Integrating multicriteria evaluation and data visualization as a problem structuring approach to support territorial transformation projects

Large freight or passenger transport projects are problematic and controversial because many financial, technical, environmental and social aspects need to be considered. Indeed, the interface between the transport project and territorial planning domains is generally the focus of considerable heated debates, which often develop into conflicting decision contexts characterized by a high level of complexity. This paper presents a possible response to these difficulties through an innovative approach that integrates the analytic network process and the interactive visualization tool. The approach is intended to be deployed as problem structuring method, with a view to creating a common language for the actors involved and a shared basis for generating fruitful discussions. The proposed approach was applied in the context of the German section of the Genoa–Rotterdam railway corridor within the Interreg IVB NWE Project ‘‘Code24’’. The reported application shows how the combination of visualization and real-time interaction with spatial data provided effective decision support to a multinational stakeholder group. More generally, the application presented in this paper aims to demonstrate the potential of the approach for the selection of a transport improvement strategy within the content of territorial transformation.