Changes in walkability in three urban neighborhoods of the city of Rome. A comparison 2009-2019

Introduction - Scientific evidence stresses that more walkable neighborhoods are linked to increased physical activity. Walking Suitability Index of the territory (T-WSI) is an easy method, already validated, to evaluate the walkability on the basis of direct observation. Aim of the study is to compare the walkability indices obtained in three urban neighborhoods of the city of Rome in 2009 and 2019, to evaluate whether the urban redevelopment interventions, performed in the decade, do really promote walkability. Methods - An audit, through T-WSI, is carried out for each street of a neighborhood. T-WSI audit evaluates 12 indicators subdivided into 4 categories: practicability, safety, urbanity, pleasurableness. The weighted analysis of these indicators gives an overall score of the actual usability of the neighborhood. In this study, 2 different trained surveyors, evaluated T-WSI in three neighborhoods of Rome (San Saba, Sacco Pastore and Tufello-Val Melaina), which differ in socio-economic conditions. Average scores have been compared using t-student. Results - A considerable improvement was observed in the Sacco Pastore neighborhood final weighted scores (T-WSI scores: from 53.6 in 2009 to 68.3 in 2019, with an increase of 14.7% (p < 0.005). All categories improved, although Safety (T-WSI scores: from 35.0 to 59.3; increase of 24.3% - p < 0.005) and Pleasurableness (T-WSI scores: from 48.5 to 61.4; increase of 12.9% - p < 0.005) show the greatest improvements. It is mainly due to redevelopment works carried out in the neighborhood in the last 10 years, mainly aimed to increase citizen's perceived safety (e.g. signs, crossing protection devices, traffic lights, greenery management) and to remove architectural barriers. Conclusions - The results show T-WSI is a useful tool in order to measure the effectiveness of the interventions already realized at local level, but it could also contribute to making decisions to develop regeneration projects for degraded areas of the cities

Housing problems in a changing society. Regulation and training needs in Italy

The paper focuses on the social, economic and environmental trends of recent years in Italy, highlighting the issue of housing emergency, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. What emerges are several shortages in housing especially in the suburbs of large cities, emphasizing the relevance of this issue in terms of health consequences and its priority for the definition of local policies. The authors underline that the availability of accessible and healthy housing is a human right, and a multisectoral responsibility, achievable only if a contribution is made by all relevant sectors including housing, environmental, social welfare, urban planning, building management and public health. The authors conclude by stressing the strategic role of training and illustrating a proposal addressed to all stakeholders, aiming to provide health evidences in terms of impact of housing hazards on health and to describe good building practices, helpful in order to obtain safe and healthy homes

Understanding the complexities of Building-Integrated Agriculture. Can food shape the future built environment?

Our food system is facing an unprecedented challenge: feeding a fast growing population without depleting precious resources like energy, soil, and water.Furthermore, the increasing urbanization has rapidly exacerbated the gap between farm to plate, leaving cities vulnerable to changes in the production and supply chain, as demonstrated by recent pandemics and wars. In this context, emerging technologies that allow plants to grow in absence of soil, permit to produce food in high densely built-up areas, bringing food production right were most consumers live. These initiatives enter within the so called Building-Integrated Agriculture (BIA), which is referred as the practice of locating greenhouses and soilless plant cultivation technologies on top and inside mixed-use buildings to exploit the synergies between the building environment and agriculture, involving resource recovery such as water, energy and nutrient flows. This paper aims at determining strategies, objectives, and best practices of BIA projects through the review of 21 case studies, to understand how a new advanced and future-oriented agriculture applied within the cities borders, can possibly shape the urban built environment and food systems of the future

Hygienic and sanitary standards of housing in Europe: a comparative analysis of nine countries

In recent years, growing interest was devoted to housing conditions from both scientific community and public health, so they are now considered among the main environmental and social health determinants of health of the population. Aim of the study is to analyze and compare the current regulations regarding housing sanitary requirements in different Countries of the EU (Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain) with the contents of the Italian Health Ministerial Decree 5th July 1975. From the websites of the official channels of the various countries the regulations have been downloaded. For the comparison, only the aspects of BCs concerning the scale of the building were examined; the comparison concerned all the requirements of the Health Ministerial Decree of 5.07.1975 and some other parameters (e.g. indoor chemical pollution, ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation) not provided for in the Ministerial Decree, treated in the other standards regulations, and relevant for the indoor well-being of the occupants. The authors observe a wide variability in the contents and in the formulation of the hygienic-sanitary requirements among the different Building Codes, above all as regards the dimensional data and some fundamental themes (e.g. heating systems, mechanical ventilation) whose treatment is often not it is updated with respect to the technological-scientific innovation consolidated over the past few years. A diverse approach among European Countries is also observed: from a market-oriented logic (e.g. UK), to a prescriptive one (Italy), to a functionality-oriented (the Netherlands). The comparative analysis we carried out made it possible to identify convergences and divergences in the standards analysed for the different European countries. As far as the Italian legislation on the usability of residential premises, finally, considering the health, social, environmental and economic trends, many standards contained in the MD 5th July 1975 should be reviewed and updated

Does the interaction between the knowledge management process and sustainable development practices boost corporate green innovation?

