Citizen integration in project prioritization methodologies

Abstract

Expert-led multicriteria methodologies might have significant improvements in terms of relevance and effectiveness when citizen participation is integrated. This inclusion is especially influential regarding urban revitalization projects (URPs) prioritization, which directly affects the conservation of cultural heritage. The objective is to apply an existing multicriteria methodology for URPs’ prioritization in Sígsig, Ecuador and extend it integrating citizen participation. The final methodology uses multiple processes, such as FDM (Fuzzy Delphi Method), ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling), the integrated phase of CV (Cumulative Voting), and ANP (Analytic Network Process). Results show how citizen integration in these methodologies inherently embeds cultural heritage in the final URP. Conclusions address the importance to integrate participative tools as a way to legitimize urban decision-making processes, along with identifying, strengthening, and preserving intangible heritage, such as traditional craftsmanship, tangible heritage, and archaeological remains.