Social Perceptions and Forest Management Strategies in an Italian Alpine Community

Abstract Individuals' perceptions are becoming increasingly relevant as a central component of social and environmental sustainability. As a result, the social dimension has become a fundamental element of sustainable forest management. To investigate people's perceptions of forest management, it is necessary to analyze values and norms in the social and cultural context and, at the same time, to consider individual preferences for forest management strategies. Trento municipality in northeast Italy was chosen as a study area because of its location in the European Alpine region and because of the links that exist between individuals and forest resources. A structured questionnaire was sent to 1000 randomly selected household heads. Responses were analyzed, taking into consideration the relationship between perceptions and respondents' gender, age, education, and geographical location; this allowed highlighting of statistical differences between groups. Results confirmed the importance of gender, age, and..

Green cities for a better future? – A case study from an alpine region: the Town of Trento

In a world where, by 2050, 70% of the population will be living in cities, a “New Urban Agenda” is considered crucial in order to form more sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities. This means cities which are liveable both from the natural and human-environment points of view and where citizens are involved in the realization and management of an attractive urban environment of high quality. Given the process of urbanization occurring in many towns of the Alpine Region, managers and planners need to know the new order of priorities in needs and values expressed by citizens with regard to urban forests and those in nearby areas. This paper illustrates a case study of the town of Trento, in the north-eastern Italian Alps, a typical medium-sized alpine town which, despite recent urbanization, is still in close connection to woodlands. The research has been carried out by means of a questionnaire aimed at investigating the relationship between citizens and their forests. In particular, the points of investigation were the main functions attributed to the forests and visitors’ preferences of forest features. The results show that urbanization and socio-economic changes, with the introduction of an urban lifestyle, are producing a radical transformation in people’s behaviour and attitudes with regard to forests. A survey of this type may be a useful tool in the hands of planners and managers in order to help shape a sustainable urban development

A heuristic method for determining CO2 efficiency in transportation planning

Background CO2 emissions are generally considered the most important indicator to determine the global warming effects. Their evaluation in the case of a transportation infrastructure is generally not easy and could be achieved through a separate balance

Come rispondere alle sfide delle aree interne delle Alpi Italiane? Il "New farming" come esempio di innovazione sociale

I cambiamenti nel quadro socioeconomico che hanno avuto luogo negli ultimi cinquanta anni hanno sconvolto i secolari modelli di equilibrata organizzazione vigenti nelle comunità montane. Si sono così andate profilandosi una nuova serie di sfide negli ambiti socio-economico, culturale e ambientale. Queste comunità, in maniera indipendentemente oppure con il supporto delle autorità pubbliche, hanno cercato di fermare o invertire questi processi. In alcuni casi, lo sforzo non è da ricondurre alla somma di azioni individuali, bensì ad un´azione collettiva dei diversi individui appartenenti o legati alla comunità. Processi di innovazione sociale stanno sorgendo in modo sparso in vari territori alpini, e molti di essi sono collegati ad un nuovo interesse nei confronti del settore primario da parte di residenti e nuovi abitanti. La combinazione dell’azione di entrambi, ma non esclusivamente, potrebbe essere considerata come la creazione di un nuovo modello di sviluppo del settore agricolo, il "new farming". Gli autori presentano due casi identificati nella parte nord orientale delle Alpi italiane, che possono essere associati a questo fenomeno. Gli elementi comuni che sono stati identificati includono la multi-funzionalità, la creazione di nuove opportunità di lavoro e di profili occupazionali. Essi combinano effetti sociali più sostanziali con la presenza di una serie di sfide. Azioni e progetti di innovazione sociale, che sono in grado di anticipare i cambiamenti e le sfide del futuro, allo stato attuale sembrano però in generale essere stati affrontati in modo inadeguato dalle istituzioni pubbliche e meritano una ulteriore attenzione

Balancing Economic Development and Environmental Conservation for a New Governance of Alpine Areas

In the Alpine environment, Man has always been directly dependent on mountain ecosystems. Social mechanisms have created specific models of governance, capable of assuring the persistence of ecosystems and their capacity to provide essential goods and services. In recent decades, however, dramatic changes have occurred, such as climate change and changes in land use. The complexity common to all linked human-natural environment systems is extremely marked in the Alpine areas and this makes it difficult to understand how resilient these systems may be. Many research questions arise, in particular as to the comprehension and quantification of the impact of changes on the capacity of ecosystems to produce goods and services in a sustainable way, and the possibility of local mechanisms of governance to adapt to both current and future changes. Reasons and effects of change are analysed from the perspective of the specific issues of governance. The importance of the Ecosystems Services (ESs) concept is acknowledged and the necessity for a dynamic assessment of ESs, taking into account people’s values and expectations, is particularly stressed. Through a careful analysis of selected papers and case studies, the main gaps in current knowledge are identified and directions for further research are provided