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Review of District Heating Systems in Italy for Future Enhancement
Get PDFPlanning for Transition – book of proceedings 31; 2District heating (DH) is an energy service based on the centralized production of heat, and its supply to final users. Most DH networks are currently located in the Northern hemisphere, while very few are located in the Southern hemisphere. For what concern the European Union, most networks are operating in northerner and eastern countries. Italy, with less than 10% of the population reached by DH systems, has still a significant, but quite low, market share in the European context. The purpose of this review is to present the current situation of the Italian DH sector. The first introductory part concerns the historical evolution of DH systems in a global perspective. Later, the attention moves on the European situation, with focus on the system geographical distribution, the level of technological development, and the implementation of renewables. Italy still plays a marginal role because of climatic differences in the country, the complexity for some areas to access renewable energy sources, and the lack of interest in this technology showed until the 70s. The conclusions of this work underline a large untapped potential that DH systems have in Italy, requiring adequate investments and researches to enhance the use of renewables as energy source.publishedVersio
Walkability in Flanders (Belgium): Developing a tool to support healthy spatial planning
Get PDFInsufficient physical activity is a key factor for noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, different cancers and diabetes type II. According to the World Health Organisation more than half of the European population does not meet physical activity recommendations. International studies have shown that living in high-walkable neighbourhoods is associated with higher physical activity levels. A clear understanding of the geographical variation of the walkability within a region is necessary for effective spatial interventions promoting physical activity. However to date in European no analytical spatial tool at a regional scale exists to provide such an evidence base. Our research mapped walkability at a high resolution for the entire region of Flanders. Analysis of the spatial distribution at a regional scale reveals only a few distinct areas showing a higher walkability score in comparison to other Flemish neighbourhoods. At a local scale, differences between neighbourhoods or districts are apparent and can be addressed. The tool provides support in making more evidence-based healthy spatial policy decisions. Based on the resulting map an easy accessible open-source online tool was developed which can be used to assess the walkability and to compare neighbourhoods within a municipality or in reference to other towns and cities.The authors would like to thank Tomas Crols, Guy Engelen, Wim Peelaerts, Lien Poelmans and Els Verachtert at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) for their technical help computing the walkability index and developing the online walkability tool. This research is funded by the Government of Flanders.publishedVersio
Conceptual approaches of Maritime Spatial Planning. Principles and Planning Parameters
No full textPlanning for Transition – book of proceedings 31; 2Maritime Spatial Planning is a fairly new process that offers a useful and valuable context for the sustainable development of the seas. Various international organizations and institutions of international cooperation (UNESCO, UNEP, EU, VASAB etc) approach MSP through their scope, define it, implement it. Every organization chooses an approach that fits its purpose. Characteristic of this is even the name of MSP. Should it be called Marine or Maritime Spatial Planning? Could these terms be used interchangeably as if they give the same meaning to the process? Examining various definitions of MSP, approaching those conceptually, highlighting similarities and differences, this paper seeks their link to the discipline of spatial planning that was focusing on coastal areas and was rather ignoring maritime areas up until recently. Sectoral policies were applied extensively, as if they were the unique user of the sea, ignoring or giving little importance to spatial impacts. Spatial planners were constantly choosing not to plan the sea, facing it as a landscape, significant for its aesthetic value and environmental importance. Has this absence of spatial planning discipline at the beginning of the process caused spatial planning discipline background gaps? There are considerations over MSP implementation. There seems that most marine/maritime spatial plans already elaborated don’t have a spatial planning approach but rather a sea use approach. But if the sustainable development of the seas is what is needed, it can be attained through strategic marine/maritime spatial planning instead of sea use plans, a multi-level spatial planning process and various levels of marine/maritime spatial plans. Planning principles and major parameters will be approached in an effort to set the framework of spatial planning process.publishedVersio
Financialization, urban governance and the planning system: Utilizing ‘development viability’ as a policy narrative for the liberalization of Ireland’s post-crash planning system
No full textInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 43(4), 2019Drawing on the Irish case, this article examines how planning systems and policies are being repurposed to facilitate a finance-led regime of urban growth. It explores how an epistemic community of development and finance actors has advanced the concept of ‘financial viability’ as a policy narrative to influence post-crisis planning reform in Ireland. Based on extensive qualitative interviews, the article demonstrates how informal access to policymakers, the mobilization of expert knowledge and media strategies have enabled development interests to reshape planning policy in ways that privilege profitability over affordability and democratic accountability.publishedVersio
Complexity and coordination in London’s Silvertown Quays: How real estate developers (re)centred themselves in the planning process
No full textEconomy and Space, 51(8), 2019This paper examines how real estate developers maintain and reassert their centrality in urban governance through complex internal coordination mechanisms. Drawing on an in-depth case study of London’s Silvertown Quays, it demonstrates how developers create multiple sub-centres of power within development organizations to manage political, financial and community risks. The analysis shows how these coordination practices generate opacity in planning processes, limit community engagement, and ultimately enable developers to entrench themselves at the centre of urban governance.publishedVersio
Towards comprehensive and integrated land management practices in Albania : How can the new paradigmatic shift in land use planning and growth management foster a positive impact on local finances and the tax base? The case of Municipality of Tirana
Get PDFThis research draws upon the array of changes that have occurred in the spatial planning system in Albania over the last decade, and examines possible impacts at local level, namely on the financial situation of local governments. The research is conducted in two inter-relational directions: firstly, it tackles the possible impact of land use changes and tools that determine the change patterns, on taxation and local budgets; and secondly, it analyses the strategies used to address urban growth, through development indicators, principles, etc. and assesses their possible influence on the tax base. These aspects are analyzed for the municipality of Tirana, which has the highest development rate and financial growth in the country; and are anchored to the current planning document in place: the General Local Territorial Plan (GLTP) of Tirana, for the period 2016-2030. The research contributes to the overall discussion on the relevance of local planning instruments, with respect to improving the tax base, the fiscal autonomy of local governances, the provision of services, the urban growth in terms of sprawl or densification, and the prioritization of investment projects. Methodologically, the research is based both on desk review of land use planning theories; current planning legislation and documents in Albania, and local finance studies; as well as sample studies of specific spatial typologies in the city of Tirana, and their development scenarios in relation to the proposed land use changes and development indicators, in terms of tax revenues. This research, albeit not exhaustive, draws conclusions on the real potential of using land development instruments to induce growth in local financial capacities, both through property tax, and other taxes that are related to land and property.publishedVersio
Editorial - Volume 3 / Issue 1 / (2019)
Get PDFTransactions of the Association of European Schools of Planning; Volume 3 / Issue 1 / June 2019; page i-iiWe are pleased to present the third issue of Transactions of the Association of the European Schools of Planning, the open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal of AESOP.
