones)  Organizing car parks in residential zones, particularly in significant housing areas,  Restricting the possibility of parking on the kerbs along main streets, especially during traffic rush hours Park&Ride systems are usually built along track transport routes (underground, trams, trains) and support journeys into the city (e.g., combined journeys by car and commuter train), or journeys from the outskirts to the centre (with the use of public transport corridors). A Park&Ride system must offer both passenger car and bicycle users quick, easy and safe access to public transport, resulting in benefits such as:  Reduced noise and pollutant emissions from vehicles with internal combustion engines  Reduced social costs linked to crowded streets (time saving)  Reduced traffic in city centres  More effective public transport (as a result of changing from cars to public transport by some car users)  Fewer road accidents (in comparison with journeys made by car, the probability of an accident is 30 times less for train journeys and 10 times less for bus journeys)…”

Quantitative assessment of sustainable city logistics

“…The representation of the "three pillars of sustainability" implies the fact that the concept of sustainability itself is the result of interactions between these three dimensions. That is the reason why they cannot, or rather should not, be analysed separately from each other (Rossi et al, 2012).…”