Tema. Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment (University of Naples)
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European Cities Dealing with Climate Issues: Ideas and Tools for Better Framing Current Practices.
No full textContemporary cities have to deal with numerous challenges, from the growth and aging of urban populations to the scarcity of resources; from environmental degradation to climate change. The latter, also due to the increasing severity of climate-related impacts on urban areas, is widely considered one of the most urgent challenges for urban development in the near future: cities are the main contributors to energy consumption and GHG emissions, paying, at the same time, the highest price for the climate impacts. Thus, climate issues have gained increasing importance in the last decades, both in terms of the metaphors coined by scholars relative to urban future (low-carbon cities, transition cities, smart cities, resilient cities, etc.) and in terms of the initiatives undertaken on different institutional levels. Unfortunately, mitigation and adaptation are generally regarded as two different approaches, neglecting the potential synergies and trade-offs between the related strategies. Hence, based on the growing awareness of the need for mainstreaming mitigation and adaptation policies at city level, this study will provide an overview of the state of the art of the mitigation and adaptation initiatives in Italian metropolitan cities. Then, focusing on the concepts of the “smart” and the “resilient” city – recognized as key concepts for reducing CO2 emissions and improving the ability of cities to respond to climate impacts – and with reference to a conceptual framework for building up a smart and resilient urban system carried out in previous research works (Papa et al., 2015), the study will examine case studies of the cities of Rotterdam and Barcelona, highlighting how this framework may improve our understanding and, above all, contribute to better integration of the fragmented on-going strategies and initiatives.Contemporary cities have to deal with numerous challenges, from the growth and aging of urban population to the scarcity of resources, from environmental degradation to climate change. The latter, also due to the increasing severity of climate-related impacts on urban areas, is widely considered one of the most urgent challenge for urban development in the next future: cities are the main contributors to energy consumption and GHG emissions, paying meanwhile the highest price to the climate impacts. Thus, in the last decades climate issues have gained more and more importance both in the metaphors carried out by scholars in respect to urban future (low-carbon cities, transition cities, smart cities, resilient cities, etc.) and in the initiatives undertaken on different institutional levels. Unfortunately, mitigation and adaptation are generally regarded as two different approaches, by neglecting the potential synergies and trade-offs between the related strategies. Hence, based on the growing awareness of the need for mainstreaming mitigation and adaptation policies at the city level, this contribution will provide a state of the art of the mitigation and adaptation initiatives in the Italian metropolitan cities; then, focusing on the concepts of “smart” and “resilient” city – recognized as key concepts for saving CO2 emissions and improving cities’ capacity to respond to climate impacts – and with reference to a conceptual framework for building up a smart and resilient urban system carried out in previous research works (Papa et al., 2015), the study will analyze the case studies of Rotterdam and Barcelona, by highlighting how this framework may improve our understanding and, above all, contribute to a better integration of the fragmented on-going strategies and initiatives
Urban Development in Tuscany. Land Uptake and Landscapes Changes
No full textThe phenomenon of urban sprawl has been already recognized as one of the major anthropic threats to natural ecosystems and landscapes while the negative aspects of the phenomenon are still only marginally taken into consideration in the scientific and local government circles. The recent decision of the European Parliament points out that the degradation, fragmentation and non-sustainable use of land in the EU is jeopardizing several important ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity and increasing Europe’s vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and desertification. The study regards the processing of data on urban land conversion over the past 50 years and the effects in the areas of high environmental vulnerability in one of the most important Italian region: Tuscany. The historical data were compared from a qualitative and quantitative viewpoint with the present-day geography of settlements, which showing changes found in today’s settlement-territorial structure. The conclusion reports focuses on collated environmental criticalities and the margins for recovery of the compromised territories that still today receive little attention from central institutions and local authorities, in addition to data on landscape effects to be construed as signs of specific trends underway today and scarcely taken into account by land management tools. The phenomenon of urban sprawl has been already recognized as one of the major anthropic threats to natural ecosystems and landscapes while the negative aspects of the phenomenon are still only marginally taken into consideration in the scientific and local government circles. The recent decision of the European Parliament points out that the degradation, fragmentation and non-sustainable use of land in the EU is jeopardizing