Constructing strategies in strategic urban planning: A case study of a decision support and evaluation model

Increasing number of administrations tries to promote interaction processes at all levels of urban planning. The task is to develop methods and techniques for encouraging participation, in order to identify consistent policy choices. The authors conducted a participatory policy-making experience for the strategic plan of a small town, by testing the usefulness of few "proactive" decision support tools. In particular, in this paper we present the experience with the use of a tool for the structuration of the strategic process in basic elements, goals and actions, and a multi-objective evaluation tool for the definition of strategic options, setting priorities, future implementation phases and sequencing of policies. Conclusively, we reflect on the outcomes of this strategic planning experience to draw some more general reflections on the use and usefulness of such tools for the participatory strategic planning. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.