Implementing the Supermanzana approach in Barcelona. Critical issues at local and urban level

To improve neighbourhood liveability and urban sustainability, Barcelona is seeking to re-organize its urban structure into superblocks, designed to discourage cut-through traffic and promote multiple uses of street space. Despite its potential, this approach is not without its limits, that should be properly taken into account. The implementation of the Supermanzana model in the Poblenou neighbourhood is explored in this paper to analyse its potentialities and constraints. Temporal synchronization between the urban level and the neighbourhood level turns out to be particularly important to reduce conflicts and criticalities

Hacia una nueva cristología en diálogo con la Tradición de la Iglesia

The Christology sinks its roots in the Tradition itself of the Church. In order to open its own comprehension horizon to dialogue with the culture and the science, it must turn toward its own origins so it can perform a correct autocomprehension of its intellectual and mystical patrimony. Therefore, this article proposes a working scheme made of three parts: theological and Christological evolution in patristic times; an examination of the current paradigm of the Christology in the times of the second axial era; and a proposal of theological method that allows a dialogue with the Tradition for a Christology “from above” who speaks with a Christology “from below”.La cristología hunde sus raíces en la Tradición misma de la Iglesia. Con el fin de abrir su horizonte de comprensión para dialogar con la cultura y la ciencia, debe volver sobre sus propios orígenes para una autocomprensión de su propio patrimonio intelectual, espiritual y místico. Así, el artículo propone un esquema de trabajo compuesto de tres partes: la evolución cristológica y mística en los tiempos patrísticos; examen del paradigma actual de la cristología en el marco de la segunda era axial; y una propuesta de un método teológico que dialogue con la Tradición para una cristología “desde arriba” cuyo interlocutor sea una “cristología desde abajo”

URRUC - Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Regions. Annex VI: Case study report. Province of Imperia – Valle Arroscia, Italy

Annex VI analyses the case study of Liguria - Province of Imperia - Valle Arrosci

Ventilation Targets for Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become a standard treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO). Recent evidence suggests that general anesthesia (GA) and mechanical ventilation do not lead to inferior neurologic outcomes if compared to non-GA. However, the guidelines lack specific recommendations for ventilation targets during MT under GA. This systematic review aims to identify ventilation strategies correlating with better neurological outcomes in AIS patients undergoing MT, particularly focusing on oxygenation and carbon dioxide (CO2) targets. A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted to identify human studies reporting the correlation between ventilation strategies and neurological outcomes in MT for AIS. Eligible studies included clinical trials, observational studies, and case–control studies. Out of 157 studies assessed, 11 met the inclusion criteria. Five studies investigated oxygenation targets, while six studies explored CO2 targets. The published studies highlighted the controversial role of supplemental normobaric oxygen therapy and its potential association with worse outcomes. Regarding CO2 targets, the studies identified a potential association between end tidal CO2 levels and functional outcomes, with hypocapnia being unfavorable. This systematic review demonstrates that the current available evidence still lacks strength to suggest specific ventilation targets, but it highlights the potential risks of hyperoxia and hypocapnia in this specific cohort of patients

Toward Policies to Manage the Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on the City: A Visioning Exercise

There is great uncertainty about the transition from human to autonomous driving vehicles (AVs), as well as about the extent and direction of their potential impacts on the urban built environment. Planners are aware of the importance of leading this transition but are hesitant about how to proceed, and public administrations generally show a passive attitude. One of the reasons is the difficulty of defining long-term visions and identifying transition paths to achieve the desired future. The literature on AVs is growing rapidly but most of the visions proposed so far do not consider in detail how circulation and parking of AVs will (or could) be differently regulated in cities. In this study, three visions for the Italian city of Turin are proposed. The aim of these visions is to highlight how different forms of regulation of AV circulation and parking can impact on the sustainability and livability of the city. A focus group and a set of interviews with experts and stakeholders were used to validate the three visions and assess their advisability and sustainability. This visioning exercise is the first step in the development of a backcasting process

