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Recent urbanization trends reflect an increasing dependence on regional economic transformations, local population dynamics, and planning constraints, becoming intrinsically complex and nonlinear. Following this assumption, the present study proposes a new approach for the analysis of long‐term urban expansion in a compact metropolitan region (Athens, Greece), clarifying the importance of spatial heterogeneity and volatility in building activity over more than one century. A spatially explicit statistical approach was used to define a development cycle reflecting the stratification of heterogeneous waves of compact and dispersed urbanization at municipal scale. While resulting in distinctive spatial patterns of building activity, long‐term urban growth emerged as a multifaceted response to market stimuli, social change, and diversified territorial contexts. Results of a spatially explicit analysis of long‐term urban expansion based on official statistics shed further light on processes of metropolitan growth and change, and contribute to design integrated strategies enhancing spatial coordination and a more balanced socioeconomic development of contemporary cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Marginal' urban settlements can be assumed as specific locations within a metropolitan area that are unable to attract (incoming) commuter flows. The official statistical system of Italy (headed by the National Statistical Institute, Istat) introduced a summary index of 'urban marginality' following the original definition proposed by a national, ad hoc Parliamentary Committee and assessing together social vulnerability and material deprivation at a sufficiently detailed spatial scale. More specifically, the index—intended as a composite indicator of territorial marginality with a normative meaning—was calculated as a specific elaboration of the commuting matrix derived from decadal population censuses considering a municipal-level resolution. In this perspective, the ability of a given municipality to attract bigger (or smaller) inflows than outflows, indicates a specific demand for services allowing the identification of (respectively) central places and peripheral locations. Starting from the index described above, our study generalizes this approach to a wider background context, investigating the roles of spatial scale and geographical coverage. By providing a novel (functional) approach to centrality and periphery, we analyzed commuting patterns at a submunicipal level, indirectly focusing on patterns and processes of local development. A spatial clustering of a standardized polarization index quantifying home-to-work daily travels delineated submunicipal (homogeneous) areas taken as sinks (centers) or sources (peripheries) of commuter flows. The empirical results also demonstrate that spatial neighborhoods (i.e., contiguity order) did not affect the functional classification of a given territory as derived from spatial clustering. Our approach provides a dynamic and innovative interpretation of metropolitan hierarchy using simplified data derived from population censuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are a major type of cerebrovascular lesions of proven genetic origin that occur in either sporadic (sCCM) or familial (fCCM) forms, the latter being inherited as an autosomal dominant condition linked to loss-of-function mutations in three known CCM genes. In contrast to fCCMs, sCCMs are rarely linked to mutations in CCM genes and are instead commonly and peculiarly associated with developmental venous anomalies (DVAs), suggesting distinct origins and common pathogenic mechanisms. Case report: A hemorrhagic sCCM in the right frontal lobe of the brain was surgically excised from a symptomatic 3 year old patient, preserving intact and pervious the associated DVA. MRI follow-up examination performed periodically up to 15 years after neurosurgery intervention demonstrated complete removal of the CCM lesion and no residual or relapse signs. However, 18 years after surgery, the patient experienced acute episodes of paresthesia due to a distant recurrence of a new hemorrhagic CCM lesion located within the same area as the previous one. A new surgical intervention was, therefore, necessary, which was again limited to the CCM without affecting the pre-existing DVA. Subsequent follow-up examination by contrast-enhanced MRI evidenced a persistent pattern of signal-intensity abnormalities in the bed of the DVA, including hyperintense gliotic areas, suggesting chronic inflammatory conditions. Conclusions: This case report highlights the possibility of long-term distant recurrence of hemorrhagic sCCMs associated with a DVA, suggesting that such recurrence is secondary to focal sterile inflammatory conditions generated by the DVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of fertility trends along urban gradients contributes to assess socio‐demographic change at larger scales and the new geography of metropolitan growth at smaller scales. At larger scales, urban fertility was systematically lower than rural fertility; at smaller scales, suburbs were found to have higher fertility than central districts and the neighbouring rural areas. However, fertility divides have rarely been re‐contextualised in a long‐term perspective, considering the influence of exogenous factors that change over time with urban cycles. Assuming that spatial fertility variations are contextual to the development stage of a given region, the present study goes beyond the traditional 'urban‐suburban‐rural' divide and provides a long‐term vision that integrates small‐scale fertility variations and city life cycles. The study investigates spatial trends in a fertility index along a cycle from urbanisation to re‐urbanisation in a low‐fertility European context (Athens, Greece) using a multi‐scale analysis framework. The empirical findings of this study demonstrate that rural fertility was systematically lower than urban fertility apart from a short time interval (1950s). Fertility in urban locations was the highest during earlier stages of urbanisation. In suburban locations, fertility increased during late suburbanisation, stabilising (or declining slightly) with counter‐urbanisation. Re‐urbanisation was associated with a greater spatial heterogeneity in fertility rates. By documenting a differential response of fertility to urban cycles, our study re‐frames the relationship between natural population dynamics and metropolitan transitions, concluding that regional fertility divides are temporary outcomes of a specific ensemble of socio‐economic forces underlying a given urban model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desertification risk affects Mediterranean ecosystems as a result of the mutual interplay between natural and human factors. The peculiar socioeconomic profile of vulnerable areas (mainly based on rural poverty, job shortage and the consequent unemployment, subsidence agriculture and ecological fragility of land) suggests that desertification risk may negatively impact