Going beyond Quietness: Determining the Emotionally Restorative Effect of Acoustic Environments in Urban Open Public Spaces

The capacity of natural settings to promote psychological restoration has attracted increasing research attention, especially with regards to the visual dimension. However, there is a need to extend these studies to urban settings, such as squares, parks or gardens, due to the global trend towards urbanisation, and to integrate the dimension of sound into landscape. Such was the main aim of this study, in which 53 participants assessed four public spaces in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) as part of the CITI-SENSE Project (137 observations were used for analysis). A smartphone application was used to simultaneously collect objective and subjective data. The results show that at the end of the urban environmental experience, there was a statistically significant reduction in negative emotions and perceived stress, and a slight increase in positive emotions. Emotional restoration was mainly associated with prior emotional states, but also with global environmental comfort and acoustic comfort. The soundscape characteristics that contributed to greater emotional restoration and a reduction in perceived stress were pleasantness, calm, fun and naturalness. Therefore, in agreement with previous research, the findings of the present study indicate that besides contributing to the quietness of the urban environment, the urban soundscape can promote psychological restoration in users of these spaces.This research formed part of the CITI-SENSE project funded under the European Union Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration, grant agreement no 308524

Analysis of Field Data to Describe the Effect of Context (Acoustic and Non-Acoustic Factors) on Urban Soundscapes

The need to improve acoustic environments in our cities has led to increased interest in correcting or minimising noise pollution in urban environments, something that has been associated with the resurgence of the soundscape approach. This line of research highlights the importance of context in the perception of acoustic environments. Despite this, few studies consider together a wide number of variables relating to the context, and analyse the relative importance of each. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify the acoustic and non-acoustic characteristics of a place (context) that influence an individual’s perception of the sound environment and the relative importance of these factors in soundscape. The aim is to continue advancing in the definition of an acoustic comfort indicator for urban places. The data used here were collected in various soundscape campaigns carried out by Tecnalia in Bilbao (Spain) between 2011 and 2014. These studies involved 534 evaluations of 10 different places. The results indicate that many diverse contextual factors determine soundscape, the most important being the congruence between soundscape and landscape. The limitations of the findings and suggestions for further research are also discussed.The research presented in this manuscript has been developed with the financial support of the Basque Government, the Bilbao City council, and within the framework of the LIFE QUADMAP project (LIFE 10/ENV/IT/407

Sustainable Development, Ecological Complexity, and Environmental Values

Sustainable Development, Ecological Complexity, and Environmental Values contributes to expanding the idea of sustainability by integrating different thematic issues related to sustainable development in its threefold consideration (economic, social, and environmental) with regard to the case of the Basque Country. On the global scale, changes have clearly accelerated; ecological and social sustainability are two facets of the same changing reality. First, social sustainability depends on ecological sustainability. If we continue degrading nature's capacity to produce the ecosystems' services (water filtration, climate stabilization, etc) and resources (food, materials), both individuals and nations will be affected by growing pressures and increasing conflicts, as well as by threats to public health and personal safety. Second, ecological sustainability depends on social sustainability, a socially unjust and unfair system wiht an ever-increasing population that is not able to have its needs met will necessarily lead to environmental collapse. In addition, human behavior and the social dynamic often lie at the heart of social and ecological problems. It must be, therefore, assumed that there will not be sustainable development if sustainable societies do not first exist. A sustainable society has the challenge of developing human capital. In this book, these global questions are treated as they relate to specific place and context, the Basque Country and its modern institutions.This book was published with generous financial support from the Basque Government.Introduction—Ignacio Ayestarán and Miren Onaindia ? 1. An Evaluation of Ecosystem Services as a Base for the Sustainable Management of a Region by Miren Onaindia and Gloria Rodríguez-Loinaz ? 2. An Evaluation of Millennium Ecosystems from the Basque Country by Igone Palacios, Izaskun Casada-Arzuaga, Iosu Madariaga, and Xabier Arana ? 3. Climate Change: Activities of the EOLO Group at the University of the Basque Country by Agustín Ezcurra, Jon Sáenz, and Gabriel Ibarra-Berastegi ? 4. The Environmental Value of the Karstic Landscape of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve: The Asnarre Promontory (Bizkaia) by Arantza Aranburu, Laura Damas-Mollá, Patxi García-Garmilla, Iñaki Yusta, M. Arriolabengoa, Peru Iridoy, and Eneko Iriarte ? 5. Recent Environmental Transformation of the Bilbao Estuary: Natural and Anthropogenic Processes by Alejandro Cearreta, Maria Jesús Irabien, and Eduardo Leorri ? 6. The Landscape of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country: The Evolution of Forest Systems by Lorena Peña and Ibone Amezaga ? 7. Critical Theories of Sustainable Development by Eguzki Urteaga ? 8. Bases for the Transition toward a Sustainable Economy by Roberto Bermejo, David Hoyos, and Eneko Garmendia ? 9. Environmental Values, the Epistemology of Complex Problems, and Postnormal Science in the Face of Global Change by Ignacio Ayestáran ? 10. Science, Gender, and Sustainable Development by Teresa Nuño Angós ? 11. Environmental Education as Training: A Case Study at the University of the Basque Country by Araitz Uskola Ibarluzea ? 12. Social Values and Sustainable Practices among Basque Inshore Fishermen by Pío Pérez Aldasoro ? 13. Sustainable Development and the Values of Well-Being and Globalization by Eduardo Rubio Ardanaz, Juan Antonio Rubio-Ardanaz, and Xiao Fang ? Index ? List of Contributor