Steering disruption: a backcasting approach to govern the spatial impacts of the diffusion of automated vehicles in Turin

The diffusion of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is expected to increase rapidly in the next decades and its impacts can be potentially disruptive. To date, scientific literature on AVs mostly focused on technological innovation, safety issues, ethical dilemmas and normative aspects. A growing number of studies also addressed social aspects and potential demand for AVs. While at first less attention has been given to spatial and territorial impacts that AVs will determine, and on the need to govern their diffusion, concerns and literature on these issues are rapidly growing. Assuming the governance of AVs diffusion as a key aspect to limit their possible negative impacts on urban public space, this paper draws on the preliminary results of a research project led by Politecnico di Torino. The project adopts a backasting approach that considers how circulation and parking of AVs should be differently regulated in various parts of the city. The paper highlights how defining future visions of AV regulation for these backcasting exercises raises issues and questions, that are relevant for implementing policies to control AV impacts on urban public spaces

Democracy and public opinion heading into the 2020 US elections

This article has as its central core the relations between the functioning of democracy and the public opinion place on it, with the American elections in 2020 as an outlook. Therefore, there is the central objective of understanding the main events that had a significant influence on the election, and, in this way, they were able to “mold” public opinion both for the vote itself and for the general conception of the main characteristics of democracy in the country. From this, it becomes possible to explore the main effects of public opinion - mainly in a polarized context such as that of the 2020 election in the USA - on the electoral process and democracy, understanding its main effects and implications. To achieve these objectives, Robert Dahl's works on democracy and its conceptualization are used, as well as scientific articles, reports, and journalistic articles for empirical bases on the contexts involved in the country for the elections. The analysis carried out and described in the following sections, therefore, contributes to the understanding of the intrinsic relationship between society and the democratic system in which it finds itself, as well as how phenomena influence the process of social mobilization and this, in turn, time, at the polls. Public opinion, therefore, is not only a factor with a media impact and is only based on the vote, but it also comprises a series of spheres that directly affect the pillars structured as the basis of democracy. Keywords: Democracy; Public Opinion; USA elections; Robert Dahl.O presente artigo traz como cerne central as relações entre o funcionamento da democracia e o papel da opinião pública sobre esta, tendo como panorama as eleições estadunidenses de 2020. Ou seja, há o objetivo central de se compreender os principais eventos que exerceram influência significativa sobre o pleito e, dessa forma, puderam “moldar” a opinião pública tanto para o voto em si como para a própria concepção geral sobre as principais características da democracia no país. A partir disso, torna-se possível a exploração dos principais efeitos da opinião pública – principalmente em um contexto polarizado como o da eleição de 2020 nos EUA – sobre o processo eleitoral e sobre a democracia, entendendo seus principais efeitos e implicações. Para que tais objetivos possam ser cumpridos, são utilizadas obras de Robert Dahl sobre a democracia e sua conceituação, bem como artigos científicos, reportagens e matérias jornalísticas para embasamento empírico sobre os contextos envolvidos no país para as eleições. A análise efetuada e descrita nas seções seguintes contribui, portanto, para o entendimento sobre a relação intrínseca entre a sociedade e o sistema democrático em que se encontra, bem como as formas pelas quais os fenômenos influenciam no processo de mobilização social e esta, por sua vez, nas urnas. A opinião pública, portanto, é um fator não apenas de impacto midiático e apenas fundamentado a partir do voto, mas compreende também uma série de esferas que repercutem diretamente nos pilares estruturados como base da democracia.Palavras-Chave: Democracia; Opinião Pública; Eleições EUA; Robert Dahl.

URRUC - Urban-Rural Connectivity in Non-Metropolitan Regions. Annex VIII: Policy Guidelines and Recommendations

Annex VIII contains a methodological overview of the policy development approach as well as the creation of European policy recommendations