ITACA Plus: A New Methodology to Support Urban Design

The imperative for sustainable development and building performance dates to the 1960s, but recent scientific literature emphasizes the need for a holistic perspective considering the intricate interplay of buildings, their surroundings, and the broader urban ecosystem. In this context, diverse methods and tools have emerged to assess and enhance cities’ sustainability. This paper focuses on Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment Tools (NSATs) as comprehensive instruments, encompassing qualitative and quantitative dimensions and aligning with the modern sustainability paradigm. The objective is to propose a comprehensive NSAT integrating the ITACA one in order to measure different sustainability aspects. The research methodology involves analyzing eight prominent European NSATs, delving into scientific literature, studying ITACA’s documents, and incorporating expert interviews and questionnaires to propose an innovative evaluation model. This paper concludes with an analysis of the strengths, limitations, and potential future developments of the proposed model. In summary, this paper provides a thorough exploration of urban sustainability assessment contributing to advance the understanding of urban sustainability and offering insights for future developments in this critical field.