Landscape Economic Attractiveness: An Integrated Methodology for Exploring the Rural Landscapes in Piedmont (Italy)

The present paper focuses on an integrated evaluation methodology aimed at measuring the attractiveness of rural landscapes. The landscapes under observation are two exceptional contexts in Piedmont (Italy): The Moraine Amphitheatre of Ivrea and the vineyard landscape of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, which have recently been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The proposed investigation tool consists of the use of a system of landscape indicators, from which a synthetic index called the landscape economic attractiveness index has been obtained, and the integration of the results in a dynamic model, considering the synthetic index as a factor of people mobility in a multi-pole system. This integrated approach aims at supporting the decisionmaking process in the definition and orientation of landscape and territorial transformation policies, respecting the landscape components

Landscape Economic Value for Territorial Scenarios of Change: An Application for the Unesco Site of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato

The present paper focuses on the issues related to the economic value of landscape and the role of indicators and indices systems. The aim of the study is the definition of a synthetic index of Landscape Economic Value (LEV) through a system of economic indicators, to measure the attractiveness of Vineyard Landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (IT), recently included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (2014). Furthermore, the synthetic index is employed in a dynamic transformation model that works in a cluster system of municipalities, where the Landscape Economic Value acts as an attractor factor generating people flows. The results obtained by the evaluation model might be an innovative proposal to define development territorial scenarios in decisional making-processe

Valutazione dei benefici connessi al risparmio energetico degli edifici: un approccio econometrico

La certificazione energetica attesta la prestazione o rendimento energetico degli edifici ed è stata introdotta dalla Direttiva Europea 2002/91/CE come strumento di informazione e trasparenza del mercato immobiliare. Questo lavoro mira a indagare il contributo della certificazione energetica al valore di mercato di un immobile. In particolare, lo studio propone un’applicazione del metodo dei prezzi edonici (hedonic prices method) a un campione di immobili residenziali localizzati nella città di Torino con l’obiettivo di valutare la disponibilità a pagare degli acquirenti nei confronti di edifici energeticamente efficienti. I risultati dell’applicazione mostrano l’esistenza di un apprezzamento dei consumatori per le classi a rendimento energetico più elevato e ciò appare coerente con quanto riscontrato in altri studi a livello internazionale. Tuttavia, anche se incoraggianti, i risultati ottenuti appaiono suscettibili di ulteriori verifiche, anche attraverso una possibile integrazione con la metodologia del cost optimal

The reintroduction of Castor fiber in Piedmont (Italy): An integrated SWOT-spatial multicriteria based approach for the analysis of suitability scenarios

Abstract The Castor fiber or Eurasian beaver can change its habitat by building dams and creating ponds. For this reason, Castor fiber is known as an "ecosystem engineer" for aquatic and riparian environments. Despite its ecological importance, at the beginning of the 20th century the population was reduced to only 1200 beavers in Europe and Asia, due to uncontrolled hunting. Recently, some reintroductions and translocations have partly re-established the population. In Italy, however, the beaver disappeared in the 16th century and no action has been taken despite the recommendation of the Council of Europe to perform a feasibility study. This research evaluates beaver reintroduction and identifies suitable areas in Italy and, in particular, in the Piedmont region. In order to achieve this, a SWOT analysis combined with a Spatial Multicriteria Analysis was performed. Firstly, the zoological and ethological aspects concerning this rodent were studied, as well as the historical reasons that led to its disappearance in Italy and near extinction in Eurasia. Secondly, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the territory were identified for beaver reintroduction. The SWOT analysis was implemented, as the starting point for the spatial multicriteria analysis. Thirdly, the Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) was structured into two criteria, i.e. Potentials and Criticalities, representing the spatialization of strengths and weaknesses. The final result of the MC-SDSS is a map showing suitable areas for beaver reintroduction in Piedmont. This map is the weighted sum of the maps of criticalities and potentialities, performed through a set of GIS operations and weighted through a pairwise comparison of criteria by experts. The analysis was conducted for the Piedmont region, but the integrated approach and the set of criteria can also be applied in other regions. Moreover, this mixed-method approach takes into account the characteristics necessary for the choice of suitable beaver habitats and also includes economic and social aspects. Therefore, it is an improvement on the Habitat Suitability Index (HIS), generally used in reintroductions. The aspects considered in the analysis are fundamental for the future development of a shared action plan, which considers both technical and social motivations and acts for the long-term on a wide area

