Globalisation process, urban and regional dynamics in Portugal

The globalisation process has been changing the Portuguese productive structure but also the urban and regional economic geography, phenomenon particularly important after Portuguese integration in the European Community in 1986. The increase of foreign direct investment (FDI), the growth of the service sector, the industrial restructuring and the change of exports constitute the main economic effects of globalisation in Portugal. In the present paper we will present a brief empirical analysis of these recent trends and their urban and regional dynamics.N/

Acessibilidade à rede de serviços de urgência em territórios de baixa densidade: o caso do Baixo Alentejo, Portugal

Access to health care is a sensitive issue in low population density territories, as these areas tend to have a lower level of service provision. One dimension of access is accessibility. This paper focuses on measuring the accessibility to urgent and emergency care services in the Portuguese region of Baixo Alentejo, a territory characterized by low population density. Data for the calculation of accessibility is the road network, and the methodology considers the application of a two-level network analyst method: time-distance by own mean (car or taxi) to the urgent care services and the time distance to emergency services as a way to get assistance and to go to urgent care services. While urgent care accessibility meets the requirements stipulated in the Integrated Medical Emergency System’s current legislative framework, the simulation of different scenarios of potential accessibility shows intra-regional disparities. Some territories have a low level of accessibility. Older adults, the poorly educated, and low-income population, also have the lowest levels of accessibility, which translates into dually disadvantageous situation since the potential users of emergency services are most likely to belong to this group of citizens.Em territórios de baixa densidade populacional, o acesso aos cuidados de saúde é uma questão delicada, pois essas áreas tendem a ter um nível mais baixo de prestação de serviços. Uma dimensão do acesso é a medição da acessibilidade. Este artigo tem como propósito medir a acessibilidade aos serviços de urgência e aos meios de emergência médica na região portuguesa do Baixo Alentejo, território caracterizado por uma baixa densidade populacional. A metodologia considera o método network analyst aplicado à rede viária, em dois níveis: o cálculo da distância-tempo aos serviços de urgência usando modo próprio (carro ou táxi); e o cálculo da distância-tempo recorrendo aos meios de socorro e emergência como forma de aceder aos serviços de urgência. Embora se considere que a acessibilidade às urgências atende ao atual quadro legislativo do Sistema Integrado de Emergência Médica, a simulação de diferentes cenários no Baixo Alentejo mostra a existência de disparidades intra-regionais no que se refere à acessibilidade aos serviços de urgência. Verifica-se que é a população idosa, de baixa instrução e residente em zonas com baixa densidade populacional quem apresenta menores índices de acessibilidade, o que traduz uma situação duplamente desvantajosa, uma vez que estes são os maiores utilizadores destes serviços.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

From Livable Communities to Livable Metropolis: Challenges for Urban Mobility in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal)

Urban mobility plays an important role in addressing urban livability. The complexification and dispersion of travel due to the improvement of transport and the multiplication of our daily living places underline the relevance of multilevel territorial planning, recognizing that the knowledge of local differences is essential for more effective urban policies. This paper aims (1) to comprehend conceptually how urban mobility contributes to the urban livability from the local to metropolitan level and (2) to assess the previous relation toward a livable metropolis based on the readily available statistics for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Hence, a triangulation between conceptual, political/operative, and quantitative/monitoring approaches is required. The methodology follows four steps: (1) literature review focusing on the quantification of urban mobility within the urban livability approach; (2) data collection from the Portuguese statistics system; (3) data analysis and results, using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by cluster analysis (CA); (4) discussion and conclusions. In Portugal, although it is implicit, consistency is evident between the premises of recent urban mobility policies and respective planning instruments, such as the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP), and the premises of urban livability as an urban movement. Focusing on the national statistics system, the available indicators that meet our quality criteria are scarce and represent a reduced number of domains. Even so, they allow identifying intra-metropolitan differences in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) that could support multilevel planning instruments. The results identified five principal components related to commuting at the local and intermunicipal level, including car use as well as social and environmental externalities, and they reorganized the 18 LMA municipalities into eight groups, clearly isolating Lisbon, the capital, from the others. The identification of sensitive territories and respective problems based on urban livability principles is fundamental for an effective urban planning from livable communities to livable metropolis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“Geographies” of primary healthcare access for older adults in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal: a territory of differences1

