Demographic Sustainability and Regional Development: The Cases of Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo

Demographic Sustainability and Regional Development: The Cases of Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo Maria Nazaré Oliveira Roca, Vasco Silva, Susana Caldinhas Centro de Estudos de Geografia e Planeamento Regional, Universidade Nova de Lisboa The paper is focused on the interrelationship of the demographic resources and sustainable development, illustrated by the case studies of two regions of Portugal: Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo. In the introduction, some concepts related to demographic sustainability and rural development are discussed. In the following sections, the main features of the two sub-regions and a brief diagnosis of the population structure and dynamics are presented. This serve as the basis for the identification of the strengths and weaknesses as well as of the opportunities and threats related to demographic sustainability of those regions. In the conclusion guideline for promoting sustainable development of Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo are presented.

A Tourist Destination Planning and Design Model: Application to the Area around the Miño River in the South of Galicia and the North of Portugal

Based on a study of tourist activity as a factor influencing local development carried out in 2001 on Galicia and northern Portugal, our research team presents herein a synthesis of the main contributions offered by a territorial analysis of tourist destinations, drawing up a model which allows us to evaluate the characteristics of this border region. The main contribution of this study is the validation of the model used in order to propose planning measures, contrasting the initial hypothesis in regarding this region as a tourist destination as a whole, in terms of the structure of the features it has in common, analysed in the model, as well as the behaviour KEY WORDS: border region, destination regions, tourism planning

A model of tourism planning and design: the Euro-Region Galicia-Northern Portugal as a common tourism destination

The new configuration of the Euro-region Galicia-Northern Portugal is in need of a debate on the problems regarding its development. Important questions arise, such as the organization and planning of common tourism destinations. In this paper important and valuable scientific literature on this topic and data from a study carried out by the authors for the Eixo Atlántico in 2001 are used to implement some instruments for their application to the Euro-region. The model presented here is a systemic elaboration of the design of the Euro-region as a common tourism destination in which a formal structure of its elements is provided, which will prove useful to managers and planners in their analysis of situations and in decision-making processes. Key words: common destinations, cross-border regions, planning.

Boosting Regional Socioeconomic Development through Logistics Activities: A Conceptual Model

Background: Regional Development (RD) allows countries to balance regional differences by providing economic and social benefits to communities. This research highlights the importance of logistics activities to regional social development, and a framework to assess these connections is proposed. Objectives: How to boost regional socioeconomic development through logistics. Methods/Approach: The contributions of logistics to socioeconomic development are analysed based on the previous research, and the case of the Alto Minho (AM) region in Portugal was used to illustrate the connection between logistics and regional development. Results showed that logistics had created jobs, increased company turnover and exports, and increased GDP growth in several regions. For the AM region, results indicate that many companies are operating in this area, contributing to supporting municipalities to reduce regional disparities. Conclusions: A framework for assessing regional logistics performance is proposed together with several logistics performance indicators. This approach is essential for future developments integrating logistics into socioeconomic development

Boosting regional socioeconomic development through logistics activities: a conceptual model

Background: Regional Development (RD) allows countries to balance regional differences by providing economic and social benefits to communities. This research highlights the importance of logistics activities to regional social development, and a framework to assess these connections is proposed. Objectives: How to boost regional socioeconomic development through logistics. Methods/Approach: The contributions of logistics to socioeconomic development are analysed based on the previous research, and the case of the Alto Minho (AM) region in Portugal was used to illustrate the connection between logistics and regional development. Results showed that logistics had created jobs, increased company turnover and exports, and increased GDP growth in several regions. For the AM region, results indicate that many companies are operating in this area, contributing to supporting municipalities to reduce regional disparities. Conclusions: A framework for assessing regional logistics performance is proposed together with several logistics performance indicators. This approach is essential for future developments integrating logistics into socioeconomic development.- (undefined

Regional Growth and Convergence: The Role of Human Capital in the Portuguese Regions

Potentially one of the most important determinants of regional economic growth and convergence is human capital, although due to a lack of data this factor is frequently omitted from econometric studies. In contrast, this paper constructs three measures of human capital at the NUTS III regional level for Portugal for the period 1991-2008 and then includes these variables in regional growth regressions. The results show that both secondary and higher levels of education have a significant positive effect on regional growth rates which may be regarded as supportive of Portuguese education policy, which over the last three decades has attempted to raise the regional human capital by locating higher education institutions across the country.Human capital, Regional convergence, GMM

Regional development of inland areas through disaster risk reduction and new connections with the coast

