A New Method Based on the Symmetrical Calculus of GEFS and SEFS of Fuzzy Relations to Assess the Effectiveness of Local Policies for Increasing the Well-Being of Citizens

This research proposes a method based on the greatest and shortest eigen fuzzy sets of fuzzy relations to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and strategies implemented in urban settlements aimed at increasing the livability and well-being of citizens. This assessment is performed by extracting population census data collected at the beginning and end of the analyzed period and grouping them by subzone, that is, for each of the urban areas into which the urban settlement is divided. The greatest eigen fuzzy set (GEFS) and the smallest eigen fuzzy set (SEFS) are determined symmetrically as min-max and max-min solutions of fuzzy relations; they are calculated to estimate the average impact of urban strategies on generating symptoms of growth in citizen well-being during the investigated period. The method is implemented on a GIS (Geographic Information System) platform and was tested to assess the effectiveness of local policies applied between 2011 and 2021 on the growth of employment rates and educational attainment in the city of Naples (Italy), partitioned by neighborhood. Our model, unlike other fuzzy-based models for evaluating the effectiveness of actions and strategies to improve the quality of life in urban settlements, does not allow for subjective interpretations based on the knowledge or experience of different stakeholders, but relies solely on measurements over time of characteristics collected during census activities. Furthermore, it is integrated into a GIS-based platform, providing additional capabilities for identifying the urban areas where the impact of local strategies and policies has been most significant and those most critical. The test results show that the proposed framework can be a valuable tool for supporting decision makers in evaluating the effectiveness of local actions and policies aimed at improving the livability and well-being of citizens.