Uncovering Ecosystem Service Bundles through Social Preferences

Ecosystem service assessments have increasingly been used to support environmental management policies, mainly based on biophysical and economic indicators. However, few studies have coped with the social-cultural dimension of ecosystem services, despite being considered a research priority. We examined how ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs emerge from diverging social preferences toward ecosystem services delivered by various types of ecosystems in Spain. We conducted 3,379 direct face-to-face questionnaires in eight different case study sites from 2007 to 2011. Overall, 90.5% of the sampled population recognized the ecosystem’s capacity to deliver services. Formal studies, environmental behavior, and gender variables influenced the probability of people recognizing the ecosystem’s capacity to provide services. The ecosystem services most frequently perceived by people were regulating services; of those, air purification held the greatest importance. However, statistical analysis showed that socio-cultural factors and the conservation management strategy of ecosystems (i.e., National Park, Natural Park, or a non-protected area) have an effect on social preferences toward ecosystem services. Ecosystem service trade-offs and bundles were identified by analyzing social preferences through multivariate analysis (redundancy analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis). We found a clear trade-off among provisioning services (and recreational hunting) versus regulating services and almost all cultural services. We identified three ecosystem service bundles associated with the conservation management strategy and the rural-urban gradient. We conclude that socio-cultural preferences toward ecosystem services can serve as a tool to identify relevant services for people, the factors underlying these social preferences, and emerging ecosystem service bundles and trade-offs

CITI-SENSE: methods and tools for empowering citizens to observe acoustic comfort in outdoor public spaces

The purpose of this research was to design and deploy tools that apply the concept of citizen observatories and empowering citizens in the assessment of acoustic comfort in public places. The research applies an iterative cycle of design and this article presents the results of a demonstrative experiment carried out in situ using the first products developed. This work was undertaken as part of the CITI-SENSE project. A viable technical and procedural solution was designed and tested in a field demonstration, where 53 people were engaged to provide 137 observations in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, using environmental sensors connected to a smartphone. The results have been analyzed and discussed in terms of the product’s attractiveness for engaging citizens in the evaluation of acoustic comfort in urban places, the accuracy of the noise levels measured by the acoustic app service integrated into the smartphone, and its ability to obtain simultaneous acoustic and perception data. The results presented in this article are considered a step forward in the research into developing solutions for assessing acoustic comfort. Limitations of the proposed solution are discussed, as are suggestions for further research

Progress in the understanding of soundscape: objective variables and objectifiable criteria that predict acoustic comfort in urban places

The overall aim of this research was to find a group of easy-to-access variables, that are measurable or assessable, and which help predict acoustic comfort in urban places, in order to make further progress in developing a soundscape indicator based on indices readily available in urban environments. Our main conceptual framework has been the Environmental Experience Model and the ISO of Soundscape, together with the most up-to-date information and technology, where parameters that influence the soundscape and comfort in urban public places have been identified. This work has been undertaken as part of the CITI-SENSE project. A viable technical and procedural solutionwas designed and tested in a field demonstration, where 53 people were engaged to provide 120 observations in the city ofVitoria-Gasteiz, using environmental sensors connected to a smartphone. The results were analysed and are discussed here with the aim of defining an indicator that permits an easy evaluation of acoustic comfort in urban places. The results presented in this article are considered a step forward in the development of a soundscape indicator based on indices readily available in urban environments. The limitations of the findings are also discussed, as are suggestions for further research

SARS-CoV-2-Associated Obliterative Arteritis Causing Massive Testicular Infarction

A 26-year-old man with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection developed a sudden-onset acute testicular pain. The echo-doppler images showed massive testicular infarction, so orchiectomy was performed. On gross examination, the surgical specimen showed complete testicular necrosis and diffuse thickening of the testicular coverings. Under the microscope, a severe obliterative arteritis was evidenced. SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody was detected by immunohistochemistry in the arterial endothelium. Electron microscopy displayed intracytoplasmic spiky viral particles in endothelial cells. The patient was treated with corticoids and was asymptomatic at last contact

La innovación escolar desde la perspectiva de personas con enfermedades raras en el País Vasco: historias de vida, prácticas escolares, necesidades del sistema educativo y propuestas de mejora para una escuela y sociedad inclusiva