the sustainable development of local communities, leading to an irreversible depletion of soil resources. However, although sustainable development and desertification risk remain two hegemonic concepts in both ecological and economic disciplines, their intimate relationship has been occasionally investigated. The present study contributes to fill this knowledge gap delineating a multi-step procedure that analyses, at the municipal scale, the multivariate relationship among 160 indicators of sustainable development and desertification risk in Italy. Based on a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the procedure performed a spectral decomposition of 18 dimensions of sustainable development (populated with 156 indicators) into 53 latent components taken as predictors of four indicators of desertification risk in a partial least square regression. Results document three sequential 'early desertification spirals', the first one referring to agricultural intensification (1960–1990), the second one dependent on urbanization-driven human pressure (1990–2000), and the third one reflecting wealth accumulation and societal changes toward less sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns. This latent evolution may confirm the increasing importance of 'immaterial' forces such as globalization, societal transformations, and other 'soft' factors of change, when lowering environmental quality, in spite of more traditional drivers of ecosystem degradation, such as agricultural intensification and economic growth, typical of a capitalistic 'material' world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversification in urban functions—a key component of urban complexity—was analysed using Pielou's evenness indexes for 12 socioeconomic dimensions (economic structure, working classes, education, demographic structure by age, composition of non-native population by citizenship, distribution of personal incomes, land-use, land imperviousness, building use, vertical profile of buildings, building age, construction materials) at a local spatial scale in the Athens' metropolitan region, Greece. Urban and rural districts were found respectively the most and less diversified contexts, outlining a diversification gradient negatively associated with the distance from Athens. A canonical correlation analysis characterized local contexts with high and low diversification in socioeconomic functions. A spatially-explicit regression model finally demonstrates that local-scale complexity increases with urban concentration, population growth and average per-capita income. A multivariate analysis of individual dimensions of urban complexity is a promising tool to assess socioeconomic transformations in contemporary cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic downturns in advanced countries may influence demographic dynamics, increasing regional differences in population trends and consolidating social divides in accessible and marginal regions. The present study proposes a quantitative framework analysing the latent impact of economic expansions and recessions on regional population dynamics in Greece. Selected indicators (population density, contribution of natural balance and migration balance to total population growth, gross fertility rate and crude birth rate, crude marriage rate, births per marriage, and crude mortality rate) were used to distinguish long‐term transitional processes (1956‐2017) from short‐term dynamics characterising the most recent economic expansion (2000‐2008) and recession (2009‐2017) in Greece. Indicators were calculated separately for Attica, a metropolitan region centred on Athens, where more than 30 per cent of country population was (and still is) settled, and the rest of Greece, allowing a detailed analysis of socio‐demographic dynamics in urban and rural areas. Results of this study indicate that regional population trends in Greece were influenced by a combination of factors reflecting long‐term transitional forces, urbanisation/suburbanisation processes, and short‐term impact of economic downturns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of building cycles on recent expansions of Athens was assessed under the hypothesis that non-linear paths of urban growth result from sequential phases of economic growth and decline. Changes over time in building activity were examined by considering indicators derived from a local-scale analysis of building permits issued by Greek municipalities between 1990 and 2016. Relevant socioeconomic forces shaping spatio-temporal variability in building activity were identified by analyzing contextual indicators through inferential techniques and multivariate analysis. The results showed distinctive responses of real-estate local markets to economic cycles at the local scale in Athens, allowing for identification of short-term and long-term urban dynamics characteristic of expansion and recession waves. The most sensitive indicators to economic cycles in Athens were density of new buildings, average floors per new building, density of building additions, and number of building permits per inhabitant. Infrastructure-driven development, as a result of the 2004 Olympic Games, has produced relevant alterations in short-term patterns in the construction market, resulting in spatially-complex urbanization trends. The author concludes that local-scale indicators derived from building permit data provide insights into progressively complex dynamics of urban growth, with implications for regional planning and the design of sustainable development practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic expansions and recessions have had a relevant influence on urbanization patterns, altering building cycles and depressing local housing markets. In regions with declining employment and wealth, the 2007 economic crisis has resulted in urban containment and inherent transformations in metropolitan structures and socioeconomic functions. This study aims at verifying whether urban growth spatial direction and intensity have changed during the 2007 economic crisis in Athens, the capital of Greece, based on a diachronic analysis (1990–2016) of indicators assessing population dynamics, building characteristics and land-use change. Urban growth rate in the study area was the highest over a period of economic expansion spanning from 1990 to 2006, decreasing largely in the subsequent decade, characterized by economic recession. Conversely, dispersed development as a proportion of total urban growth was the lowest during economic expansion, rising after 2007. With economic expansion, discontinuous urban growth concentrated in peri-urban districts. During recession, the same districts experienced a trend towards settlement re-densification, with new sprawled settlements expanding in marginal areas. Taken together, the empirical results of this study suggest that economic recession has promoted a moderate change in spatial direction and intensity of Athens' expansion, with distinct patterns of urban densification and dispersion depending on the specific local context. Our findings