Development of a Decision-Making Model to Support the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Revision of the Municipal Plan of Turin (Italy)

This article presents a decision-making model for assessing the sustainability of urban plans and programmes to envision long-term transformation scenarios through the development of consistency matrices. The tool was tested in a real case study, which is the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Revision of the General Municipal Plan of the City of Turin (Italy). The changes that have taken place in recent years have highlighted the need for more flexible, dynamic, and streamlined tools that can help the revision of plans and programmes, which are capable also of considering the citizen’s needs. The decision-making model provided in this paper was structured into five phases: normative framing of the environmental assessment procedures; spatial analysis by structures; consistency analysis of conformity between the objectives of the technical proposal of the preliminary draft and the superordinate and coordinated planning; monitoring of the technical proposal through the employment of key indicators; and the definition of guidelines for the General Regulatory Plan of the City of Turin. The tool presented in this work can support planners, municipal technicians, and general public administrations, both in the planning and assessment processes to design and implement sustainable policy recommendations capable of tackling the increasing complexity of urban transformations

Dominance-based rough set approach and analytic network process for assessing urban transformation scenarios

For half a century, the significant development of intensive farming has led to a massive use of products such as pesticides. The excessive use of these substances has contaminated surface water and groundwater. Drinking water extraction points have also had to be abandoned. Some thirty years ago, in the southwest of France, a group of farmers decided to improve their farming methods, as well as developing new Best Environmental Practices, such as grass strips along streams and riparian forests. By combining the use of ELECTRE TRI-C multi-criteria model with a GIS, we were able to characterise the contribution of each farming area to the risk of surface water contamination with pesticides. We also assessed the effectiveness of different environmental practices. We found that the use of Best Environmental Practices led to a reduction in the risk of pesticides transfer. This methodology re-enforces decision support tools for water resource managers and agricultural and environmental stakeholders

nZEB Design: Challenging between Energy and Economic Targets

Currently nZEB design represents a negotiation between energy targets and economic concerns. Whereby, it is indispensable that, staring from very preliminary phase of the project, a synergy between the building and system designers, the energy consultant and the economic valuer is set up. Cost-optimal methodology together with statistical analyses developed with Minitab software was applied to analyze a new high performing single-family house, in Northern Italy, in order to define how energy and economic aspects could influence the preliminary design phase of the project

Valuing buildings energy efficiency through Hedonic Prices Method: are spatial effects relevant?

The primary goal of this work is to employ a spatial econometric model joined with a basic Hedonic Prices Method (HPM) to estimate the implicit marginal price, as measure of willingness to pay for buildings energy performance in Turin City. The recent debate about environmental costs of energy waste justifies the implementation of different policies focused on buildings energy efficiency. The application of seven models on a large data–set of residential properties values shows the necessity to carefully control the coherence between spatial and econometric approaches. At the same time, findings of the exploration of an exemplary case study can help researchers and policymakers in the definition of innovative urban models in the context of the post-carbon city

Multicriteria Spatial Analysis for competitive cultural Heritage in fringe areas: the case of the Valle d'Aosta Castels

The Alpine territories show a strong potential in reaching the targets set out by the European policies related to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The present paper reflects about the role of cultural heritage in supporting local development processes in mountain areas. In particular, Valle d'Aosta castles' system (Italy) is considered in the study, with particular reference to the analysis of the opportunities and the risks at the regional scale. The results of the work delineate how Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS) can support the definition of enhancement strategies by providing a wide and integrated knowledge of the cultural heritage under investigation. The introduction of MC-SDSS in the field of historical assets' conservation is quite innovative. Differently from the traditional analysis, the use of such an integrated approach allows decision maker to consider the spatial features of each development option and to evaluate simultaneously their multidimensional impacts