Green Coastal Zones: Nodes and Connectors as Strategy of Urban Regeneration

[EN] The landscape of Valencian Community is a resource with great cultural and heritage value. The system of Green Infrastructure ensures a continuous network of unbuilt areas with high environmental, cultural and visual value that also serves as ecological and functional connectors. The ERAM research project `Strategies for sustainable regeneration of tourist settlements on the Mediterranean coast¿ (2012¿14) identifies and analyzes the different types of coastal tourist towns of the Valencian region considering their needs for urban regeneration. It proposes strategies for prospective actions that can serve as a model for the regeneration of coastal tourist resorts. The determination of Green Coastal Zones (GCZ) aims to define their potential for urban regeneration in order to establish criteria for regional planning and urban design processes that will foster innovation in mature tourist destinations. The results show the potential of the 11 ERAM areas whose nodal connectivity and multifunctional landscape defines the framework for adaptive design strategies that may present alternative scenarios for touristic settlements.The ERAM research project ‘Strategies for sustainable regeneration of tourist settlements on the Mediterranean coast’ (2012–14) identifies and analyzes the different types of coastal tourist towns of the Valencian region considering their needs for urban regeneration.Tuset Davó, JJ. (2017). Green Coastal Zones: Nodes and Connectors as Strategy of Urban Regeneration. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 12(3):488-497. https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V12-N3-488-497S48849712

The economic value of landscape aesthetics in Albufera natural park through the analytic multicriteria valuation method

[EN] The effective definition of public intervention goals and resource allocation for natural resource management requires decision makers to understand the monetary values of the full range of goods and services provided by landscapes, in other words, their Total Economic Value (TEV). Aesthetic enjoyment (AE) can be considered as part of such TEV of landscapes. For the estimation of the economic value of AE in Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain), this paper applies the Analytic Multicriteria Valuation Method (AMUVAM). It is a combination of two established techniques: analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and discount cash flow (DCF). The economic value of non-market benefits under AMUVAM is obtained indirectly, by comparing the relative degrees of importance attached to the different components of TEV. In this way, not only does it estimate a monetary value of AE but also its importance relative to TEV. Results express that AE represents 7% of the TEV in Albufera Natural Park and 24% of the EV in Albufera Natural Park ( 176 million). Results reveal distinct patterns in the valuation of TEV and existence value (EV). In this way, together with the average, a range of values which show the different sensitivities of society is provided. The comparison of the TEV obtained for Albufera Natural Park with previous studies conducted on wetlands suggests its similarity in scale.Estruch-Guitart, V.; Vallés-Planells, M. (2017). The economic value of landscape aesthetics in Albufera natural park through the analytic multicriteria valuation method. International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. 12(3):281-302. doi:10.2495/DNE-V12-N3-281-302S28130212

Generalized Berreman's model of the elastic surface free energy of a nematic liquid crystal on a sawtoothed substrate

In this paper we present a generalization of Berreman's model for the elastic contribution to the surface free-energy density of a nematic liquid crystal in presence of a sawtooth substrate which favours homeotropic anchoring, as a function of the wavenumber of the surface structure $q$, the tilt angle $\alpha$ and the surface anchoring strength $w$. In addition to the previously reported non-analytic contribution proportional to $q\ln q$, due to the nucleation of disclination lines at the wedge bottoms and apexes of the substrate, the next-to-leading contribution is proportional to $q$ for a given substrate roughness, in agreement with Berreman's predictions. We characterise this term, finding that it has two contributions: the deviations of the nematic director field with respect to the corresponding to the isolated disclination lines, and their associated core free energies. Comparison with the results obtained from the Landau-de Gennes model shows that our model is quite accurate in the limit $wL>1$, when strong anchoring conditions are effectively achieved.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures; revised version submitted to Phys. Rev.

