A system of systems for air quality decision making

The paper presents a system of systems approach to tackle the air quality planning problem through a multi-objective optimization methodology. In this context the different axes of the air quality planning issue (economic, environmental, social) are described and modeled in a unique framework and in an integrated/systemic way allowing for the selection of policies that optimally consider the three aforementioned perspectives. In the formalization of the proposed system approach two objectives are optimized: the Air Quality Index (related to health effects due to high concentrations of secondary pollution, environmental and social impacts of the problem) and the Cost Of Policy Index (related to the cost of emission reduction implementation, and so modeling the economic dimension). A case study for a Northern Italy domain is shown and discussed, stressing how a multi-Air Quality Index framework has to be developed to manage conflicting objectives.