bring insights on the debate over post-crisis development of Mediterranean cities, suggesting that – without policy interventions – dispersed settlements will remain the dominant urbanization pattern in heterogeneous and fragmented metropolitan regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wildfires, a key socio-environmental challenge in Mediterranean regions, are influenced by anthropogenic factors shaping land-use and socioeconomic spatial structures. By assuming that the dominant socioeconomic structure of local districts exerts a variable impact on wildfire spatial regimes, the present study investigates 174 indicators on a municipal scale in Italy, identifying a multidimensional relationship between wildfire characteristics and socioeconomic contexts. An exploratory statistical approach was adopted to identify linear and non-linear relationships among variables assessing socioeconomic contexts and wildfire patterns. Empirical results demonstrate that characteristic wildfire attributes (frequency, intensity and severity) are systematically higher in socioeconomic contexts characterized by rural poverty, unemployment and deregulated urban expansion, especially in southern Italy. A higher fire frequency was typically observed in (i) peri-urban districts with a dynamic socio-demographic profile and (ii) in rural districts with intensive cropping systems. Joint information on socioeconomic structure/dynamics and environmental change, is crucial for a better understanding of local-scale spatial patterns of wildfires in the Mediterranean region. Integrated socio-environmental information provides a better understanding of the local communities' role in the management of wildfire-prone land, contributing to implement more effective strategies aimed at minimizing wildfire impact on land resources. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Wildfire regime in Italy was significantly influenced by socioeconomic conditions. • Multivariate analysis is a key tool to characterize wildfire spatial distribution. • Relations between socioeconomic variables and wildfires are important for fire management • Peri-urban areas are exposed to frequent, small-size wildfires. • Rural areas need specific wildfire protection plans [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan systems were constituted by spatial components with different specialization 'niches' based on characteristic attributes (demography, economic structure and performances, socio-spatial patterns, urban morphology, topography, land-use and spatial planning). The present study investigates the multiple dimensions of urban complexity in the light of the 'ecological niche' theory, assessing the spatial structure of a vast ensemble of socioeconomic and territorial indicators that reflect processes of growth and change in contemporary cities. To assess jointly patterns and processes of urban expansion and their impact on recent socioeconomic transformations at the local scale, Athens, the capital of Greece, was taken as a prototype of metropolitan systems with a socioeconomic context evolving under specific form-function relationships. An exploratory framework based on principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering and spatial autocorrelation indexes was used to identify and characterize 8 dimensions that reflect different specialization 'niches' at local scale. Clusters of municipalities were identified according to the dominant socioeconomic dimensions and urban specialization niches. A composite index of urban complexity was finally proposed with the aim to outline latent spatial gradients associated with settlement morphology, social diversification, local development and economic performances. The empirical results of this study contribute to a better understanding of complex urban systems, providing the necessary knowledge base to support implementation of policies for sustainable development of metropolitan regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use changes and urban sprawl have transformed European cities, with a direct impact on both metropolitan structures and socioeconomic functions. However, these processes tend to be relatively different across countries, being influenced by place-specific factors associated to socioeconomic, historical, political and cultural factors that influence decisions on the use of land. Considering 155 metropolitan areas in 6 European macro-regions, the present study investigates spatial patterns of land consumption profiling cities according to a large set of territorial variables, with the final objective to identify relevant socioeconomic dimensions characteristic of recent processes of urban growth. Investigating the socioeconomic background underlying land-use changes in metropolitan regions allows identification of place-specific factors improving the design of effective strategies containing land consumption in different European urban typologies. An exhaustive analysis of land-use changes at regional and local spatial scales contributes to find alternative policies for land-use efficiency and long-term environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forms are increasingly reflective of socio-economic change in metropolitan regions. The present study illustrates an original approach to identify latent mechanisms of urban growth through the analysis of metropolitan spatial structures and their proximate drivers of change. Urban transformations are evaluated here using built-up patches as the elementary analysis unit and background socio-economic attributes at four stages of the “city life cycle” (urbanization, suburbanization, dis-urbanization, re-urbanization). Regression models based on 13 indicators assessing urban patch area and shape, nearest neighbour urban patch area and shape, elevation, distance from 5 urban centres, 2 road infrastructures and sea coastline, were run with the aim to investigate direction and intensity of metropolitan growth in post-war Athens (1948-2012), a southern European city shifting from a compact mono-centric form towards discontinuous urban structures. Mono-centric configurations were characterized by linear dependence of urban patch size from the distance to central cities. Shifts toward scattered urban forms were associated with changes in the multivariate relationship between urban patch size and territorial drivers, pointing out the increased complexity of dispersed metropolitan structures. Our approach integrates economic and ecological visions of urban landscapes and contributes to understanding long-term mechanisms of metropolitan growth under dynamic spatial equilibriums. Investigating the multiple relationships between form and functions at the base of socio-economic transformations are relevant issues when identifying and profiling urbanization cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated local-scale urban profiles by analysing the spatial structure of 124 territorial indicators to identify possibly relevant dimensions influencing urban evolution and promoting socioeconomic transformation. To assess patterns and