Abstract
The European Commission emphasizes the critical role of evaluation and decision-making tools in shaping sustainability-oriented policies, highlighting the need for systematic monitoring. While national statistical institutes provide essential data, their limitations require integration with external sources to support more adaptive and context-sensitive governance. Sustainability assessment relies on multidimensional methodologies and indicator sets to address the complexity of environmental, economic, and social factors. However, their application at the local level—especially in urban contexts—is often constrained by data scarcity, fragmentation, and territorial diversity. Despite these challenges, tools such as Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Sustainability Assessment Tools (SATs) have proven effective in translating global indicators into local frameworks, supporting urban regeneration, and enhancing stakeholder engagement. They offer strategic value to planners, designers, and public administrations working toward sustainable urban development. This study brings together insights from two complementary research initiatives: the Italian national project GLOcal knowledge-System for the Sustainable Assessment of urban projects (GLOSSA) and the Erasmus+ project Digital Education Modules for Participatory Planning (DEMo4PPL). It pursues two main goals: (1) to validate the effectiveness of the Indicators’ Based Tool (IBTool)—a multi-criteria evaluation system developed within GLOSSA to select, weight, and monitor sustainability indicators across different project phases and territorial contexts; and (2) to foster digital and participatory planning skills within architecture and urban design education. The IBTool was tested in a Master’s-level course at Politecnico di Torino (Italy), using a problem-based learning approach that combined theoretical modules, design exercises, tool application, and collaborative reflection. This methodology encouraged students to critically assess urban transformation strategies through both analytical and design-oriented lenses. The case study focused on a major redevelopment site in the Metropolitan City of Turin, providing a real-world testing ground for sustainable urban regeneration practices. The IBTool supported the iterative selection and refinement of key performance indicators (KPIs) and helped evaluate alternative design scenarios. The process delivered actionable insights to enhance project sustainability and inform future development strategies. This experience demonstrates the potential of the GLOSSA framework as a replicable model for integrating sustainability assessment and participatory planning into both academic training and real-world urban design processes.

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