Vários autores têm refletido sobre a questão do acesso aos serviços de saúde, considerando a existência de várias dimensões, nas quais se inclui a disponibilidade e a acessibilidade. No contexto de envelhecimento que caracteriza as sociedades, a população idosa precisa de mais cuidados de saúde, e a acessibilidade a essas unidades assume importância acrescida. O objetivo do estudo é caracterizar o acesso da população idosa aos serviços de saúde, confrontando as possibilidades decorrentes da oferta de serviços com os padrões de procura. Do confronto entre oferta e procura resulta a possibilidade de identificar as dinâmicas intrarregionais e associá-las às diferentes condições socioeconômicas dos idosos, ao seu enquadramento familiar, modo de transporte e tipo de serviço. Esta abordagem considera duas fases metodológicas: o cálculo do potencial de cobertura populacional das unidades de cuidados primários, considerando a acessibilidade física recorrendo aos modos pedonal e rodoviário; e o confronto desses valores com a procura dos serviços, determinada a partir de inquéritos realizados aos residentes. Concluiu-se que, apesar dos equipamentos de saúde prestadores de cuidados primários terem sido programados como serviço de proximidade, a forma de prestação do serviço, as características socioeconômicas da população idosa e o modelo de urbanização apontam para diferenças relevantes no contexto da Área Metropolitana de Lisboa.Several authors have reflected upon access to health services considering several dimensions, such as availability and accessibility. Due to the aging of societies, the older population’s demands for healthcare increase, and accessibility to these units acquires special importance. Our study aims to characterize the access of older people to healthcare services, facing the possibilities arising from service supply and demand patters. From the supply and demand confrontation, comes the possibility of identifying intraregional dynamics and associating them with the various socioeconomic conditions of older people, family background, modes of transportation, and type of service. This approach considers two methodological phases: calculating the potential for primary healthcare coverage, considering physical accessibility for pedestrian and highway modes; and confronting these values with services demand, determined from surveys conducted with residents. We concluded that, although healthcare centers were designed as a proximity service, service provision, socioeconomic aspects, and the urbanization model entail meaningful inequalities of access in the context of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acessibilidade aos cuidados de saúde primários em regiões de baixa densidade: caso de estudo: NUTS III, Baixo Alentejo, Portugal

This study diagnosed the situation regarding the physical accessibility of the resident population to primary health care, based on the characteristics of the population served, their spatial distribution in the territory, based on space-time analysis. Thus, bearing the different means of transport available and the specific features of a low-density territory, we considered several mobility profiles under analysis, and selected the Baixo Alentejo as the study area. In methodological terms, besides using the location of primary health facilities and their areas of influence, the use of the road network and its restrictions, we selected the use the new 1x1 km grid, recently implemented throughout the EU (European Union), instead of using the statistical units or administrative boundaries. Its advantages allow overcoming some of the issues of the usual base cartography. The final results can be divided into two groups: conclusions related to the methodologies used and conclusions related to the accessibility of primary health care equipment in the study area.Decidiu-se realizar o diagnóstico de situação sobre a acessibilidade física da população residente aos cuidados de saúde primários, baseada nas características da população servida, na sua distribuição espacial, tendo por base uma análise espaço/tempo, permitindo avaliar essa mesma acessibilidade. Deste modo, e tendo em consideração os diversos modos de transporte disponíveis, bem como as características específicas de um território de baixa densidade, foram considerados diversos perfis de mobilidade, sendo a área de estudo escolhida o Baixo Alentejo. Em termos metodológicos, além da utilização da localização dos equipamentos de saúde primários e das suas áreas de influência, da utilização da rede viária e das suas restrições, optou-se pela utilização de uma cartografia base menos convencional. Em vez das unidades estatísticas associadas às unidades administrativas, optou-se pela utilização da nova quadrícula de 1x1 km, implementada recentemente em toda a União Europeia (UE). A utilização desta quadrícula permite ultrapassar alguns dos problemas apresentados pela cartografia base habitual. Os resultados podem-se dividir em dois grupos: conclusões relacionadas com as metodologias utilizadas, e conclusões relacionadas com a acessibilidade aos equipamentos de saúde primários na área de estudo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobility and Dissemination of COVID-19 in Portugal: Correlations and Estimates from Google’s Mobility Data