processes of urban expansion, Athens (Greece) was taken as a prototype of metropolitan systems with a diversified morphology and entropic functions. Exploratory spatial data analysis identified six dimensions of urban evolution: population concentration, sprawl, social segregation, income growth, specialization in commerce/retail/logistics and industrial decline. Urban centres were profiled according to the dominant dimension(s). Cluster analysis identified the urban hierarchy in the Athens metropolitan region based on population density, highlighting more subtle gradients associated with settlement morphology, social diversification, local development and economic performance. The proposed methodology stems from the ‘factorial ecology' approach, providing a coherent overview of the recent transformations that impact dimensions of urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of preharvest sprays of Thyme essential oil, Propolis and Chitosan on postharvest quality and decay of a “long-storage” tomato, called “Vesuviano”, stored at room temperature for 120 days, were investigated. Postharvest fruit quality [number of swollen-healthy fruits (SF), withered-healthy fruits (WF) and rotten fruits (RF)], organoleptic-related indexes (dry matter, soluble sugars, organic acids, volatiles) and health-related compounds (total carotenoids and phenols) were investigated at 40, 80 and 120 days post-harvesting (T40, T80, T120). Propolis and Chitosan were able to reduce rotten fruits starting from T80, while the effect of Thyme was evident as early as T40. Furthermore Chitosan delayed fruit senescence (as expressed by SF/WF ratio) during the long-storage period. All treatments did not affect the overall postharvest quality, nevertheless some compounds (such as total soluble sugar for Chitosan and Thyme; total carotenoids and flavonols for Chitosan; total organic acids, 2-(E)-hexenal, 2-isobutylthiazole and terpenes for Propolis), were better retained than the control during postharvesting period. Among the three natural fungicides, Chitosan was most effective in reducing fruit senescence, maintaining a good quality of the fruits over a long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indicators are increasingly required to support a fine-tuning between sustainable forestry and multiple environmental targets. A data mining strategy was implemented in this study to assess the overall impact of traditional and innovative silviculture on stand structure in a sample of beech forests with varying dominant age, management history and stand structure in Italy. Harvesting intensity and stand sensitivity to treatment were investigated using a principal component analysis (PCA) run on a set of dendrometric and stand-structure variables measured before and after practice implementation at the scale of forest compartment. The PCA decomposed the overall impact of silviculture on forest structure in two manipulative effects: (i) structural changes between control and treatments, and (ii) the net manipulative effect of innovative versus traditional treatment. Our approach informs the sustainable management of forests, outlining between-site differences in stand structure and identifying a diversity gradient shaped by silvicultural practices. Multivariate analysis of forest indicators following practice's implementation is a promising tool to design innovative silviculture coherent with conservation of forests' structural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates suburbanization trends in a socially divided and economically polarized Mediterranean region (Attica, Greece) using multivariate time series analysis of 47 indicators assessing 8 research dimensions (demography, labor market, settlements, agricultural production, rural areas, economic performance, transport, and services) over nearly 50 years (1960–2008). Attica’s region was partitioned in 2 spatial domains (the Greater Athens district, including Athens and Piraeus, and the rest of the metropolitan region administered by more than 50 municipalities). Nonparametric concordance analysis and principal component analysis identify 2 distinct growth waves (with a breakpoint in the early 1980s) and distinguish fast from slow changes in the factors contributing to Athens’ transition from industry to advanced services. Up to the early 1980s, Greater Athens experienced population increase and settlement densification; the rest of Attica underwent moderate suburbanization with expanding urban functions. Since the late 1980s, Greater Athens experienced stable population and economic consolidation; the rest of Attica underwent residential sprawl and concentration of activities in the most accessible suburbs. This spatial pattern reflects the specificity of recent Mediterranean urbanization in respect to the development paths prevailing in western and northern European cities. Evidence highlights the importance of multiscale analysis investigating growth and change of informal and scattered cities in both developed and emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Human Development Index (HDI) based on life expectancy, education and per-capita income, is one of the most used indicators of human development. However, undeniable problems in data collection limit between-countries comparisons reducing the practical applicability of the HDI in official statistics. Elvidge et al. (2012) proposed an alternative index of human development (the so called Night Light Development Index, NLDI) derived from nighttime satellite imagery and population density, with improved comparability over time and space. The NLDI assesses inequality in the spatial distribution of night light among resident inhabitants and has proven to correlate with the HDI at the country scale. However, the NLDI presents some drawbacks, since similar NLDI values may indicate very different levels of human development. A modified NLDI overcoming such a drawback is proposed and applied to assessment of human development at 3 spatial scales (the entire country, 5 geographical divisions and 20 administrative regions) in Italy, a country with relevant territorial disparities in various socioeconomic dimensions. The original and modified NLDI were correlated with 5 independent indicators of economic growth, sustainable development and environmental quality. The spatial distribution of the original and modified NLDI is not coherent with the level of human development in Italy being indeed associated with various indexes of environmental quality. Further investigation is required to identify in which socioeconomic context (and at which spatial scale) the NDLI approach correctly estimates the level of human development in affluent countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current accelerated process of global warming, forest conservation is becoming more difficult to address in developing countries, where woodlands are often fueling the illegal economy. In Colombia, the issue of narcodeforestation is of great concern, because of the ramification of narcoactivities that are affecting forests, such as agribusinesses and cattle