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The seismic stability assessment of anthropogenic cavities is a challenging issue for land and urban planning, particularly in areas of possible interaction with surface structures and infrastructures. The paper proposes a novel methodology for the preliminary assessment at urban scale of the safety level against roof collapse of underground cavities under seismic actions through seismic stability charts, SSCs. The SSCs are the result of extensive parametric two-dimensional FEM analyses focused on cavities excavated in soft rock, as it is frequent in many inhabited areas all over the world. The study is mainly oriented to the instability of shallow cavities, includingthe effects at the ground surface. The SSCs allow evaluation of stability conditions of a generic cavity through a factor of safety, calculated as the minimum ratio between the resistant and loading bending moment of the critical sections of the cavity roof during the whole earthquake duration. The method is applied to the case study of Sant'Agata de' Goti, a historical center in Southern Italy, rising on top of a volcanic tuff ridge. • Methodology to preliminary screen the seismic stability of underground cavities at urban scale. • Parametric 2D FEM analyses to calculate the cavity factor of safety during earthquake. • Analytical interpretation of cavity response under a seismic pseudo-static action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An increasing number of cities are engaging with the sharing economy, exploring how it may be integrated into the urban agenda, fostering its positive aspects whilst avoiding its negative externalities. The paper focuses on two cities, Milan and Seoul, that are internationally considered to have a conscious and tailored approach that lies in the vanguard of this effort. The paper seeks to understand how local authorities govern the sharing economy in order to shape a real sharing city , taking insights from the sharing paradigm concept and looking to the collaborative version of the urban governance paradigm. The paper uses a mixed method approach to develop case studies of the governance models employed. The analysis shows that both cities work along the three dimensions (economic, technological and human) of the sharing paradigm to create a sharing city, with slightly different governance approaches, but both lack institutionalized mechanisms of collaboration. Nevertheless, both are pioneering examples of engagement with the sharing economy. The paper proposes a graphic conceptualization of the two governance models to better highlight their contribution to knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We investigated the substantive effectiveness of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of urban planning in Italy and Spain, by looking at the changes made to the original plan as a result of the SEA process. The Italian and Spanish SEA legislations establish an SEA Authority, different from the one that elaborates the plan and the Environmental Report. This authority is in charge of supervising the SEA process and issuing a final statement containing directions and prescriptions on environmental issues to be implemented in the plan as a prerequisite for its approval. After having reviewed a sample of SEA in these two countries, we found that in the great majority of cases the SEA authority required some changes, despite the fact that the plans had undergone an environmental assessment. Results also indicate that the legal arrangements, and in particular the level of independence of the SEA authority (which in Italy and Spain is determined at the regional level), affect the quality and quantity of requested changes. In regions where the SEA Authority is established at a higher level in the planning hierarchy, more substantial changes tended to be required, including more mitigation and compensation measures. On the contrary, in regions where a subsidiary approach is in place, i.e. the SEA authority is established within the same municipality that elaborates the plan, less substantial modifications are more often required. We conclude that in the Spanish and Italian contexts a more effective SEA, in terms of environmental performance of urban plans, is supported by institutional arrangements that provide for an SEA Authority clearly separated and fully independent from the planning Authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of an evaluation model able to estimate the possibilities of reducing energy consumption and emissions of the building sector exploiting renewable energy sources. Specific attention is given to the use of ground source heat pumps in the urban context, proposing an ex-ante evaluation of different scenarios to identify the most balanced one in terms of energy, economic and environmental effects. The model is applied to a case study in Northern Italy to show how it can be used to support local administrations in energy urban planning, fitting economically and environmentally sustainable technologies. Moreover, it defines new boundaries in which the energy and environmental analyses should be carried out (spatial relocation), and the time span over which impacts have to be evaluated (temporal relocation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An application of the innovative city planning method, developed within the EU FP7 project InSMART, is applied to the municipality of Cesena (Italy). A multi-model approach is used to explore and rank alternative plans (combinations of actions and measures) towards the sustainable development of the municipality, with a particular focus on the residential and transport sectors. On the basis of the possible space of decisions of the municipality (which can be seen as “urban planner”, as “regulator”, as “provider of support and information”, as “consumer” and as “supplier” of energy), alternative