Green innovations are being deployed in manufacturing industries to promote organisational sustainability by embracing sustainable development practices (SDPs). However, little is known about how corporate green innovation (CGI) is influenced by the knowledge management process (KMP). To fill this gap, we have developed a multidimensional framework based on the resource-based view (RBV) theory that provides a foundation for sculpturing the process by which KMP was observed to capture and sustain CGI through SDPs. Data were collected from 393 respondents of large- and medium-sized manufacturing corporations in Pakistan and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). This study provides several key findings. First, KMP dimensions (acquisition, dissemination and application) significantly improve the SDPs' dimensions (environment, economic and social). Second, SDP dimensions play a significant role in achieving CGI. Third, the implementation of SDPs partially mediates the relationship between the KMP and CGI. Furthermore, the fsQCA results signify the robustness of all integrated constructs. Our results demonstrate that investing in and adopting the latest technologies and sustainable practices are not only valuable for long-term success but the soft concerns such as managing organisational knowledge are also vital in the current knowledge-based economy. Finally, in light of our findings, theoretical and managerial implications, with propositions for future studies, have been provided at the end of the paper

Walkable urban environments: An ergonomic approach of evaluation

Background. The salutogenicity of urban environments is significantly affected by their ergonomics, i.e., by the quality of the interactions between citizens and the elements of the built environment. Measuring and modelling urban ergonomics is thus a key issue to provide urban policy makers with planning solutions to increase the well-being, usability and safety of the urban environment. However, this is a difficult task due to the complexity of the interrelations between the urban environment and human activities. The paper contributes to the definition of a generalized model of urban ergonomics and salutogenicity, focusing on walkability, by discussing the relevant parameters from the large and variegated sets proposed in the literature, by discussing the emerging model structure from a data mining process, by considering the background of the relevant functional dependency already established in the literature, and by providing evidence of the solutions’ effectiveness. The methodology is developed for a case study in central Italy, with a focus on the mobility issue, which is a catalyst to generate more salutogenic and sustainable behaviors

COVID-19 and cities. From urban health strategies to the pandemic challenge. a decalogue of public health opportunities

Contesto e scopo del lavoro. La pandemia in corso di COVID-19, che al giorno d'oggi ha superato 2,5 milioni di infezioni notificate nel mondo e circa 200.000 morti, è un forte promemoria che l'urbanizzazione ha cambiato il modo in cui persone e comunità vivono, lavorano e interagiscono, ed è necessario rendere i sistemi e le capacità locali resilienti per prevenire la diffusione di malattie infettive. Come possiamo riprogettare il concetto di sanità pubblica in relazione all'ambiente costruito e alle città contemporanee? Metodi. Secondo le dichiarazioni e lo scenario precedenti, l'obiettivo di questo documento è integrare gli obiettivi strategici di Urban Health, concentrando le possibili risposte, sia immediate che a medio-lungo termine, agli attuali aspetti ambientali, sociali ed economici del "periodo" di distanziamento fisico. Risultati. Le azioni immediate sono 01. programmare la flessibilità degli orari delle città; 02. pianificare una rete di mobilità intelligente e sostenibile; 03. definire un piano di servizi di vicinato; 04. sviluppare una digitalizzazione del contesto urbano, promuovendo le comunità intelligenti; 05. ripensare l'accessibilità ai luoghi della cultura e del turismo. Le azioni a medio lungo termine sono 06. progettare la flessibilità interna degli spazi abitativi domestici; 07. ripensare le tipologie di edifici, favorendo la presenza di spazi semi-privati ​​o collettivi; 08. rinnovare la rete dei servizi di assistenza di base; 09. integrare i piani di emergenza ambientale esistenti, con quelli relativi alle emergenze sanitarie; 10. migliorare la consapevolezza delle parti interessate sui fattori che influenzano la salute pubblica nelle città. Conclusioni. Il decalogo delle opportunità di sanità pubblica può fornire una base utile per progettisti (architetti e urbanisti), responsabili politici, esperti di sanità pubblica e agenzie sanitarie locali, nel promuovere azioni e politiche volte a trasformare le nostre città in ambienti di vita più salutari e salutogenici.Background and aim of the work. The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, which nowadays has exceeded 2.5 million notified infections in the world and about 200,000 deaths, is a strong reminder that urbanization has changed the way that people and communities live, work, and interact, and it’s necessary to make the systems and local capacities resilient to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. How we can re-design the concept of Public Health in relation to the built environment and the contemporary cities? Methods. According to the previous statements and scenario, aim of this paper is to integrate the Urban Health strategic objectives, focusing the possible responses, both immediate and medium-long term, to the current environmental, social, and economic aspects of the ‘period’ of physical distancing. Results.Immediate Actions are 01. program the flexibility of city schedules; 02. plan a smart and sustainable mobility network; 03. define a neighborhood services’ plan; 04. develop a digitization of the urban context, promoting the smart communities; 05. re-think the accessibility to the places of culture and tourism. Medium-long term Actions are 06. design the indoor flexibility of domestic living spaces; 07. re-think building typologies, fostering the presence of semi-private or collective spaces; 08. renovate the basic care services’ network; 09. integrate the existing environmental emergency plans, with those related to the health emergencies; 10. improve stakeholders’ awareness of the factors affecting Public Health in the cities. Conclusions. The Decalogue of Public Health opportunities may provide a useful basis for Designers (Architects and Urban Planners), Policy Makers, Public Health experts and Local Health Agencies, in promoting actions and policies aimed to transform our cities in healthier and Salutogenic living environments

