The Green and Blue Infrastructure Projects in Spatial Planning as a Key Component for Adaptation to Climate Change
Author(s): Grazia Brunetta
More info: In recent decades, we have been witnessing on a planetary scale a weak or almost zero response capacity of the cities and territories to the events caused by the ongoing systemic dynamics of climate change. The significant effects of climate change are the result of the increasingly high temporal frequency of extreme natural phenomena and the greater vulnerability of soils, the result of the intense and growing dynamics of urbanization and the consequent fragmentation of natural environments. The process of fragmentation of natural environments due to anthropic causes is the primary cause of biodiversity loss, generating ecological losses and environmental and landscape challenges.
2023 | Book Section
Inside-outside park planning: A mathematical approach to assess and support the design of ecological connectivity between Protected Areas and the surrounding landscape
Author(s): Angioletta Voghera, Gabriella Negrini, Emma Paola Germana Salizzoni, Roberto Monaco, Ana Jacinta Soares
More info: An effective biodiversity conservation in Protected Areas (PAs) requires that they are seen as part of larger ecosystems and that the ecological connectivity is maintained beyond PA administrative boundaries. The study of ecological processes that link PAs to their surrounding landscapes is thus of great importance to understand which actions should be implemented to promote inside-outside ecological connectivity. In this paper, we used a system of indicators and a mathematical model (PANDORA model) to describe in a quantitative way the present and the foreseen ecological state of a Regional Nature Park (Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims) and its surrounding area. The landscape ecological quality was assessed in terms of the capability of the system to transmit its biological energy all around its territory, thus highlighting the degree of ecological connectivity in landscapes situated both inside and outside the Park. The outcomes showed how the areas situated outside the Park are characterized by a less positive evolutionary trajectory with respect to those situated inside the Park. This is mainly due to urbanization processes that are taking place precisely outside the Parks' boundary. To avoid the risk of Park's “insularization”, the need and ways of developing integrated inside-outside planning and management policies, both by the Park Authority and external authorities, is highlighted. The mathematical approach presented here could be replicated also in other PAs, to sustain and address an integrated spatial planning of PAs and their context.
2020 | Journal Articles
Application of Essential Oils to Control the Biodeteriogenic Microorganisms in Archives and Libraries
Author(s): Francesca Bosco, Chiara Mollea, Micaela Demichela, Davide Fissore
More info: Microbial contamination control in indoor environments, such as libraries and archives, represents a challenge. Essential oils (EOs), well-known for their antimicrobial properties, have been applied in pharmaceutical and food industry from many years. In the present study, Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare EO antimicrobial efficacy on paper-born microorganisms, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Alternaria alternata, was investigated to protect water-damaged paper documents and to control indoor air quality for operator’s health safety. T. vulgaris EO was the most effective: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values obtained for S. epidermidis and R. mucilaginosa, with a broth macro-dilution method, were 7.5 microgram/mL and 5.63 microgram/mL, respectively. T. vulgaris EO (0.75% v/v), nebulized immediately after the inoculation on agar plates or paper sheets, showed a high inhibition effect against the three biodeteriogenic microorganisms, also when lyophilized on paper sheets; in this last case, the EO has a higher efficacy when applied immediately after the freeze drying. Regarding the EO effect against A. alternata, the inhibition percentage of the mycelial growth, MGI, (81.4%), observed for nonsporulated mycelium, was higher than that for the sporulated one (51.4%). Finally, T. vulgaris EO (0.75% v/v) was effectively applied on a real contaminated book cover by means of EO impregnated contact sheets. Obtained results demonstrated that tested EOs were able to delay or completely inhibit paper-born microorganism growth for both flood-independent or -dependent contamination.
2022 | Journal Articles
Post Un-Lock. From Territorial Vulnerabilities to Local Resilience
Author(s): Grazia Brunetta, Patrizia Lombardi, Angioletta Voghera
More info: This open access book builds a framework that holds together numerous open issues in territorial planning: from the understanding of territorial, landscape, environmental and climatic dynamics to the analysis of local vulnerabilities, to the use of modern survey techniques to support planning. What is the role of urban and regional planning in achieving the sustainable development goals of our communities considering the major issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in urban planning? And how do these medium- and long-term objectives interact with the needs that the emergency has given rise to? Post Un-Lock—from territorial vulnerabilities to local resilience—aims to provide the reader with a useful key to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as a catalyst for a restart based on the concepts of sustainability and resilience. In fact, the COVID-19 experience evidences the need to propose a planning system able to integrate multiple scales according to an interdisciplinary approach focused on in-depth knowledge of the territorial risks and vulnerabilities. Besides, with the contribution of the new technologies, it is able to rethink spaces on a neighbourhood scale, conceived as a "local resilience unit" that ensures the population high standards of safety, liveability, and accessibility to proximity services. In this view, planning is increasingly concerned about social aspects and the well-being of communities, supported by indicators and evaluation tools. With the proposal of the concept of local resilience unit, Post Un-Lock takes a step forward towards the definition of a new paradigm of local planning and a topic for urban regeneration.
2023 | Book Editing
Oily Industry Impacts on the environmental vulnerability of the territories: case of Fuel Commercializing Company of Villa Clara, Cuba
Author(s): David Castro, Omar Gutiérrez, Jelvys Bermudez, José Poma; Bernardo Lopez, Micaela Demichela
More info: The production, storage and transportation of hydrocarbons involve risks of environmental polluti...on. The goal was to characterize the pollution by hydrocarbons, caused by the operations of the Fuel Commercializing Company of Villa Clara (ECCVC, in advanced), on the different environmental recipients. Four comprehensively geographical strata were established on the research area. It was monitored with 4 sample stations, the oily treatment system of the ECCVC over a period of 3 years. Furthermore, seven wells were selected to sample upstream and downstream the ECCVC. The results suggest the contamination with hydrocarbons in the recipients has been related with the management of oily residuals in the ECCVC. The inadequate design features of the lagoon and the lack of maintenance of the API separator were the main possible causes of the failure modes identified with high risk priority numbers. A management plan was designed. The results highlight the negative environmental impact caused by the ECCVC operations, acting as a permanent stressor on the territory, whereas contributing to increase the near community vulnerability against hydrocarbon pollution.
2020 | Book Section
Modal Identification of Structures with Interacting Diaphragms
Author(s): Rosario Ceravolo, Erica Lenticchia, Gaetano Miraglia, Valerio Olivia, Linda Scussolini
More info: "System identification proves in general to be very efficient in the extraction of modal parameters of a structure under ambient vibrations. However, great difficulties can arise in the case of structures composed of many connected bodies, whose mutual interaction may lead to a multitude of coupled modes. In the present work, a methodology to approach the identification of interconnected diaphragmatic structures, exploiting a simplified analytical model, is proposed. Specifically, a parametric analysis has been carried out on a numerical basis on the simplified model, i.e., a multiple spring–mass model. The results were then exploited to aid the identification of a significant case study, represented by the Pavilion V, designed by Riccardo Morandi as a hypogeum hall of the Turin Exhibition Center. The structure is indeed composed of three blocks separated by expansion joints, whose characteristics are unknown. As the main result, light was shed on the contribution of the stiffness of the joints to the global dynamic behavior of structures composed of interacting diaphragms, and, in particular, on the effectiveness of the joints of Pavilion V."
2022 | Journal Articles