ranching for money laundering. In this study, we use spatially explicit regressions incorporating a factor decomposition of predictors through principal component analysis to understand the impact of coca plantations on global and local-scale deforestation in Colombia. At national level we find a positive and statistically significant relationship between coca crops and deforestation. At the regional level, in two out of four regions, it appears that coca is causing deforestation, especially in the Department of Northern Santander and on the Pacific coast. The spatial models used reveal not only a direct effect but also positive and significant spillover effects, in line with the conjecture that narcodeforestation is not only due to the quest for new areas to expand coca-cultivation, which would determine a loss of forest only in the municipality where coca cultivation increases, but also to the need to launder illegal profits, or create clandestine routes and airplane strips, which can affect forests also in nearby municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity shapes the levels of anthropogenic pressure that depend on the land management method adopted. This has a fundamental role in the transformation of traditional landscapes. This study focuses on a representative region of the Mediterranean area with the objective to analyse the landscape’s dynamics, to detect the spatial arrangement of class patches, to identify the main agroecosystem characters and to provide a framework to assess ecosystems services. In order to assess land use/land cover changes and landscape persistence, the period between 1960 and 2012 was analysed, taking into consideration the years 1960, 2000 and 2012 using comparable land use maps. Land use and land cover analysis show an urban area growth of 24% during 2000–2012 and of 523% over between 1960 and 2012. The very high levels of land abandonment up to the year 2000 (+7216%) have reversed their trend between 2000 and 2012 (−95%). The orchards showed a relevant increase, particularly after 2000, while the vineyards were linked to the highest value of surface erosion (−74%). The outcomes showed that urban settlements can damage the ecological network with negative effects on the landscape’s environmental sustainability in proximity of significant urban centres. Instead, the ecological network is well preserved and highly associated to the agricultural areas when there is the persistence of many land uses and low urban density, despite the presence of dynamic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes such as economic polarization, social disparities and the asymmetric distribution of natural capital are becoming progressively more interlinked in developed countries and may reflect the uneven decline of the ‘centre-periphery’ model. The assessment of regional disparities and spatial heterogeneity in socioeconomic phenomena is a key issue in regional studies and takes advantage of the use of multi-domain frameworks and decision support systems. We performed an exploratory analysis of 133 indicators assessing seven thematic domains (demography/settlements, labour market, economic structure, quality of life, agriculture/rural development, landscape/water, environment/soil resources) with the aim of investigating regional disparities in Italy in the light of territorial changes driven by urbanization, industrial decentralization, agricultural intensification and land abandonment. The results of our study indicate that latitude, elevation and urban gradients have determined a complex spatial pattern in both socioeconomic and environmental variables in Italy. The proposed approach provides an overall assessment of the intensity of territorial disparities on a regional scale for each thematic domain, and of intra-region spatial heterogeneity for each indicator, representing a decision-making tool for policies targeting a sustainable and spatially balanced development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Land quality, a key economic capital supporting local development, is affected by biophysical and anthropogenic factors. Taken as a relevant attribute of economic systems, land quality has shaped the territorial organization of any given region influencing localization of agriculture, industry and settlements. In regions with long-established human-landscape interactions, such as the Mediterranean basin, land quality has determined social disparities and polarization in the use of land, reflecting the action of geographical gradients based on elevation and population density. The present study investigates latent relationships within a large set of indicators profiling local communities and land quality on a fine-grained resolution scale in Italy with the aim to assess the potential impact of land quality on the regional socioeconomic structure. The importance of land quality gradients in the socioeconomic configuration of urban and rural regions was verified analyzing the distribution of 149 socioeconomic and environmental indicators organized in 5 themes and 17 research dimensions. Agriculture, income, education and labour market variables discriminate areas with high land quality from areas with low land quality. While differential land quality in peri-urban areas may reflect conflicts between competing actors, moderate (or low) quality of land in rural districts is associated with depopulation, land abandonment, subsidence agriculture, unemployment and low educational levels. We conclude that the socioeconomic profile of local communities has been influenced by land quality in a different way along urban-rural gradients. Policies integrating environmental and socioeconomic measures are required to consider land quality as a pivotal target for sustainable development. Regional planning will benefit from an in-depth understanding of place-specific relationships between local communities and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining and understanding the long-term social and ecological evolution of rural cultural landscapes can provide insights into complex dynamics of landscape and environment changes. Land cover changes (LCCs) in Mediterranean-type ecosystems are mainly due to human-induced landscape transformations. Multi-scale spatial analysis can provide useful information in the interpretation of LCCs data and contribute to identifying underlying drivers of landscape change. In the present study, we analyze eight diachronic land cover maps and perform statistical data assessments of human pressure in the Tolfa–Cerite district (Northern Latium, central Italy) to investigate potential changes in the cultural landscape. The Tolfa–Cerite district is a generally dry area with subhumid–humid sites and an interesting mosaic of Mediterranean-temperate vegetation, agricultural and pastoral land, and a millenarian human presence. LCCs were assessed over a period of 57 years (1949–2006) using maps at both low-resolution (1:100.000) and high-resolution (1:25.000) with different class nomenclature systems. Three primary land cover changes have been observed during the