From building regulations and local health rules to the new local building codes. A national survey in Italy on the prescriptive and performance requirements for a new performance approach

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization has highlighted the need to strengthen the relationship between health and built environment factors, such as inappropriate housing conditions. Building Regulations and Local Health Rules provide safety and building hygiene in construction practices. Currently the Italian Government is giving rise to a Building Regulation Type and the paper aims to verify the present contents of recent innovative Local Health Rules and Building Regulations of several Italian municipalities for supporting the performance approach of the future Building Regulations including hygienic issues. METHODS: The analysis examines both Building Regulations and Local Health Rules of a sample of about 550 cities, analysing some specific fields of interest: urban field, outdoor issues, housing features, housing restrictions, and qualitative aspects. RESULTS: The analysis focuses on some specific aspects defining the general data reported in Building Regulations and Local Health Rules, in particular around surfaces, heights, lighting and aeration ratio, basements and semi-basements, gas radon, building greenery, etc. CONCLUSION: The investigation permitted to have a wide vision on the present State of the Art in order to highlight some innovative aspects and design approaches of Building Regulations and Local Health Rules. New perspectives in the new regulations should have a performance approach, starting also from the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

COVID-19 and living space challenge. Well-being and public health recommendations for a healthy, safe, and sustainable housing

Background and aim of the work: The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is a strong reminder that the lockdown period has changed the way that people and communities live, work, and interact, and it’s necessary to make resilient the built environment, both outdoor and mainly the indoor spaces: housing, workplaces, public buildings, and entertainment facilities. How can we re-design the concept of Well-being and Public Health in relation to the living places of the future? Methods: According to the previous statements and scenario, this paper aims to integrate the building hygiene and well-being, focusing the possible responses, both existing and for the new buildings, taking home a strong message from this “period” of physical distancing. Results: The Well-being and Public Health recommendations for a healthy, safe, and sustainable housing are framed into the following key points: 1. Visible and accessible green elements and spaces; 2. Flexibility, adaptability, sharing, and crowding of living spaces, and compliant functions located into the buildings; 3. Re-appropriation of the basic principles and archetypes of sustainable architecture, thermal comfort and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ); 4. Water consumption and Wastewater Management; 5. Urban Solid Waste Management; 6. Housing automation and electromagnetic fields; 7. Indoor building and finishing materials. Conclusions: The Well-being and Public Health recommendations for a healthy, safe and sustainable housing may provide a useful basis for Designers, Policy Makers (fostering tax incentives for building renewal), Public Health experts and Local Health Agencies, in promoting actions and policies aimed to transform living places in healthier and Salutogenic spaces. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Growing e-waste management risk awareness points towards new recycling scenarios: The view of the Big Four's youngest consultants

The e-waste sector is characterised by a rapid growth at global level and therefore involves an area not yet sufficiently investigated in its risk management dimension. This research fills the gap of the absence of a holistic approach to risk identification and assessment in e-waste management, suggesting a new Risk Awareness Indicator (RAI). An integrated Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is proposed to calculate the new index. Weights and values will be proposed by twenty Big Four's youngest consultants (generation-Z and millennials). For e-waste, cyber risks related to personal data are critical in the collection phase, environmental risks in the transport phase, and financial and economic risks in the processing phase. Recycling scenarios pose less overall risk than landfill alternatives. The results can help policy makers to meet the circular economy targets set at the European Union level by implementing administrative and regulatory simplifications to support recycling supply chains and make them more efficient and resilient after the pandemic disruption. This work focuses on e-waste and the opinion of screenagers consultants, however the methodology used to design the RAI index makes it easy to replicate the analysis to other social settings and other waste supply chains