1,721,364 research outputs found
From manufacturing to advanced services : the (uneven) rise and decline of Mediterranean city-regions
Full text linkUneven changes in the global urban hierarchy have given way to new forms of relationships between urban and rural areas based on complementarities, cooperative and specialized exchange of services and goods, abandoning the additive processes of growth guided by industrialization and urbanization. Representing a distant notion from traditional concepts in regional studies such as 'compact cities' or 'suburbs', 'gravitation' or 'hierarchy', the 'city-region' paradigm has stimulated different visions to be recomposed within the 'sustainability' framework. With global changes, the 'mega-city region' model has starting to take the lead in the development of contemporary urban agglomeration. In this study, considerations over the emergence of this urban model in the Mediterranean region will be presented to investigate the relationship between dispersed urbanization and consolidating southern European city-regions. While Mediterranean cities have been considered for long time as ‘ordinary’ cities, rather distant from the 'globalized' northern urban models, most of these cities are characterized by distinctive socioeconomic traits possibly open to competition and globalization. The present contribution describes the emergence of a Mediterranean urban area, Athens, as a new 'city-region' in the context of urbanization processes in Greece and in the Mediterranean basin as a whole. One of the clearest indications of urban competitiveness amongst emerging and established large city-regions is the fight for hosting mega-events. The final objective of the study is to understand how the efforts for increasing urban competitiveness are impacting new forms of city-regions, mainly based on low-density settlements reflecting discontinuous urbanization.peer-reviewe
Economic Causes and Consequences of Desertification
No full textLand degradation and desertification are composite processes that reflect how components of land capital have worsened over time, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Land degradation is intended as a truly socioeconomic issue because the idea and practice of use (and misuse) of land are socially constructed. In this perspective, soil productivity and land capacity, water consumption and landscape fragmentation, agriculture and sustainable development all reflect the vast ensemble of human-nature interactions. The intrinsic heterogeneity of land degradation processes at the global scale limits the development of mitigation actions. Comprehension of the socioeconomic processes underlying land degradation can benefit from a multidisciplinary approach that considers the intricate feedback between biophysical and economic dimensions. The mutual relationship between economic growth, social inequality, political action, and land degradation provides examples of the interplay among proximate causes and factors underlying desertification
Decentralization, administrative reforms and local government performance: The impact of inter-communality in a pre-crisis time
No full textThis paper attempts to evaluate if local council partnerships are effective in the decentral- ization design accordingly to the suggestions put forward by the literature on functional, overlapping and competing jurisdictions (FOCJ). The issue is empirically addressed by evaluating the effect of local partnerships on two local council performance indicators, namely revenue autonomy and expenditure. Heterogeneity responses are also examined by considering differences in the partnerships according to their institutional nature, i.e. mandatory versus voluntary partnerships. The case study consists of the whole set of 246 municipalities belonging to the Marche Italian region and estimation is carried out with ref- erence to the years 1999 and 2003. Results show the degree of autonomy assigned to local councils to choose partners for cooperation is a crucial element of an effective local government reform. While mandatory local council partnerships show to be not effective to improve local council performance, voluntary local council partnerships enhance revenue autonomy without affecting local council expenditure. Thus, inter-communality projects that fit the theoretical prerequisite of FOCJ, as it is the case of voluntary local council partner- ships, can help to improve horizontal decentralizatio
Il mercato del lavoro e i distretti della crisi: evoluzione dei divari territoriali nel tasso di disoccupazione in Italia, 2007-2013
Full text linkScopo di questo lavoro è investigare se e come la recente crisi economica abbia modificato la geografia dei divari economici in Italia ad una scala territoriale dettagliata, corrispondente ai distretti locali del lavoro. Partendo dall'idea che i valori assunti dal tasso di disoccupazione permettano un'analisi accurata delle dinamiche socio-economiche sottese ai cicli di espansione e recessione, questo contributo mira a disegnare il quadro delle performance dei sistemi locali del lavoro in termini di disoccupazione, in relazione ai principali fattori socio-economici e territoriali in grado di in uenzarne l'andamento spazio-temporale tra il 2007 e il 2013. I
risultati ottenuti mostrano che, durante la crisi, il divario tra le aree del Nord e quelle del Sud si approfondisce a livello complessivo, ma con una struttura spaziale particolarmente complessa ad un livello territoriale disaggregato
Understanding the contemporary (sprawled) city
No full textUrban sprawl is one of those concept that reflects a period of economic uncertainty and social turbulence, having an intrinsic ability to suggest an immediate picture and a well-known feeling to listeners - who however, cannot concretely define its real meaning
Shaping Dimensions of Urban Complexity: The Role of Economic Structure and Socio-Demographic Local Contexts
Full text linkDiversification in urban functions—a key component of urban complexity—was analysed using Pielou’s evenness indexes for 12 socioeconomic dimensions (economic structure, working classes, education, demographic structure by age, composition of non-native population by citizenship, distribution of personal incomes, land-use, land imperviousness, building use, vertical profile of buildings, building age, construction materials) at a local spatial scale in the Athens’ metropolitan region, Greece. Urban and rural districts were found respectively the most and less diversified contexts, outlining a diversification gradient negatively associated with the distance from Athens. A canonical correlation analysis characterized local contexts with high and low diversification in socioeconomic functions. A spatially-explicit regression model finally demonstrates that local-scale complexity increases with urban concentration, population growth and average per-capita income. A multivariate analysis of individual dimensions of urban complexity is a promising tool to assess socioeconomic transformations in contemporary citie
Intricacies of Mediterranean urban and regional dynamics
Full text linkThe present study delves into the intricate interplay between the historical legacies, contemporary adaptations, and future
aspirations of Southern European cities, metropolises, and urban agglomerations as Mediterranean societies navigate the
evolving global landscape. The analysis challenges the conventional notion of ‘modernity’ as a specific Mediterranean
perspective, envisioning the ‘delayed’ condition—from multiple perspectives, including socioeconomic and environmental
perspectives—as a sort of ‘alternative modernity.’ This alternative perspective acknowledges the region's unique trajectory
and its intrinsic resistance to conforming to Northern European standards. Drawing from a diverse literature base encompassing
ethnography, modern history, sociology, and geography, the study critically evaluates prevailing cultural norms
and identity standards, highlighting the influence of localized dynamics on overarching models. Interpreting this ‘Mediterranean
modernity’ through the lens of ‘delay,’ the study explores the inherent complexity within Southern European urban
landscapes. The importance of transcending rigid analytical frameworks to fully grasp the region's diversity is underscored.