TYPOLOGY OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS OCCURRED IN THE PERI-URBAN SPACE OF HUERTA DE VALENCIA. EVIDENCE FROM NORTH ARCH OF VALENCIA (SPAIN)

[EN] This paper present the outputs obtained from the measurement and classification of the different types of changes happened in the last 70 years on the Northern area of expansion of the city of Valencia. The city has progressively been covering, with different rhythms and intensities, the space of La Huerta. We can identify between 1944 and 2014 a group of transformations that occur repetitively, building a change pattern identified as common on the city s expansion evolution. The methodology is based on the analysis and measurement of changes occurred on land structure, land use, buildings occupation and on the traditional structure of non-urban roads. The key sources to measure such changes have been the use of the Cadastre of 1929 1944; 1972; and 1989; the orthophoto collections from the Valencian Regional Library and the evolution of SIOSE mapping. The most outstanding results refer to the surprising resilience of some elements from the structure of La Huerta de Valencia and the discovery and identification of the main transformations patterns that could be generalized to the rest of La Huerta de Valencia.Temes Cordovez, RR.; Moya Fuero, A. (2016). TYPOLOGY OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS OCCURRED IN THE PERI-URBAN SPACE OF HUERTA DE VALENCIA. EVIDENCE FROM NORTH ARCH OF VALENCIA (SPAIN). International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 11(6):996-1003. doi:10.2495/SDP-V11-N6-996-1003S996100311

Uncertainty dynamics in a model of economic inequality

In this article, we consider a stylized dynamic model to describe the economics of a population, expressed by a Langevin-type kinetic equation. The dynamics is defined by a combination of terms, one of which represents monetary exchanges between individuals mutually engaged in trade, while the uncertainty in barter (trade exchange) is modelled through additive and multiplicative stochastic terms which necessarily abide dynamical constraints. The model is studied to estimate three meaningful quantities, the inequality Gini index, the social mobility and the total income of the population. In particular, we investigate the time evolving binary correlations between any two of these quantities

The application of disaster management in Turkey from a comparative perspective: A proposal for a new model

Bu çalışma, 13-15 Eylül 2010 tarihleri arasında Algarve[Portekiz]’da düzenlenen 7. International Conference on Computer Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation’da bildiri olarak sunulmuştur.This study examines the mutual relations between risk, risk society and types of disaster, after having defined risk and the risk society, then proceeding to analyze a range of disaster management models that are currently applied in Turkey and other countries. An empirical survey about the last major disaster that occurred in Turkey is carried out. Consequently, a new, effective and functional integrated disaster management model for Turkey is proposed. The term 'risk society' describes the inevitable new hazards produced by industrial society's process of development. The risk society brings not only hazards and risks that are not familiar and have not been faced before, but also prosperity and benefits for the members of the risk society. Natural and man-made disasters affect human beings more than in pre-industrial society and produce distinctive impacts on and changes in the psychological structure of urban society after disasters. The disaster management system applied in the risk society should be different from classical systems. While implementing a disaster management model, specific types of disaster that may occur in urban areas should be considered. The model should include swift response, efficiency and practicality. As a conclusion of all these studies, a new, effective disaster management model applicable to Turkey is proposed.Wessex Inst TechnolWit, Transact Ecol & Environ

Alicante Coastal Management for Sustainable Development

Human intervention on the coast has been intense, due to the source of wealth that the coastal areas represent, especially in the form of tourism, which has resulted in a rapid erosion of its beaches. This paper discusses the current state of beach management in the various competent public administrations on the Costa Blanca (SE Spanish-Mediterranean), in relation to urban development and regression on the waterfront. To this end, an analysis has been carried out of the responses to a survey of those responsible for managing each of the 19 coastal municipalities of the Alicante coast, covering 244 km of coastline, 91 beaches and their personnel. Also, an investigation has been conducted as to whether this management’s aim is to protect the coastline and maintain the flora and fauna or just to manage recreation as the main economic activity is tourism. The analysis shows that the beach is simply regarded as a product or service offered to the user thereof. However, local authorities have not detected problems, possibly for two reasons: they do not have sufficient knowledge and this is understandable, given their lack of responsibilities in this area. This causes many beaches to have a high occupancy rate and there is a shift of users towards natural beaches. The study gives us information about the complex administrative process in the coastal system that often proves ineffective on this narrow strip of land

A mobile environmental monitoring station for sustainable cities

The aim of this paper is to present a mobile environmental monitoring station to evaluate the urban environment. The different phases of the mobile unit development are presented from its construction and operation mode for handling and sharing the data obtained. This mobile unit measures the following urban environmental parameters: environmental noise (Leq, L10 and L90), air quality (PM10, PM2.5 and Total Suspended Particles) and meteorological parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction). This mobile unit is part of a project developed for the Portuguese city of Vila Real, called SMMART (in English "Municipal System for Monitoring Air, Noise and Traffic"). The municipality accepted the challenge of developing a platform whereby the population could be informed about the quality of the urban environment (air and noise) of the city where they live.(undefined