investigated period: (i) urbanization, (ii) land abandonment, and (iii) deforestation. While the former two classes of landscape change are particularly common in the northern Mediterranean region, forest conversion to pastures and shrub lands due to intensive grazing, fires, climate aridity, and increasing human pressure is, nowadays, rarely observed in Italy. Better understanding the influence of population dynamics at the local scale and other drivers of LCCs can help fine-tuning conservation policies looking at landscape quality, diversity, and fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous definitions of urban areas and poorly homogenized forest data at the country scale have hampered the comparative assessment of peri-urban forest structure in developed countries. The present study investigates selected landscape characteristics of peri-urban forests in 283 metropolitan areas in Europe controlling for the role of the local context and regional suburbanization trends. Using landscape metrics derived from Urban Atlas maps (a Copernicus/GMES initiative providing a comprehensive land-use assessment of European cities >100,000 inhabitants), significant differences in peri-urban forest structure were detected under five European regions. Specific class metrics (percent forest area, mean patch size, perimeter-to-area ratio) were correlated with urban morphology, landscape and territorial indicators. On average, forest cover is larger in northern and southern European metropolitan areas. Forest patch size increases from western to eastern Europe, with more regular patch shapes in central and eastern regions and less regular shapes in the rest of Europe. Forest class area increases with the area of discontinuous, medium-density settlements. Forest patch size increases with the average patch size of discontinuous dense urban fabric. Our evidence outlines a ‘sprawl model' shaping fringe landscapes characterized by discontinuous urban settlements mixed with fragmented – but possibly well protected – forest patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European cities are shifting towards scattered urban models with important transformations in the local socioeconomic context. With the aim to identify relevant associations with different urban patterns, the present study compares the socioeconomic profile of districts with respectively continuous and discontinuous settlements along the urban gradient in Rome, Italy, during building boom (early 1970s) and economic stagnation (late 2000s). Non-parametric correlation statistics and multivariate techniques were used to investigate the spatio-temporal evolution of 24 indicators (population, settlement, labor market, economic structure) and 14 land-use, environmental and topographic indicators at the municipal scale. The socioeconomic context discriminating discontinuous from continuous settlements in the early 1970s was significantly different from what was observed in the late 2000s. In the early 1970s, economic structure and labor market indicators have played a major role, while demographic variables and heterogeneity in the natural landscape surrounding discontinuous settlements were particularly important in the late 2000s. Policies oriented to urban sustainability and sprawl containment may benefit from an in-depth understanding of the different socioeconomic contexts associated with scattered settlements in expansion and recession times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates changes (2000-12) in the spatial distribution of per capita income in Greece assessing how economic expansion and recession shape regional disparities in a traditionally-divided country. Descriptive statistics, multivariate techniques and spatial analysis have been carried out to identify clusters of Greek regions with an homogeneous development path. Results outline how the gap between wealthy and disadvantaged regions consolidated with economic expansion (2000-07) strengthening the centrality of medium-size urban areas, industrial and tourism-specialised districts. Recession (2008-12) has widened the gap between Athens and the rest of Greece, while mitigating the disparities in per capita income between rich and poor regions. This evidence seem to contrast with literature indicating how dynamic regions came to be less exposed to recession than economically-disadvantaged regions. The 2008-09 crisis stimulates a rethinking of the geography of socio-economic disparities in highly-divided countries, pointing out how expansion and recession differently impact the spatial distribution of wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates an original approach to assess city hierarchy in metropolitan regions and to investigate urban gradients using local-scale socioeconomic data. By linking land-use to the diversification in the level of land imperviousness, we consider fragmentation and diversity in the use of land to distinguish urban from rural areas. We applied an entropy function to a map of land imperviousness in Athens' metropolitan region, Greece, with the aim to classify municipalities into urban and rural types based on Shannon diversity and Pielou evenness indexes. Urban areas are hypothesized to have higher diversification in the degree of imperviousness than rural areas. Principal Component Analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis were used to verify the spatial coherency between land imperviousness and the distribution of urban land-use. Land imperviousness Pielou index increased linearly with both diversity in the use of land and ancillary variables assessing the urban gradient (population density and distance from the inner city). Our study identifies urban and rural municipalities respectively as the most and the less diversified in terms of land-use and imperviousness intensity, with suburban areas ranking in-between. Pielou evenness index applied to land imperviousness maps and the notion of land-use diversification are promising tools to monitoring city hierarchy along urban gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delineation of bioclimatic areas is a key tool in informing sustainable land management strategies, especially in the light of climate change. It requires an in-depth analysis of climate data but also of the physical and biological factors that affect the distribution of natural vegetation. The present study applies an exploratory data analysis aimed at defining bioclimatic conditions in an area characterized by steep slopes and prone to soil erosion (Amalfi Coast, southern Italy). To this end, we analyzed long-term (1959–1999) monthly rainfall and temperature data measured at 28 gauging stations within the study area using a geographic information system and multivariate statistical tools. Then, we analyzed how the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature data relates to topography, vegetation cover, and soil erosion. We also derived bioclimatic indicators from the geostatistical analysis. We then identify and comment on drawbacks found in the procedure used in the present study, discussing possible solutions