The purpose of AESOP is promoting within Europe the development of teaching and research in the field of planning. Since its foundation it has always sought to foster the development of planning education, with the original AESOP Charter signed in Dortmund in 1987 placing a particular emphasis on this dimension of planning school activity. Reflecting this, the focus of the present issue of Transactions is on new experiences and issues in planning education. The papers presented here address a range of contemporary issues in the design and delivery of planning education in Europe and other parts of the globe. The focus of the contributions is diverse, ranging from wider structural and contextual issues such as the internationalisation of higher education, through to papers which report and reflect on, experiences of teaching in different institutions and contexts, and using different modes of delivery
Data center and the city: A potential for urban synergies
Get PDFThe investment landscape for the data center (DC) industry in Europe is currently under transformation, as more DC companies are getting established in the Scandinavian countries; but still the DC surface and power capacity (m² and MW) in these regions has not yet capitalized in the same way as DC traditional locations in central Europe. Nevertheless, the renewable energy as hydropower and a favorable climate for free air cooling that are provided in the North, particularly northern Sweden, among other reasons, are increasingly attracting DC companies seeking to meet their environmental goals at the lowest cost. However, this raises questions on how the land (m²) and energy (MW) demand for new DCs can be met with equity in the local context. While some governments facilitate land management procedures to build new DC facilities and lower the energy tax in order to attract more investors, there has been little attention on how these strategies could support or hinder potential energy synergies with potential social value within the local community (e.g. reuse of DC waste-heat for urban farming). The potential transition that Sweden is facing, due to the DC phenomenon, becomes a relevant context to investigate alternatives of how to improve urban metabolism’s efficiency, in relation with an emerging energy intensive industry; The Data Center industry. The purpose of this research is to investigate how urban planning theory can assist the DC phenomenon in transitioning towards a circular approach.publishedVersio
Activist researchers : Four cases of affecting change
Get PDFplaNext-Next Generation Planning Vol. 8 (2019) : Making space for hope 10-20Researchers in urban planning are frequently motivated by the desire to facilitate positive social change. In seeking better ways to effect change, the researcher becomes an activist by engaging with social and environmental issues in a meaningful way to solve a problem. It is also often at this nexus where practice and academia meet, where the researcher adopts an activist role. In this paper we argue that activist research requires researchers to place themselves in one of two dominant positionalities or engagement positions: the insider or the outsider, as they join efforts with their research participants and activities. Using four case examples from our own research, we discuss how each positionality influences the production of new knowledge in both practice and theory. We reflect on challenges faced by early-career activist researchers in adopting activist research approaches, highlighting implications for undertaking this type of research in urban planning, and the need for a rethink from current discourses to set a path for a more hopeful future
Old age-related stereotypes, inclusion and the development of ‘age appropriate’ neighbourhoods
Get PDFThe environment in which one lives, i.e. the neighbourhood, can have a strong impact on people's well-being and health. This also applies to older people. The number of older people increases in absolute and relative terms, especially in urban areas, while the lifestyles of older people are becoming more diverse. At the same time studies show that age-appropriate planning of living environments is often influenced by stereotypes. We investigated how 'age-appropriate' living environments are conceived, practiced and lived (based on Lefebvre) and to what extent age-related stereotypes affect these processes. The research methods were interviews and walkthroughs conducted with experts from various planning disciplines as well as with current (aged 70-80) and future (aged 50-60) older people. Furthermore, this article refers to the model “setting-approach”, to discuss the importance of participatory urban and environmental development. The findings show that negative stereotypes predominate. These stereotypes have an impact on the planning processes. In thus, older people are normally excluded from these processes. This has an impact on the quality of the neighbourhood and so this has a potential impact on well-being. For planning-related social work, this means that older people must be involved more in the design of their living environments.publishedVersio