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has important links with population mobility. Social interaction is a known determinant of human-to-human transmission of infectious diseases and, in turn, population mobility as a proxy of interaction is of paramount importance to analyze COVID-19 diffusion. Using mobility data from Google’s Community Reports, this paper captures the association between changes in mobility patterns through time and the corresponding COVID-19 incidence at a multi-scalar approach applied to mainland Portugal. Results demonstrate a strong relationship between mobility data and COVID-19 incidence, suggesting that more mobility is associated with more COVID-19 cases. Methodological procedures can be summarized in a multiple linear regression with a time moving window. Model validation demonstrate good forecast accuracy, particularly when we consider the cumulative number of cases. Based on this premise, it is possible to estimate and predict future evolution of the number of COVID-19 cases using near real-time information of population mobilityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Territorial Cohesion in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden 2007 and 2017

To what extent territorial cohesion is achieved or not, due to the EU Cohesion Policy, national regional policies, or globalization forces, is debated. This paper aims at discussing territorial cohesion at a NUTS 3 level in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden for 2007 and 2017 by using the Territorial Cohesion Development Index. The findings indicate a) that bigger cities and highly urbanized regions in Denmark, Finland and Sweden perform very well in the Territorial Cohesion Development Index, while non-core and peripheral regions fell further behind; and b) all Norwegian regions and the Åland Islands have high scores in the Territorial Cohesion Development Index. The findings indicate a need to resuscitate the national regional policies in Denmark, Finland and Sweden to counteract the increasing gap between the capital region and the rest of the regions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Covid-19 pandemic process in Mainland Portugal: a geographical analysis of the first 100 days

A difusão espacial do vírus SARS-CoV-2 vem destacar a importância da geografia na interpretação deste fenómeno. O presente artigo tem como objetivo identificar as dinâmicas de propagação da COVID-19 em Portugal Continental, à escala do concelho entre março e junho de 2020, nas suas relações com os perfis demográfico e socioeconómico dos territórios. O processo de difusão iniciou-se nas áreas urbanas mais densas, seguindo-se as áreas de fronteira e, posteriormente, propagou-se aos territórios de menor densidade demográfica e mais envelhecida. A tendência mais recente, mostra uma retoma de importância das áreas urbanas de maior densidade associada aos grupos socioeconómicos mais vulneráveis concentrados na região funcional de Lisboa.The spatial diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the importance of geography in the interpretation of these phenomena. This article aims to identify the spread dynamics of COVID-19 in Mainland Portugal, at the municipal level, between March and June, and its relation with demographic and socio-economic factors. The diffusion process started in more populated and economically active areas, following the frontier areas, and later, it spread to lower density and ageing territories. The most recent trend shows a resumption of the importance of dense urban areas associated with the most vulnerable socio-economic groups concentrated in the functional Lisbon region.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A pandemia COVID-19 em Portugal Continental: uma análise geográfica da evolução verificada nos meses de Março e Abril

O processo de difusão do vírus pelos vários países e regiões do mundo, vem destacar a importância da geografia na interpretação dos fenómenos. O presente artigo tem como objetivo identificar a evolução concelhia da propagação do vírus COVID-19, no período compreendido entre março e abril em Portugal Continental, procurando relacionar esse padrão com as características demográficas e socioeconómicas do território continental português. O processo de difusão iniciou-se pelas áreas urbanas mais densas, seguindo as áreas de fronteira e posteriormente, propagou-se aos territórios de população envelhecida e menor densidade demográfica.The process of spreading the virus across countries and regions around the world, highlights the importance of geography in interpreting the phenomena. This article aims to identify the evolution of the phenomena in Portugal, between March and April, seeking to relate this pattern to the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the territory. The diffusion process starts by the metro areas and other densely urbanised territories, follows to boarder areas and finally went to ageing and less dense territories.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Walking Accessibility to Primary Healthcare Services: An Inequity Factor for Olders in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal)

This chapter discusses the walking accessibility to primary healthcare by the olders in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA), Portugal, and its contribution for age-friendly environments as a factor of inequity. Constrains emerged from the collation of the supply approach, represented by service catchment areas based on walking distance time, and the demand approach, through a survey. The location and density of primary health network are a major factor, as it is related to distinct land use patterns within the LMA. The settlement structure influences the potential walkability to primary healthcare. The discrepancy between the potential walking accessibility and the real options is notorious, as olders` choices are diversified in terms of transportation modes and destinations, but mostly keeping relatively short time distances. This phenomenon is also influenced by factors such as personal preference, difficulty to walk, negative perceptions about the surroundings, and insufficient care support. This debate is already an effective concern of local authorities with spatial planning, social and health competences, insofar as solutions in terms of service flexibility and new travel solutions adapted to the specific needs of the olders are a growing reality in the LMA, promoting more age-friendly, health, and inclusive environments, and hence an equitable metropolis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio