SBTool Urban como ferramenta para avaliação da sustentabilidade em etapas de planeamento urbano

Abstract

SBTool Urban is a Portuguese methodology focused on the urban sustainability assessment and is applicable to urban areas of various forms and scales. It stands out for supporting the decision-makers either in the urban management of existing areas or at the design phase of new urban areas. The SBTool analysis is carried out in the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic), through 14 different categories, each one with the corresponding indicators and evaluation parameters, allowing to measure and compare the level of sustainability with pre-defined benchmarks. Several studies show that the design phase is of paramount importance to find more sustainable solutions with lower exploitation costs throughout the life cycle of the project. The earlier decisions are made, the higher the ability to impact the project, and the lower the costs generated. The urban planning process and its various stages are similar to the design process, where the requirements and assumptions are first established, followed by schemes on a larger scale, and as the process progresses, the degree of detail on a smaller scale is increased. Finally, the rules for space management are established to preserve the benefits and minimize negative impacts. To improve the support of the system to urban planners and decision-makers, this paper analyses SBTool Urban's indicators classifying them according to the urban design stages. Results present three tables of indicators applicable to the various stages of the urban design and their recalculated weights.