Where to plan shared streets: Development and application of a multicriteria spatial decision support tool

In response to the growing recognition of the vital role played by streets as public spaces in enhancing the vibrancy of urban life, various concepts aiming at creating greener and more inclusive streets have gained popularity in recent years, especially in North America. Shared streets are one example of such concepts that have attracted the attention of citizens and of urban and transportation planning professionals alike. This was the case in the city of Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) where, in response to numerous citizens’ requests, a need was identified to develop decision aid tools to help evaluate and rank street segments based on their potential to become shared streets. To achieve this, an action-research project was initiated in which we conducted a socio-technical process based on MACBETH, a multicriteria evaluation method. The project led to the development of a spatial decision support tool, operationally used today by the city professionals. This tool ensures a more informed and transparent decision-making process and supports shared streets planning policy. The methods developed are generalizable and can be adapted to other cities facing similar planning problems.