Moreover, the analysis also extends to the evolving role of coastal cities in rejuvenating Mediterranean centrality and the
convergence of cultural heritage, economic advancement, and urban renewal. Through a multidimensional lens, the study
delves into the nuanced dynamics of the (residual) informal economy characteristic of Southern Europe, the transition from
industry to services, and the delicate balance between short-term gains and long-term prospects. Based on a comprehensive
and opinionated critical analysis of the literature examined from multiple perspectives, the research offers insights into the
Mediterranean's urban dynamics, providing a multifaceted perspective on evolution, resilience, and sustainable pathways,
while advocating for an ongoing exploration of the region's complexities and nuances, which will ultimately shape its trajectory
toward a balanced and culturally rooted future
Dall'altro lato della fangia: prospettive e opportunità dell'agricoltura periurbana
No full textL’urbanistica e tutta la critica letteraria sullo sviluppo delle città hanno sempre
guardato al fenomeno dello sprawl e dell’urban fringe dal lato della città: in termini
morfologici il tessuto urbano denso nei centri urbani abitati, si va a dilatare progressivamente
delle periferie, sfrangiandosi sui bordi nella campagna. È una visione
del problema che considera solo i “pieni” e intende gli spazi inedificati come
“vuoti”, parti di territorio trascurabili, o comunque subordinate alla citta
Tenebrionid beetles as proxy indicators of climate aridity in a Mediterranean area
No full textTenebrionids are common and easy to collect insects in the
Mediterranean. A database on tenebrionid distribution in a Mediterranean
region (Latium, Central Italy) was constructed from literature and
museum data. This database included 3213 geo-referenced records (from
the early 1900s until today) for 84 species and 53 genera. Species were
classified into functional groups according to their habitat and
climatic preferences. Changes in species distribution along the
elevation gradient in Latium was assessed by comparing mean elevation
observed at two pivotal dates (before and after the 1960s and before and
after the 1980s) to test possible trends in climate aridity as reflected
by species distribution shifts. Previous studies have indicated
significant changes in the aridity regime in Latium since the early
1960s and especially after the mid 1980s. Average elevation of species,
genera and functional groups showed significant changes. Species living
under stones tended to expand towards lowland areas, whereas species
associated with trees tended to retract towards higher altitudes
possibly to cope with increased aridity. Thermophilous species remained
stable in their distribution along the elevation gradient, whereas
mesophilous species increased their elevation. These results indicate
that tenebrionids can be profitably used as indicators of climate
aridity. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Fenomeni di sprofondamento catastrofico. Proposta di classificazione applicata alla casistica italiana.
No full textIn questa nota viene affrontato il problema della classificazione dei fenomeni di sprofondamento catastrofico, soprattutto per cercare di proporre una razionalizzazione nell’uso e nella accezione di termini mutuati dalla letteratura anglosassone ed entrati ormai di diritto nel lessico scientifico italiano.Ci si riferisce in particolare al termine sinkhole che nella letteratura, soprattutto statunitense, è utilizzato come sinonimo di doline (dolina), mentre nella terminologia italiana i due termini sono attribuiti spesso a fenomeni di tipo diverso.In questa nota verranno analizzati i fenomeni di sprofondamento catastrofico riconosciuti in Italia, ne verranno discusse le modalità di innesco e sviluppo e queste verranno utilizzate per formalizzare una proposta di classificazione dei sinkholes fondata non sulla morfologia dei fenomeni quanto sul contesto geologico al contorno (sinkhole prone areas), innesco (triggering) e sviluppo (upward propagation).Sostanzialmente ciò che distingue una dolina (dolina di soluzione normale, di crollo o alluvionale) da un fenomeno di sinkhole sono le condizioni geologiche al contorno (essenzialmente profondità del substrato) e le condizioni di innesco e propagazione del fenomeno.Nel primo caso l’evoluzione procede, ad opera di agenti esogeni (acque meteoriche, carsismo, gravità), dalla superficie verso il sottosuolo, mentre nel caso dei sinkholes l’innesco del fenomeno avviene ad opera di processi endogeni (acque di circolazione sotterranea, flussi gassosi, collassi nel sottosuolo, carsismo ipogeo etc.) e la propagazione della deformazione si sviluppa dal basso verso l’alto all’interno della copertura che giace al di sopra del substrato carsificabile
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