140 p.[ES] En este trabajo se presenta la investigación “La innovación escolar desde la perspectiva de personas con enfermedades raras en el País Vasco” en el que un grupo de jóvenes con enfermedades raras y sus familias comparten sus experiencias de escolarización para avanzar en los procesos de innovación y mejora escolar en el marco de una escuela inclusiva como respuesta a los retos y necesidades de nuestra sociedad.[EN] In this paper we present a research work titled “School innovation from the perspective of people with rare diseases in the Basque Country”. The methodology is based on the voice and the life stories of pupils with rare diseases and their families. They share their experiences of schooling to progress in the innovation processes and school improvement. We also present an option for an inclusive school in response to the challenges and needs of our society.[EU] Lan honetan aurkezten da "Eskola berrikuntza gaixotasun arraroak dituzten pertsonen ikuspegitik Euskal Autonomi Erkidegoan" izeneko ikerketa. Bertan gaixotasun arraroak dituzten gazte talde batek eta euren familiek euren eskolatze esperientziak kontatzen dituzte; berrikuntza eta eskola hobekuntzan aurrerapausoak emateko asmoz. Eskola inklusiboaren aldeko aukera aurkezten da, egun ditugun gizarte honetako erronka eta beharrei aurre egiteko.Patrocina Fundación Mikel Uriart

La innovación escolar desde la perspectiva de personas con enfermedades raras en el País Vasco: historias de vida, prácticas escolares, necesidades del sistema educativo y propuestas de mejora para una escuela y sociedad inclusiva

140 p.[ES] En este trabajo se presenta la investigación “La innovación escolar desde la perspectiva de personas con enfermedades raras en el País Vasco” en el que un grupo de jóvenes con enfermedades raras y sus familias comparten sus experiencias de escolarización para avanzar en los procesos de innovación y mejora escolar en el marco de una escuela inclusiva como respuesta a los retos y necesidades de nuestra sociedad.[EN] In this paper we present a research work titled “School innovation from the perspective of people with rare diseases in the Basque Country”. The methodology is based on the voice and the life stories of pupils with rare diseases and their families. They share their experiences of schooling to progress in the innovation processes and school improvement. We also present an option for an inclusive school in response to the challenges and needs of our society.[EU] Lan honetan aurkezten da "Eskola berrikuntza gaixotasun arraroak dituzten pertsonen ikuspegitik Euskal Autonomi Erkidegoan" izeneko ikerketa. Bertan gaixotasun arraroak dituzten gazte talde batek eta euren familiek euren eskolatze esperientziak kontatzen dituzte; berrikuntza eta eskola hobekuntzan aurrerapausoak emateko asmoz. Eskola inklusiboaren aldeko aukera aurkezten da, egun ditugun gizarte honetako erronka eta beharrei aurre egiteko.Patrocina Fundación Mikel Uriart

Master plan for the center of San JosÉ, Costa Rica: Challenges of the integrated approach and plan implementation

La regeneración de las ciudades existentes se enfrenta a importantes desafíos, dada la complejidad de actuar en entornos consolidados y habitados. La necesidad de aplicar un enfoque integrado y multidimensional, así como la dificultad de llevar a la práctica los planes que se diseñan, son algunos de los retos más importantes identificados en este ámbito. Este artículo analiza dichos retos a través del estudio del proceso de desarrollo del Plan Maestro de Regeneración Urbana y Reconversión Productiva de los Cuatro Distritos Centrales de San José, Costa Rica, con el objetivo de aportar claves para superar dichos retos. El centro urbano de San José, que en las últimas décadas ha sufrido un acusado proceso de despoblamiento y degradación, presenta importantes problemas, como la escasez de demanda residencial, un deficiente sistema de movilidad, deficientes infraestructuras de gestión del agua, alta vulnerabilidad frente al cambio climático, falta de integración del tejido urbano y un modelo productivo obsoleto. Desde la década de 1990, la Municipalidad de San José, en colaboración con otras instituciones, ha tratado de abordar dichos retos desarrollando planes y poniendo en marcha proyectos de actuación específicos. A pesar de los esfuerzos, los avances han sido escasos, principalmente por la ausencia de una visión común y una hoja de ruta para la regeneración urbana integral del centro. Como respuesta a esta problemática, y con apoyo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, entre 2018 y 2019 se ha desarrollado el citado Plan Maestro. Este artículo expone los principales retos detectados durante el proceso de desarrollo de dicho Plan: el abordaje desde una perspectiva integrada de los desafíos de la regeneración urbana, y las barreras para una implementación efectiva de las propuestas. Para ello se identifican, en el primer caso, las problemáticas complejas existentes y las posibles sinergias en las actuaciones en las diferentes dimensiones urbanas; y en el segundo, las barreras a la coordinación interinstitucional y la falta de instrumentos de gestión y financiación adecuados, aportándose claves para superar dichas barreras