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

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

Management plan and surveillance monitoring for an urban lake in a coastal touristic town

Urban lakes have been created for different purposes, such as storing rainwater and avoiding flooding of adjacent urban areas. As an added value, they can be important recreational areas with an intrinsic aesthetic value. These artificial systems are characterised by very shallow waters, large amount of nutrient inputs and reduced water flow. These characteristics make them very prone to eutrophication process with the consequent deterioration of water quality and aesthetic value. The objective of this study is to present the management plan for a small urban lake (11,264 m2 and 1.5 m average depth) in Tavernes de la Valldigna (Valencia, Spain). This urban lake was constructed in a natural depression after the important flooding caused by the Júcar River overflow (15,000 m3/s peak flow) and the breaking of the Tous Dam in 1982. It works as storm tank and it has a pumping station to alleviate flow directly to the Mediterranean Sea. Around the lake, there is a recreational area that is mostly used in summer during touristic season. Since its construction it has suffered repeated events of fish deaths and bad odours that cause the alarm of residents and tourists. Municipal authorities worried by the environmental health risk and the economic impact on the tourism industry decided to undertake a restoration project. The results of this study present the initial status diagnosis and the propose d management plan. For guarantying the success of the implemented measures, a surveillance monitoring is designed.Sebastiá-Frasquet, M.; Sanchís Blay, JA.; Tormo-Flores, JB.; Altur Grau, VJ.; Pena-Regueiro, J. (2016). Management plan and surveillance monitoring for an urban lake in a coastal touristic town. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 11(6):886-896. doi:10.2495/SDP-V11-N6-886-896S88689611