planning hypotheses have been prepared and tested making use of a city-energy system model and scenario analysis. Scenarios are built around different themes with the aim of exploring the potential benefits (or drawbacks) of the combination of specific “competitive” projects, actions, standards, targets. A reference development of the local system is assumed to be modified through six combinations of actions and measures aiming at representing six pillars of alternative pathways towards the sustainability. Figures below report the key themes and hypotheses taken into consideration in the planning exercise. Once the dynamic pictures of the urban system are produced (one per each alternative), a multi-criteria method is used to determine the ranking of the options, evaluated against a set of elements (technological, social, environmental, economic). This stage is still ongoing and will generate the whole dataset (weights, preference functions) required to rank the alternatives in the next few months. All these alternative strategies are designed with the involvement of the municipality of Cesena, to directly respond their needs of knowledge about potential impacts of different action plans. Compared to the existing city strategic energy action plans, the advantage of the outputs of this approach is the fact that multiple future energy scenarios are analysed and cross-compared and “integrated” strategies ranked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation and adaptation policies play a role in the political agendas of local authorities. The number of monitoring tools and experiences is progressively increasing also due to improvement in standardization of methods and proliferation of research and accounting experiments, which bring about increase in awareness of political subjects and the general public. Coherently with its Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP), in 2018 the Municipality of Grosseto (central Italy) decided to build a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based maps, to visualize the spatial distribution of the GHG balance results. A bottom-up GHG emissions inventory at the sub-national level has been elaborated, following the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines, with the aim of creating site-specific knowledge and supporting policies. GHG gross emissions corresponded to 395,558.59 t carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 eq), i.e. five time higher than CO 2 absorption, determining an abatement percentage of 17.09%. The emissions came mainly from road transport (47.57%), heating (15.01%), and consumption of imported electricity (14.57%). The GHG emissions balance results have been translated into five geo-referenced GIS-based maps, which help localize the areas under stress and categorize the territory into GHG action zones, able to stimulate environmental policies and monitor their efficacy. Beside policies inspired by the key categories of the GHG emissions inventory (e.g., mobility, import of electricity, heating), the spatial visualization of results stimulates considerations and measures regarding the localization of activities and infrastructures, urban and environmental planning, and land use change, which are not always supported by adequate information in the case of sub-national administrative systems. Moreover, by virtue of reliability and replicability, the obtained results (i.e., climate-altering emission maps and GHG action zones identification) should be incorporated into the so-called Baseline and Monitoring Emission Inventories, required in the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) of the municipalities that join the Covenant of Mayors. [Display omitted] • The GHG spatial inventory of the Municipality of Grosseto (Italy) is developed. • GHG emissions and removals are spatially visualized through geo-referenced maps. • The territory is divided into GHG action zones to tailor environmental policies. • The GHG geographical mosaic provides a systemic overview of the GHG emissions. • GHG maps should be incorporated in the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study is here presented in which the design perspective in the redevelopment of public spaces is overturned: instead of designing the area and then verifying the results in terms of effective liveability of the new spaces, the results of the analysis of the present comfort conditions become the tool to address the design operations. In particular, the bioclimatic analysis of the system of central squares of the small town in Sant’Ilario d’Enza (Italy) becomes the base for the design of a new liveable space among buildings of limited historical and architectural value. The ENVIMET fluido-dynamics software is used to assess the present outdoor comfort conditions in the different times of the year and to identify the critical elements to be modified. The indications for the insertion of new green spaces suggest a symbolic return to the rural past of the area, elaborated with a contemporary design, taking also into account the flexible uses nowadays required by these common spaces. Other recommendations are focused on the external façades of the buildings, thus allowing to improve both the internal energetic balance and the effects on the external urban environment. The attempt is to insert some quantitative elements in a field – the redevelopment of urban public spaces – which is usually rather qualitative and subjected to personal judgment, improving at the same time the aesthetics, the usability and the liveability of these spaces in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the critical issues of the current urban planning, mobility and accessibility in the post-earthquake (2009) settlement configuration of L’Aquila urban area (Italy), the medieval centre of which has a unique architectural and artistic heritage. The purpose of the study