127 research outputs found
Community gardens for inclusive urban planning in Padua (Italy): implementing a participatory spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis to explore the social meanings of urban agriculture
No full textUrban agriculture is recognized as a worthy resource to support a growing population as well as to provide other positive effects on urban ecosystems and their citizens. In this context, community gardens are considered key topics in terms of food production and food security, in both developing and developed countries, as well as in terms of social inclusion and participation. The general aim of this study was to assess the main spatial criteria recognized and shared by stakeholders to identify suitable and inclusive areas for community gardens by testing and developing a participatory process. Because of its size, population, and urban fabric, Padua (northeast Italy) was selected as a representative and emblematic case study for mid-sized cities in Europe. The methodology was based on field surveys of key informants and spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis in the open-source geographic information system environment of QGIS. The results identified neighborhoods to be prioritized in the design of new community gardens according to three scenarios: the distance index, the social index, and the combination of the two (overall index). To conclude, this study highlighted the importance of adopting a decision-making methodology to support local policymakers and municipal agencies that are interested in implementing other community gardens in Padua. The case study and the methodology adopted could also serve as important guides for cities by providing step-by-step processes that can be directly applied
The multiple injustice of fossil fuel territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon: Oil development, urban growth, and climate justice perspectives
No full textAlongside growing awareness of the historical and ethical dimensions of climate change impacts, little is known
about those territories both sources of fossil fuel extraction as well as not beneficiaries of its benefits, usually
located in developing countries. Our study frames climate justice in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (EAR),
defined as “urban jungle”, due to urbanization processes linked to oil exploitation. By highlighting the multiple
injustices for local communities, the general aim is showing how these areas are at the same time peripheries of
fossil fuel extraction and national benefits, while also being entangled with the socio-environmental impacts
caused and increased by oil activities. The methodology is based on spatial analysis carried out in GIS envi-
ronment, combining different features (oil production, urban infrastructure, socio-environmental impacts), at
different spatial and temporal scales. Results show that, since the beginning of oil exploitation in 1972 and until
2020, about 6.4 billion barrels were produced in the EAR, in 34 oil blocks located in the central-north sector.
Moreover, between 1985 and 2020, oil exploited EAR has continued to be the most urbanized part, surrounding
and involving indigenous territories and ethnic population in voluntary isolation. Finally, the results highlight
the high density of recorded oil spills, pits and gas flaring sites in historically exploited oil block, and the
extensive distribution of seismic lines in all the EAR, far from human rights obligations of enjoying a safe, clean,
healthy and sustainable environment. In conclusion, our analyses highlight the multiple injustices of these ter-
ritories. Hence climate justice should embrace these territories in its perspectives, by involving them in the
climate justice discourse and promoting the rights for a non-toxic environment. By doing so, scholars, stake-
holders and policymakers might frame clear and just phasing out fossil fuel strategie
Effect of FRP mesh reinforcement on shear capacity and deformability of masonry walls
No full textThe research deals with the analysis of the structural behaviour of CFRP (rebars) reinforced masonry panel. The study shows also the comparison between the behavior of plain masonry and masonry reinforced with ordinary mesh steel under shear test. The tests were carried out using the diagonal test; two different types of wall were employed (but with the same mechanical characteristics of materials) with 200 mm and 330 mm of thickness, using the steel mesh reinforcement and carbon FRP rebars on both sides. The sample was made with mortar applied directly to the face, with the reinforcement inside. Finally the research makes a comparison with a similar test carried out by other authors using FRP strips and lamina
(Free and Open) Satellite Imageries for Land Rights and Climate Justice in Amazon Agroforestry Systems
No full textHow can GIS support the evaluation and design of biodiverse agroecosystems and landscapes? Applying the Main Agroecological Structure to European agroecosystems
No full textAgrobiodiversity plays a critical role in fostering the stability, resilience, and sustainability of European farming systems. Nonetheless, there is currently a lack of comprehensive methods to describe its spatial distribution within farms, its connectivity with the surrounding landscape, and, most crucially, how the perceptions and actions of human communities affect it. The Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) has recently been proposed as an environmental index aiming to tackle such challenges by promoting a dialogue between landscape ecology and agroecology, encompassing criteria that focus on both landscape parameters and cultural variables. Geographic information systems (GIS) can play a key role in the measurement of the index by leveraging public geodata and engaging with the direct participation of communities to map the territories they inhabit and cultivate. Nevertheless, their use in this context has not yet been studied. We propose here a new GIS-based approach for estimating the Main Agroecological Structure: landscape criteria are assessed through the hybrid use of free and open-source GIS tools, field samplings, and participative mapping methods; cultural parameters are evaluated through semi-structured interviews. Contextually to the definition of such methodological foundations, the present study tests the relevance of the index to European agroecological contexts by applying the proposed workflow to three Italian farms characterized by different territorial and organizational forms. Along with a few modifications to the original proposal, we highlight the relevance of GIS in making agrobiodiversity visible at a landscape level within the context of the index. We also suggest some potential future applications related to local empowerment and agroecosystem mapping
"Ubicarse en la zona Intangible Tagaeri Taromenane: mapas de islas en un océano de petroleo"
No full textGestire o nascondere i conflitti socio-ambientali? La Social Licence to Operate nelle attività petrolifere dell’Amazzonia ecuadoriana
No full textThe main objective of this research was to critically examine the concept of
Social Licence to Operate (SLO) in an oil concession of the Ecuadorian Amazon
inhabited by indigenous villages. In this paper we present the qualitative data of
the semi-structured interviews and the household survey with village residents.
The main findings revealed the important role of the involvement of communi-
ties in the decision-making processes (procedural fairness), people’s perceptions
of company’s socio-environmental impacts, the management of forms of protest
and social services in the communities. Particularly, the results suggested that
procedural fairness and the respect of communities’ right of self-determination
are the basic requisite for the application of the SLO concept in the study area
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