20 research outputs found
Second law of thermodynamics and urban green infrastructure – A knowledge synthesis to address spatial planning strategies
Planning strategies driven by the second law of
thermodynamics (SLT) are innovative approaches to
sustainability but they are still in seminal phase. In this
article, a coupled review of SLT within spatial planning
is accomplished looking at the main applications in
urban green infrastructure (UGI) planning. In particular,
a systemic review of UGI planning and thermodynamics
has been carried out to identify all the occurrences to
date in the scientific literature. Secondly, a scoping
review of SLT-related concepts of exergy, entropy and
urban metabolism is presented in order to investigate
the main applications of, and gaps in, urban spatial
planning. Results indicate that UGI and ecosystem
service planning based on SLT is a relatively new field
of research. Moreover, some general indications are
derived for the development of spatial UGI planning
strategies based on SLT. The work then aims to
contribute to the improvement and/or development of
even more solid planning strategies supporting a SLTconscious
green transition of cities
The sustainability of the urban system from a hydrological point of view: a practice planning proposal
Environmental protection issues are often considered as a toll to be paid and not as a proactive development engine in urban planning. The issue of green areas needs to be re-interpreted as a real infrastructure, which is able to provide tangible benefits to the health and safety of citizens. These aspects represent fundamental issues of the applied research, which should explore methods and techniques able to provide the ecological concerns with the ability to operate efficiently. This paper aims to provide an answer to these questions focusing the attention on the greenery in the city and on one of its most important ecosystem services, which is mitigation of flooding events. The experimentation was carried out in an urban area, verifying, in quantitative terms, the role of the green, engineered with some SUDS, to mitigate the hydrological alteration that the urban development involves. Finally, two proposals have been presented to move from traditional planning based on normative standards to a more flexible, site-specific performance-based planning
The sustainability of the urban system from a hydrological point of view: a practice planning proposal
Environmental protection issues are often considered as a toll to be paid and not as a proactive development engine in urban planning. The issue of green areas needs to be re-interpreted as a real infrastructure, which is able to provide tangible benefits to the health and safety of citizens. These aspects represent fundamental issues of the applied research, which should explore methods and techniques able to provide the ecological concerns with the ability to operate efficiently. This paper aims to provide an answer to these questions focusing the attention on the greenery in the city and on one of its most important ecosystem services, which is mitigation of flooding events. The experimentation was carried out in an urban area, verifying, in quantitative terms, the role of the green, engineered with some SUDS, to mitigate the hydrological alteration that the urban development involves. Finally, two proposals have been presented to move from traditional planning based on normative standards to a more flexible, site-specific performance-based planning
Evolution of some Mediterranean landscapes of Central Italy from historical aerial photographs
Verde urbano e processi ambientali: per una progettazione di paesaggio multifunzionale
Urbanization phenomena, associated with soil
sealing, can lead to an increase in surface runoff,
environmental pollution and ecosystems degradation
with risks to human health and economic losses by
floods. Then, new urban development strategies and
land management models are essential. The
European Union Water Framework Directive (2000)
requires Member States to draw up efficient
measures to ensure sustainable use of water
resources. Several Best Management Practices
(BMPs) were developed at this aim. BMPs are usually
multifunctional structures (e.g. wetland and green
roofs) that can provide suitable Habitat for species
and bring to the maintenance of biodiversity, allow
climate regulation by evaporation and adsorption of
solar radiation together with aesthetic/amenity,
recreational and educational benefits, enhancing the
urban quality of life and social interaction.
However, especially in Italy, the full integration of
BMPs in territorial planning and urban (re-) design is
not fully realized yet. The control of water quality
and quantity has often been realized by isolated and
localized interventions (e.g. detention/infiltration
basins) without a “smart” and systemic project
based on a holistic environmental sustainability
concept.
Through an application of a synthetic index for
urban permeability assessment (RIE Index), this
paper presents a systemic approach to urban green
planning to reduce surface runoff in a pilot area of
Bari city, increasing soil permeability and reducing
hydraulic risk. This green and sustainable storm
water management approach would be able to
furnish environmental benefits and services to the
citizens, enhancing quality of life in urban contexts
Sustainability And Planning. Thinking and Acting According to Thermodinamics Laws
The paper deals with environmental sustainability, in terms of intrinsic vulnerability and thermodynamics laws concepts, applied to urban green infrastructures. This approach gives also the track to build more resilient and complex landscapes. Integrating intrinsic vulnerability and thermodynamics laws concepts, an effective strategy could be conceived to face best management practices in planning more sustainable and healthy cities
New developments and results for mathematical models in environment evaluations
The paper proposes a new model called PANDORA 3.0 which evaluate the ecological quality of a region at the level of biotopes inside each landscape unit of the environmental syste