is to analyse the L’Aquila urban planning experiences in order to trace the relationship between the mobility and the spatial structure of the city. The current scenario is considered both as the result of the historical evolution of the settlement and as a dynamic system in which a mix of natural forces, decisional choices and technical expertise have operated. The result of the research is a preliminary proposal for the implementation of the public transportation system that is obtained by integrating a re-designed existing railway line with a sustainable concepts of mobility based on a “dense grid” network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a framework for analysing the degree of consideration of sustainability principles in Strategic environmental assessment (SEA), and demonstrates its application to a sample of SEA of Italian urban plans. The framework is based on Gibson's (2006) sustainability principles, which are linked to a number of guidance criteria and eventually to review questions, resulting from an extensive literature review. A total of 71 questions are included in the framework, which gives particular emphasis to key concepts, such as intragenerational and intergenerational equity. The framework was applied to review the Environmental Report of the urban plans of 15 major Italian cities. The results of this review show that, even if sustainability is commonly considered as a pivotal concept, there is still work to be done in order to effectively integrate sustainability principles into SEA. In particular, most of the attention is given to mitigation and compensation measures, rather than to actual attempts to propose more sustainable planning decisions in the first place. Concerning the proposed framework of analysis, further research is required to clarify equity concerns and particularly to identify suitable indicators for operationalizing the concepts of intra/inter-generational equity in decision-making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An understanding of the energy performance in buildings in an entire municipality or an entire district is important for sustainable energy planning strategies that accelerate the energy renovation process in existing buildings that are not energy efficient. The methodology described in this paper is largely based on information that is already available on building stock (i.e., cartographic documentation, thematic maps, geometric data and others). Data regarding the energy performance of buildings are collected using energy audits on sample buildings, which are selected using a statistical approach. Using the tools in a GIS platform, the integration of two data sources allows for a low cost, comprehensive framework of the energy performance of buildings. This methodology was tested in a medium sized town in the Lombardy region (Italy), and the results are discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The energy policy about energy performance of buildings, including minimum energy requirements and energy performance certificate (EPC), is applied to new and existing buildings, especially in the case of energy retrofit. Among existing buildings, heritage buildings are a special case. Another problem is finding an evaluation and measurement tool for town energy consumption which is related to the age and the characteristics of existing buildings. This problem concerns both urban planning discipline and heritage buildings discipline. The introduction of EPC database in Emilia-Romagna legislation (a region located in the North-East of Italy) is an opportunity to perform studies and simulation, in addition to GIS networking elaboration. This paper deals with the case of Ferrara, an old town, in order to debate: [-] number and energy incidence of heritage buildings; [-] influence of typology factor for energy saving in heritage buildings; [-] use of GIS tools to refer EPC, energy class in order to suggest a zone energy indicator (ZEI) for measuring the city and the old town. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study identifies units characterized by specific geomechanical behaviours within some Holocene alluvial deposits in the City of Rome. In particular, the highly compressible units, which may be responsible for subsidence and settlement phenomena below urban structures, have been identified. Investigations carried out during this study have interpreted nearly 800 stratigraphic sections and physical–mechanical features of the alluvial deposits of the Tiber and those of its right- and left-bank tributaries. The analysis allowed to define, for each investigated deposit, a representative series subdivided into lithotechnical units. When comparing the stratigraphic and geologic features among the series, a remarkable difference in geomechanical behaviour in the deposits from the Tiber''s left- and right-bank tributaries and within the river''s deposits themselves could be recognized. A yield hazard zoning for urban structures related to recent alluvial deposits has also been defined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The amelioration of air quality represents one of the most complex challenges that the European Union is facing today. Although a successful strategy to improve air quality should decisively act on pollution sources, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) may provide a huge contribution to tackle air pollution, while delivering a wide range of Ecosystem Services and enhancing the Natural Capital. In this paper, we analyzed, in both biophysical and monetary terms, the role of the Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) in improving air quality in the Metropolitan City of Naples (Southern Italy) by implementing an accounting model of PM 10 removal. Our findings indicate that about 1,148 Mg of PM 10 were annually removed by the UGI, for a monetary value of 36 million euros per year. We