several important ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity and increasing Europe’s vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and desertification. The study regards the processing of data on urban land conversion over the past 50 years and the effects in the areas of high environmental vulnerability in one of the most important Italian region: Tuscany. The historical data were compared from a qualitative and quantitative viewpoint with the present-day geography of settlements, which showing changes found in today’s settlement-territorial structure. The conclusion reports focuses on collated environmental criticalities and the margins for recovery of the compromised territories that still today receive little attention from central institutions and local authorities, in addition to data on landscape effects to be construed as signs of specific trends underway today and scarcely taken into account by land management tools
Smart City, Metropolitan Areas and Competitiveness: the Case Study of Florence
No full textIn several urban contexts, the definition of a new development process is arising and it is focused on the use and the application of new technologies in different areas of the urban system. Such new development process is aimed at increasing life quality and local communities wellness and at promoting the creation of a more efficient and more sustainable urban system, as well as at making it more competitive. The issue of the reorganization of metropolitan areas is combined with such process, following the recent approval of the Delrio Law that establishes the Metropolitan City in Italy, as government authority of the metropolitan areas. Smart City, Metropolitan Areas and Competitiveness are the three topics of this paper, which aim is the description of the most innovative politics and initiatives adopted in the Metropolitan City of Florence that is proposed as a case study where such topics are combined.In several urban contexts, the definition of a new development process is arising and it is focused on the use and the application of new technologies in different areas of the urban system. Such new development process is aimed at increasing life quality and local communities wellness and at promoting the creation of a more efficient and more sustainable urban system, as well as at making it more competitive. The issue of the reorganization of metropolitan areas is combined with such process, following the recent approval of the Delrio Law that establishes the Metropolitan City in Italy, as government authority of the metropolitan areas. Smart City, Metropolitan Areas and Competitiveness are the three topics of this paper, which aim is the description of the most innovative politics and initiatives adopted in the Metropolitan City of Florence that is proposed as a case study where such topics are combined
Tourism and Mobility. Best Practices and Conditions to Improve Urban Livability
No full textThis paper considers the relation between tourism and mobility and tries to highlight how tourism can act as a driving urban function in order to promote more sustainable lifestyles. Tourism and mobility are strictly connected: the moving from the usual residential place for leisure or entertainment represents the essential condition of tourism. There is no tourism without physical displacements, as the WTO definition affirms, highlighting that the movement of people is connected to two different mobility forms. On one hand, the tourist displacement is generated by the need to reach the destination (transit/access mobility). On the other hand, flows are generated by tourist activities at destination (visit, stay, entertainment, etc.) and it could be defined as an internal mobility. In both case, tourism represents a factor of human and environmental pressure. The WTO (2012) estimates that tourism mobility is responsible for 5% of CO2 emissions (referred to air travel) and points out that a change in the styles of tourism consumption is necessary also to meet the challenges of climate change that present cities must face. Traditionally, tourism and transport have been considered separately and mobility has been seen as a prerequisite rather than an integral part of the tourist activity; rarely this connection has been investigated in tourist planning and in mobility planning. The movements of visitors had a marginal role before the acknowledgment of the sustainable mobility paradigm, which introduced the concept of efficiency in transport system connected to the reduction of the environmental and social impacts encouraging modal shift in order to contrast the car-dependence. In the context of these considerations, this article tries to underline how tourism could play a strategic role in promoting sustainable way of moving inside the city if it will be mainstreamed within the government process of urban transformation. As a “pervasive” urban activity, tourism involves different sectors (public and private) and different social levels and it can act as an “accelerator of changing” to improve a new mobility culture and to change users behaviors. Which are the conditions needed to activate this change? This is the main question this paper tries to answer also considering some significant examples oriented to integrate tourism promotion with mobility planning. This paper considers the relation between tourism and mobility and tries to highlight how tourism can act as a driving urban function in order to promote more sustainable lifestyles. Tourism and mobility are strictly connected: the moving from the usual residential place for leisure or entertainment represents the essential condition of tourism. There is no tourism without physical displacements, as the WTO definition