Ferreira, F; Briga, P; Ramos Teixeira, S and Almeida, F (2025) A platform sandbox for the assessment of municipal sustainable development goals. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 23(2), pp. 599-617. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to present an innovative sandbox platform that implements a decision support system (DSS) to assess the sustainable development goals (SDGs) addressed at the municipal level. It intends to determine the relative importance of each SDG in municipalities and explore the synergies that can be discovered among them. Design/methodology/approach: Participatory action research is used to develop a DSS and an algorithm designated as discrete heavy fuzzy was also developed, which extends the Apriori algorithm to include discrete quantitative assessments of the level of SDG compliance by each project. A scenario consisting of three municipalities in Portugal (i.e. Porto, Loulé and Castelo de Vide) was chosen to demonstrate the implementation of the sandbox platform and to interpret the observed results. Findings: The results reveal significant differences in the typology of SDGs addressed by each municipality. It was found that municipal sustainable projects are strongly influenced by the contextual factors of each municipality. Porto has projects that address the first five SDGs. Loulé appears projects that promote innovation, the fight against climate change and the development of sustainable cities. Castelo de Vida has initiatives related to innovation and infrastructure and decent work and economic growth. Research limitations/implications: This study provides knowledge about the relative importance of the SDGs in Portuguese municipalities and explores the synergies among them. The proposed sandbox platform fills the gaps of the ODSlocal Webtool by proposing a dynamic and interactive approach for the exploration of quantitative indicators regarding the implementation status of the SDGs established in the 2030 Agenda. Originality/value: This study provides knowledge about the relative importance of the SDGs and the various synergies that exist between them considering the Portuguese municipalities. The sandbox platform presented and developed within this study allows filling the gaps of the ODSlocal Webtool that gathers essentially qualitative information about each project and offers a dynamic and interactive exploration with quantitative indicators of the implementation status of the SDGs established in the 2030 Agenda.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | agenda 2030; decision support system; innovation; sustainability; sustainable practices |
| Index terms: | climate change, municipality, exploration, methodology, compliance, relative importance, action research, decision support, implementation, economic growth, synergy, sustainable development goal, Portugal, sustainable city, sustainable practice, platform |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, environmental resource management, climate science, urban design, digital design, sustainable design, health safety and environment, Geography, research methods, economic development, risk assessment, data collection methods, administrative law, decision analysis, sustainable practices, partnership management |
| Topics: | Procurement, Sustainability, Risk Management, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Legal Issues, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Digital Applications, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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