to overcome such problems. We finally discuss the potential contribution of this study to the development of sustainable land management policies for socio-ecological systems with complex topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent studies have illustrated how European cities are shifting towards exurban development, the influence of urban form on sprawl models has been poorly investigated at both the regional and local scales. The present study introduces an original sprawl index and analyses its spatio-temporal dynamics between 1960 and 2010 in two Mediterranean regions (Athens and Rome) characterized by contrasting urban morphology. Different models of urban dispersion have been identified during the investigated period by correlating variables such as population density, land-use and territorial characteristics to the sprawl index. This index significantly diverged in the two regions, suggesting that recent urbanization patterns are influenced by the city’s form. The results contribute to the debate on sustainable urban form for expanding cities in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates an exploratory approach based on a Multiway Factor Analysis (MFA) to estimate rapidity of change in complex urban systems, based on 'fast' and 'slow' variables. The proposed methodology was applied to 18 socioeconomic indicators of long-term (1960-2010) transformations in 115 municipalities of Athens' metropolitan area (Greece), including demography, land-use/planning, and urban form and functions. Athens was regarded as a dynamic urban area with diversified structures and functions at the local scale, expanding through a self-organized pattern rather than a centralized planning strategy. Athens' urban system was described using nine supplementary (topographic and territorial) variables and 30 independent indicators assessing the local context in recent times. Exploratory data analysis found an increasing connectedness and redundancy among socioeconomic indicators during the phase of largest urban expansion (1960-1990). Only the rate of population growth was classified as a 'fast' variable for all five decades investigated. The overall rapidity of change was higher in 1960-1970, 1980-1990, and 2000-2010, decades that coincided with specific phases of urban expansion driven by migration inflow, second-home suburbanization, and Olympic games, respectively. Rapidity of change was high for functional indicators during all five decades studied, while demography indicators changed more rapidly in the first three decades and land-use/planning indicators in the last two decades. Rapidity of change was highest in peri-urban municipalities with a highly diversified economic structure dominated by industry. Our methodology provides a comprehensive overview of the transformations of a complex urban system, quantifying low-level indicators that are rarely assessed in the mainstream literature on urban studies. These results may contribute to design policies addressing complexity and promoting resilience in expanding metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The present study investigates long-term climate variations of mixing ratio in an industrial basin of the Eastern Mediterranean region (Thriasio Plain, Greece), considering the serious environmental and socioeconomic impacts of a projected drier future climate in the Mediterranean. For this purpose, monthly average temperature, precipitation, dew point and atmospheric pressure were used for the period between 1958 and 2011. It was found that mixing ratio can be considered as a proxy for climate aridity in the area. Although air temperature was substantially stable during the investigated period, mixing ratio showed a marked reduction on both annual and monthly basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After long‐lasting suburbanisation, early signs of re‐urbanisation have been recently observed in southern Europe, one of the regions most affected by the 2007‒2008 crisis. With recession, population dynamics have been influenced by multiple drivers, including the increased attractiveness of inner cities, as a result of gentrification, massive immigration and the economic re‐polarisation of central cores with respect to peripheral zones. This study identifies the contribution of different population groups (unmarried and divorced native people, traditional families, non‐native residents) and age groups to medium‐term (2006‒2015) demographic growth (or decline) in 115 districts (historic centre, compact urban area, suburbs) of the municipality of Rome, Italy. Results outline complex and non‐linear population dynamics with growing and declining districts scattered across the urban area. Non‐native people as well as unmarried and divorced native residents increased in the historical city and in suburban areas. Native population decreased in consolidated urban districts, the preferred location of married people. The evidence for re‐urbanisation in Rome is relatively mixed and suggests the importance of processes of social segregation shaping population dynamics. Variations in the spatial distribution of the resident population and its main demographic components reveal recent trends of growth and decline on the metropolitan scale, producing relevant information for policies governing urban expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the spatial distribution of resident and present population at the municipal scale in Greece (1991–2011) with the aim to infer recent trends in urban expansion. The ratio of present to resident population is proposed as a proxy of urban centrality indicating variations in urban hierarchy over time. Results of the analysis outline relevant changes in the spatial distribution of present and resident population along the urban–rural gradient. Apart from the metropolitan areas of Athens and Salonika (which concentrate nearly half of Greek population), the density of present and resident population varied largely across time and space. Urban regions showed higher values in the ratio of resident to present population than rural regions. The indicator proposed in this study contributes to defining more precisely urban and rural areas and may integrate decision support systems for diachronic analysis of urbanization patterns and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the debate on polycentric development and land consumption in growing urban regions. The aim of this study is to verify if urban morphology reflects the transition from a mono-centric and hyper-compact form centred on Barcelona (Spain) towards a polycentric agglomeration based on subcentres functionally distinct from the head city. The spatial distribution of impervious land by municipal unit has been investigated under three spatial domains (province, metropolitan region and metropolitan area of Barcelona). Soil sealing indicators have been analysed using descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistical techniques. Sealing intensity and diversification decreased with the distance from the centre of Barcelona, while per-capita sealed