also assessed the impact of a devastating wildfire that occurred in 2017 in the study area, which resulted in a loss of PM 10 removal of about 97 Mg and led to an estimated monetary loss of 3 million euros per year. The results also showed that PM 10 removal efficiency largely varies seasonally and across different functional groups of vegetation, highlighting the role of functional biodiversity in the provision of Ecosystem Services under Mediterranean climate conditions. In conclusion, we maintain that the biophysical and economic assessment of Ecosystem Services can support local managers and policymakers in charge of developing urban planning strategies aimed at ensuring sustainable development and human well-being in metropolitan cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Green Infrastructure can reduce summer-time energy demand of cities. • Reduction of cooling loads depends on the complex relation between buildings and trees. • Range of reduction of cooling loads varies between 2% and 50% • Distance of trees from buildings and availability of space for trees are the key parameters. • Findings support urban planning to define different scenarios of Green Infrastructure. Over the past decades, intense urbanization processes have produced built environments with a low energy efficiency and a severe lack of green spaces, which represent the main providers of ecosystem services in cities and play a relevant role in regulating the local microclimate. Among the different natural processes involved in climate regulation, a fundamental role is played by the shading effects of urban vegetation on buildings and built environment. Consequently, urban planning strategies aimed at designing a Green Infrastructure (GI) can have significant impacts on reducing the summer-time energy demand of cities while providing new green spaces for the local community. This is particularly relevant in high density settlements, where urban morphology types such as multi-storey apartment buildings represent an important percentage of the entire built environment. For these morphology types, the implementation of the GI depends on the different possibilities and limitation offered by private open spaces around residential buildings. Despite its importance, the implementation of a GI from public administrations must often challenge the lack of economic resources to acquire and manage private land to be set as new urban green spaces. This article investigates the potential energy savings for multi-storey apartment buildings that can be achieved by shading effect of trees. Particularly, building performance simulations are carried out considering different configurations of key parameters, such as trees species, distance to buildings, orientations of buildings and actual room of open spaces beside buildings where to plant new trees. The simulations are run for a real urban case study located in the metropolitan area of Catania in southern Italy, characterized by different types of urban morphologies. Simulations of shading effect consider three species of trees and 41 different spatial configurations depending on actual availability of open spaces around buildings. Results show that relevant energy savings can be obtained when the entire façades of buildings are shaded. The range of reduction of cooling loads of buildings varies between 2% and 50%, depending on the species and configurations: for half of considered 41 configurations 15% of average reduction is obtained. From an urban design point of view, results also suggest that the distance of trees from buildings and the actual availability of room for trees are key aspects to consider when designing where and how to plant new trees. Not in all configurations simulated, planting trees can result in a significant reduction of cooling energy loads. Findings of this work support urban planning for the choice of different scenarios and alternatives of GI to better balance public and private costs and generate wider benefits for the local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total seismic hazard assessment (i.e. the base hazard modified by local site conditions) plays a key role in seismic risk prevention and mitigation. This is an important topic due to the impact of a reliable hazard assessment on the resilience of local communities in the case of an earthquake. This paper presents a study that evaluates the total seismic hazard for the entire Italy (excluding the Island of Sardinia). The results are expressed in terms of amplification factors and total hazard parameters. To this end, soil characterisation was performed, firstly using Italian Seismic Network data for 259 sites uniformly distributed across Italy, and secondly using the mean value of the shear wave velocity, available from a global dataset produced by the United States Geological Survey. The amplification effects were quantified according to i) an approach consistent with the Italian Building Code; and ii) one-dimensional site response analyses. These two procedures are referred to as "parsimonious" and "rigorous" here, respectively. The results indicate a generally satisfactory match between the estimates obtained by means of these two procedures for periods lower than 0.5 s, while parsimonious procedures at periods longer than 0.5 s provide an upper limit on the total seismic hazard. Finally, a seismic classification in terms of the classes of total hazard parameters is proposed for the Italian peninsula area. • Prediction of shear wave velocity was cross-checked against data from Italian sites; • The total seismic hazard was satisfactory estimated based on "poor" data; • Basic procedures can be used for a precautionary estimate of total seismic hazard; • National maps of the total seismic hazard were proposed; • Total seismic hazard maps can support urban planning and seismic risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]