affirms, highlighting that the movement of people is connected to two different mobility forms. On one hand, the tourist displacement is generated by the need to reach the destination (transit/access mobility). On the other hand, flows are generated by tourist activities at destination (visit, stay, entertainment, etc.) and it could be defined as an internal mobility. In both case, tourism represents a factor of human and environmental pressure. The WTO (2012) estimates that tourism mobility is responsible for 5% of CO2emissions (referred to air travel) and points out that a change in the styles of tourism consumption is necessary also to meet the challenges of climate change that present cities must face. Traditionally, tourism and transport have been considered separately and mobility has been seen as a prerequisite rather than an integral part of the tourist activity; rarely this connection has been investigated in tourist planning and in mobility planning. The movements of visitors had a marginal role before the acknowledgment of the sustainable mobility paradigm, which introduced the concept of efficiency in transport system connected to the reduction of the environmental and social impacts encouraging modal shift in order to contrast the car-dependence. In the context of these considerations, this article tries to underline how tourism could play a strategic role in promoting sustainable way of moving inside the city if it will be mainstreamed within the government process of urban transformation. As a “pervasive” urban activity, tourism involves different sectors (public and private) and different social levels and it can act as an “accelerator of changing” to improve a new mobility culture and to change users behaviors. Which are the conditions needed to activate this change? This is the main question this paper tries to answer also considering some significant examples oriented to integrate tourism promotion with mobility planning
The Padanian LiMeS. Spatial Interpretation of Local GHG Emission Data
No full textThe relevant role of spatial planning in the enforcement of climate change mitigation, managing the development of new low-carbon infrastructures and increasing system-wide efficiencies across sectors, has been addressed at global level (IPCC, 2014 WGIII). In this context, local GHG inventories appear a relevant tool toward the definition of a coherent, inter-sectorial background for local planning, mitigation, and adaptation policies.Taking advantage of consistent GHG emissions data availability in the Lombard context, local maps of direct GHG emissions have been linked with geographic data, including municipal boundaries, population data, and land-use information, produced and organized within the research PRIN 2007 From metropolitan city to metropolitan corridor: the case of the Po Valley Corridor.The results of this mapping exercise have been evaluated on the background of consolidated knowledge about northern Italy urban patterns, including the Linear Metropolitan System – LiMeS – and preliminary observations about characteristics, potential, and limits of the tool are proposed.The relevant role of spatial planning in the enforcement of climate change mitigation, managing the development of new low-carbon infrastructures and increasing system-wide efficiencies across sectors, has been addressed at global level (IPCC, 2014 WGIII). In this context, local GHG inventories appear a relevant tool toward the definition of a coherent, inter-sectorial background for local planning, mitigation, and adaptation policies.Taking advantage of consistent GHG emissions data availability in the Lombard context, local maps of direct GHG emissions have been linked with geographic data, including municipal boundaries, population data, and land-use information, produced and organized within the research PRIN 2007 From metropolitan city to metropolitan corridor: the case of the Po Valley Corridor.The results of this mapping exercise have been evaluated on the background of consolidated knowledge about northern Italy urban patterns, including the Linear Metropolitan System – LiMeS – and preliminary observations about characteristics, potential, and limits of the tool are proposed
A Land-use Approach for Capturing Future Trip Generating Poles
No full textChanges in the usage of a particular urban or regional area have immediate effects on transportation, such as the development of a new multimodal terminal within a city, or the creation of a business park in its outskirts. Thus far, this correlation has been under-researched at a national level in Greece. As a result, its effects on trip generation and passenger flows has been underestimated at the planning level, leading to the implementation of projects that are neither viable nor sustainable. This paper proposes that land use changes ought to be considered in tandem with transport-related changes at the planning stage. To this effect, we present a three-step methodology for an integrated approach to capturing future trip generation: the identification of future trip-generating poles within the study area; the development of scenarios related to the probability of these changes occurring and their potential magnitude; an estimation of future trends in passenger flows. The methodology is applied to the Metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, Greece. Using data obtained from development plans, national statistical services and research projects’ and studies’ findings, we estimate future trip-generation subsequent to land use change. Data is processed and evaluated by a local experts’ group, representing various key-disciplines of the area’s planning stakeholders
Exploring Issues Limiting the Use of Knowledge in Disaster Risk Reduction.
