Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) Tools: A Systematic Review on How to Choose the Best Analysis Tool

This study has the objective of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to contemplate the following actions: to identify noncommercial NSA tool alternatives to be used by municipalities in urban planning and revitalization, to identify the NSA tools developed in recent years, identify criteria considered for neighborhood sustainability assessment, and critically analyze the tools found. The SLR was performed using three databases, limiting searches between 2017 and 2021, considering only published scientific articles. The selected papers met the requirements of presenting NSA tools or models with instructions for use, being composed of mathematical indicators, and finally presenting the analysis results already synthesized. After an initial search, 25 tools were found, of which 5 tools were selected according to the search criteria and objectives. The topics covered in the selected tools include the analysis of neighborhoods and cities through a list of indicators based on the literature and government guidelines. The comparison results show that although they have been developed in different countries, a pattern is observed in the analysis structure with the similarity of indicators that are mutually applied in the analyzed tools. The method of displaying the results of the tools is a significant differential, which can be expressed in terms of graphic scale, decision-making matrix, or mapping the performance of the areas. The biggest challenge observed in the use of the tools is the availability of required data. The main points to be taken into account when choosing a tool are the availability of local data, what are the theoretical basis of the tool, the possibility of adaptability of the indicators, and the format of the results delivered.