The sustainability of urban forestry projects: a model of multi-criteria economic analysis

The presence/spread of natural elements (urban forests) within the consolidated urban fabric can represent a strategic resource for cities’ sustainable development in eco-systemic logic. The interventions execution aimed at implementing integrated urban forestry projects, especially in territorial areas characterized by insufficient levels of collective services, limited recreational areas and high air pollution, allows both to growing the environmental quality level by improving the microclimate and conserving biodiversity, both to support the socio-economic development of these city parts through eco-system services for population. Although the multiple effects generated by actions based on eco-systemic logics are now recognized – “Eco-systemic Integrated Projects” (EIP) – within urban policies this type of integrated intervention is still little used as a possible solution for the cities’ smart growth. This is due to the interest in preferring actions with immediate financial effects, and due to the difficulty in carrying out evaluations on EIP not only concerning specific aspects (of an environmental, social, economic nature), but taking into account in an integrated manner the multidimensional and multi-criteria characteristics that define projects of this nature according to an eco-systemic logic. The aim of the present work is to define a set of criteria and indicators, value components not only referring to environmental, but also financial, social and cultural aspects, with which the EIP projects can be evaluated with an integrated way. These indicators are derived by relating the features (Targets) of the urban context of reference with the ecosystem service type offered (Key Issue). These can be used in the application of different evaluation tools to support the decision-making process of both public and private subjects, that are involved in this intervention type, according to the different evaluation questions to be solved regarding, for example, the interventions’ economic value and the benefits distribution between the public and private sectors