No full textThis paper highlights issues that appear to have hampered the development and use of knowledge and discusses what these imply for applying (or not) the concept of smart cities in different contexts. The conclusions are based on the findings of four sets of work in the context of the KNOW-4-DRR project. From the findings of these activities, it emerges that although there are differences in context, risk and culture, there is a surprising degree of commonality in opinions about why there is insufficient development and application of knowledge for disaster risk reduction, despite the large volumes of information developed on this subject. As regards ICTs, findings suggest that technology, although useful, is not the sole solution for knowledge- based decision making for DRR. In this respect the benefits of smartness in cities are uncertain and depend on the context, where the employment of simpler or more traditional means can be more appropriate for enabling knowledge. A final conclusion is that no matter how useful, knowledge itself is not a panacea for DRR. Decision-making is invariably influenced by conflicting priorities, objectives and constraints, and not necessarily in all stakeholders’ interests or even reflecting their objectives. For example in the midst of the Greek economic crisis, disaster risk awareness and acceptability are becoming less a matter of DRR information and knowledge and must rather be addressed with a view to the new hierarchy of risks (socio-economic, health, emerging) generated by the crisis. However, acknowledging the complexity of the issue should not stand in the way of much needed efforts towards enabling knowledge for DRR with all the tools available in today’s changing world. This paper highlights issues that appear to have hampered the development and use of knowledge and discusses what these imply for applying (or not) the concept of smart cities in different contexts. The conclusions are based on the findings of four sets of work in the context of the KNOW-4-DRR project. From the findings of these activities, it emerges that although there are differences in context, risk and culture, there is a surprising degree of commonality in opinions about why there is insufficient development and application of knowledge for disaster risk reduction, despite the large volumes of information developed on this subject. As regards ICTs, findings suggest that technology, although useful, is not the sole solution for knowledge- based decision making for DRR. In this respect the benefits of smartness in cities are uncertain and depend on the context, where the employment of simpler or more traditional means can be more appropriate for enabling knowledge. A final conclusion is that no matter how useful, knowledge itself is not a panacea for DRR. Decision-making is invariably influenced by conflicting priorities, objectives and constraints, and not necessarily in all stakeholders’ interests or even reflecting their objectives. For example in the midst of the Greek economic crisis, disaster risk awareness and acceptability are becoming less a matter of DRR information and knowledge and must rather be addressed with a view to the new hierarchy of risks (socio-economic, health, emerging) generated by the crisis. However, acknowledging the complexity of the issue should not stand in the way of much needed efforts towards enabling knowledge for DRR with all the tools available in today’s changing world
A Markov Chain Model of Land Use Change
No full textThe set of models available to predict land use change in urban regions has become increasingly complex in recent years. Despite their complexity, the predictive power of these models remains relatively weak. This paper presents an example of an alternative modeling framework based on the concept of a Markov chain. The model assumes that land use at any given time, which is viewed as a discrete state, can be considered a function of only its previous state. The probability of transition between each pair of states is recorded as an element of a transition probability matrix. Assuming that this matrix is stationary over time, it can be used to predict future land use distributions from current data. To illustrate this process, a Markov chain model is estimated for the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, USA (Twin Cities) metropolitan region. Using a unique set of historical land use data covering several years between 1958 and 2005, the model is tested using historical data to predict recent conditions, and is then used to forecast the future distribution of land use decades into the future. We also use the cell-level data set to estimate the fraction of regional land use devoted to transportation facilities, including major highways, airports, and railways. The paper concludes with some comments on the strengths and weaknesses of Markov chains as a land use modeling framework, and suggests some possible extensions of the model.The set of models available to predict land use change in urban regions has become increasingly complex in recent years. Despite their complexity, the predictive power of these models remains relatively weak. This paper presents an example of an alternative modeling framework based on the concept of a Markov chain. The model assumes that land use at any given time, which is viewed as a discrete state, can be considered a function of only its previous state. The probability of transition between each pair of states is recorded as an element of a transition probability matrix. Assuming that this matrix is stationary over time, it can be used to predict future land use distributions from current data. To illustrate this process, a Markov chain model is estimated for the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, USA (Twin Cities) metropolitan region. Using a unique set of historical land use data covering several years between 1958 and 2005, the model is tested using historical data to predict recent conditions, and is then used to forecast the future distribution of land use decades into the future. We also use the cell-level data set to estimate the fraction of regional land use devoted to transportation facilities, including major highways, airports, and railways. The paper concludes with some comments on the strengths and weaknesses of Markov chains as a land use modeling framework, and suggests some possible extensions of the model
Council Tax Policies and Territorial Governance: Analysis and Outlook of a Difficult Relationship
No full textIn recent years, the dependency of local public finance from various forms of taxation related to urban development and real estate has become increasingly evident in Italy. Nevertheless, to date no organic relationship seems to have been established between fiscal policies, on the one hand, and urban planning, on the other.This article examines the ties linking the two areas, focusing on different types of taxes and discussing the aspects that have come to influence the area of planning, with special regard to territorial competition, urban equalization, building rights and land consumption mitigation measures.In recent years, the dependency of local public finance from various forms of taxation related to urban development and real estate has become increasingly evident in Italy. Nevertheless, to date no organic relationship seems to have been established between fiscal policies, on the one hand, and urban planning, on the other.This article examines the ties linking the two areas, focusing on different types of taxes and discussing the aspects that have come to influence the area of planning, with special regard to territorial competition, urban equalization, building rights and land consumption mitigation measures