The planning strategies conceived and implemented in Europe in the last decades by land-management authorities to revive fragile and vulnerable inland areas have been focusing increasingly on the enhancement of their natural and cultural landscapes. However, the threats to inland areas imposed by climate change and (increasingly impactful) natural hazards have been exacerbating the now chronic depopulation of those regions, therefore increasing the decay of their natural and cultural assets, namely the decline of their landscape. Although relatively new, these threats have been affecting in many ways, and to great extent, all different types of inland areas, from the coastal hinterland, fairly close to the large and more attractive urban areas, to the most distant and least accessible mountain regions, with their peculiar landscape heritage rich of historical villages and towns. Therefore, new imperative paradigms such as disaster risk reduction, adaptive management and building back better, have not only drawn the attention and interest of cutting-edge research and practice, but also focused their efforts and energy towards their actual fulfilment. They are in fact some of the new ‘must’ emerged and being-established recently in spatial planning. After an extensive analysis of the conceptual framework and scientific literature backing these urgent and pressing issues, the research focuses on the case studies of three European macro-regions: the Italian Apennines (in Marche and Alta Versilia), the coastal hinterland of eastern Croatia (in Dalmatia), and the inland areas of northern Portugal (in the region of Alto Minho). In all cases, the impact of natural hazards, coupled with the ongoing process of littoralization and the aftermath of climate change, has significantly changed the appearance and structure of both landscape and local communities, undermining their environmental, sociocultural and economic sustainability. The dissertation develops therefore a cross-comparative analysis of the different case studies, in order to evaluate, in dialectical manner and from different angles, the strategic-planning models implemented or conceived in each case. The research outcome is a critic assessment of the outlined picture, interpreted and returned by elaborating and discussing on the potential of connecting inland areas to the coast, while reducing the risk of natural disasters, not only a prerequisite for the regional development of inland areas, but also an extraordinary opportunity to foster in fact their future regeneration

The Economic Impact of Closing the Boundaries: The Lower Minho Valley Cross-Border Region in Times of Covid-19

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Borderlands Studies on 2022-02-18, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08865655.2022.2039266The COVID-19 crisis experienced since early 2020 has been the first time in decades that all the boundaries between European Union member-states have been systematically re-set. This paper examines the economic impact derived from re-establishing the boundary on a particular cross-border region located between Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. The paper begins by outlining the theoretical considerations on the interplay between borders and economy. After examining the case-study area and the decisions taken by the Spanish and Portuguese authorities in an attempt to control the spread of the virus in 2020, the article explains the methods used to obtain the results. Two sets of results are presented. Firstly, the direct consequences for cross-border economic activities are considered. Secondly, the fall in Gross Domestic Product is quantified for sectors and municipalities in the cross-border region, distinguishing between, on the one hand, the overall effect caused by the restrictions due to the lockdown situation and, on the other, the precise impact attributed to the re-establishment of the international boundary. This is a worthy addition to previous literature given that this paper details the specific economic effects caused by the COVID- 19 crisis in a cross-border region directly affected by the boundary closure.AECT Río Miño Deputación de PontevedraS

Local sustainable mobility management. Are Portuguese municipalities aware?

Urban mobility has become an international problem and several countries have joined together in different consortia, signing international agreements and developing projects with a view to establishing new standards for current mobility levels and the development of the transport systems of the future. Although such worldwide increasing effort regarding sustainable mobility issue, namely by the most proactive European cities, it is not yet clear why measures towards sustainable mobility are not implemented by the generality of local authorities. The main goal of this paper is to identify the different sustainable mobility strategies and the corresponding perceptions by local public authorities. Such local governance aspects have yet to be dealt with appropriately and in a credible way. This shortcoming is particularly acute in Portugal where sustainable urban mobility management is still highly underdeveloped and very few studies have been dedicated to the matter. We provide new evidence on the perceptions and strategies of the Portuguese local public authorities regarding sustainable urban mobility management. Through a survey to all Portuguese municipalities we provide brand new evidence on their perceptions and strategies regarding sustainable urban mobility management. Estimates based on econometric regressions indicate that the most mobility-conscious municipalities are, on average, those that are richer, more cultural and educated, possess alternative transport parks and routes, have larger and more human capital intensive mobility departments. Results show that more than simply participating in urban regeneration programs it is necessary a more committed attitude, namely that municipalities’ urban plans explicitly mention mobility issues and indicators. All the models estimated clearly evidence a higher awareness of North municipalities towards sustainable mobility issues.Zona Euro; Sustainability; mobility management; regions; human capital

Interacting with technology in an ever more complex World: Designing for an all-inclusive society

In a recent study we undertook we analyzed a relatively simple day-to-day technology namely the use of automatic teller machines (ATMs) by older adults. Our results alert to the fact that for an aging population Worldwide, even seemingly simple technological products (such as ATMs) have to be in future more carefully designed to be all-inclusive (e.g. intuitively usable by all) so that individuals do not feel marginalized by financially-oriented [as well as other] technology. This will enable obvious immediate benefits for people, including increased productivity, quality of life and independence. Recent studies have proven that belonging to social groups and networks – in sum, feeling included through one’s relationships in society – can be just as important for one’s health as diet and exercise – social isolation can be a health hazard comparable to that of smoking, high blood pressure and obesity (Jetten et al. 2009). Computers and technology, on the other hand, are to become ever more present in society (Challenger 2009). We thus believe that steps have to be taken to prevent the elderly and other groups with limitations from feeling disconnected in an increasingly technological World. Otherwise we will incur hidden costs at a growing rate (U.S. Census Bureau)