land was low in the central city and much higher and stable in peripheral municipalities. Our results shed light on Barcelona’s long-term expansion, providing evidence in favour of settlement scattering instead of a genuine polycentric structure. The article finally debates the use of soil sealing indicators for the assessment of polycentric or scattered urban development in the Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent urbanization trends in the Mediterranean region have stimulated a debate on the relationship between the form and the functions of cities, in turn revealing a relatively high degree of urban sustainability and resilience to external shocks. Beginning with compact and dense forms, over the last thirty years Mediterranean cities have undergone a path of scattered expansion. This process reflects, in many cases, deregulated urban growth rather than decentralization processes driven by planning strategies aiming at polycentrism. Economic recession in southern European countries has influenced these patterns considerably by reducing competitiveness and depressing the economic performance of entire urban systems. An interpretive key to investigating the new forms of urban expansion in Mediterranean Europe is proposed here by introducing the ‘crisis city’ archetype, discussed in the light of the post-war development path of Naples, Italy. The complexity of the territorial processes that drive urban expansion and changes was analysed, focusing on the socio-spatial structure, economic configuration and entropic morphologies that qualify Naples as the exemplification of a ‘crisis city’. Spontaneity, planning deregulation, criminality, and the informal economy—all found in Naples—are symptoms of a ‘locked’ system, incapable of progressing towards mature urban models. Abandoning the traditional monocentric frame vividly represented in the 1950 movie Napoli milionaria (released in English as ‘Side Street Story’), the consolidation of a scattered and entropic morphology in between compactness and dispersion reflects a development deficit that depresses the competitiveness potential of the city. We interpreted the transition of Naples in the light of a ‘Mediterranean continuum’ in which a locked and informal model, far from both wealthier western European cities and more mature southern alternatives, limits urban competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Environmental Sensitivity Area Index (ESAI) is one of the most used frameworks to monitor land vulnerability to degradation in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. ESAI outputs were validated on the field at both local and regional scales, but a country or continental scale validation is still missing. Using non-parametric correlations and multivariate statistics, the present study contrasts the spatial distribution of the ESAI over 8100 local municipalities in Italy with 12 soil variables assessing individual soil attributes, soil degradation processes and the overall soil quality. Three supplementary variables assessing elevation, latitude and the urban–rural gradient have been also considered in the analysis. The ESAI correlated with both soil attributes (topsoil organic carbon) and degradation processes (soil contamination risk, landslide risk, grazing pressure and agricultural mechanization, considered a predisposing factor to soil compaction) varying in intensity along the elevation gradient. The approach illustrated provides an indirect evaluation of the reliability of the ESAI as a multi-domain indicator of land vulnerability to degradation in the Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of urbanization and suburbanization patterns and processes in the European Union is becoming increasingly urgent for the formulation of common territorial policies. We hypothesize that the intrinsic characteristics of landscape at the city scale reflect both the local socioeconomic context and the regional trends towards urbanization, possibly representing the contrasting attitude towards suburbanization found in European countries. Using comprehensive information provided by Urban Atlas maps, we propose an exploratory multivariate analysis of eighty-five variables describing land-use composition, landscape structure, and urban form in 283 cities with the aim being to classify the urbanization patterns observed in five European macroregions. Landscape metrics seem to be more powerful in discriminating cities among regions than indicators of land-use composition. The most relevant metrics discriminating among cities are (i) those describing fragmentation processes along the urban gradient and (ii) those evaluating form and patchiness of discontinuous settlements. Landscape and class average patch size and edge density correctly classified cities in more than 80% of cases. In particular, cities in Southern, Eastern, and Northern Europe were identified as three homogeneous groups as far as landscape structure is concerned, confirming the converging urbanization trends in the Mediterranean countries and the peculiar morphological characteristics of post-socialist urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light on the recent development of a Mediterranean urban region (Rome, Italy) identifying key factors of regional competitiveness in the light of the observed strengths and weaknesses of local governance. The influence of planning practices inspired to the European Spatial Development Framework on metropolitan regions featuring traditional settlement patterns, socioeconomic disparities and an imbalanced governance system has been discussed in the case for Rome, a city experiencing dispersed expansion and economic growth at the periphery of Europe. While focusing on ‘European’ or even ‘global’ city models, developmental policies in Rome resulted sometimes in the simplification of the competitiveness issue considered as a mere spatial economic problem. Planning strategies decoupled from the local context may impact negatively economic competitiveness, social structures and the environment, proving at the same time the importance of policies designed for ‘non-global’ cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the relation between urban form and the socio-economic patterns of the resident population in three southern European cities ( Athens, Lisbon and Rome) featured by different processes of urban diffusion. The paper goes beyond the literature on sprawl focused on (residential, income and ethnic) segregation and the different features of the inhabitants of the suburbs and those of the inner cities residents. By integrating multivariate statistics and spatial analysis, a methodology is proposed, based on morphological and socio-economic indicators available at a fine geographical scale. Results show how urban diffusion processes vary widely according to the context, as does the socio-economic profile of the actors, stressing the need to think about different 'southern European alternatives' of sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degradation of soils and sensitivity of land to desertification are intensified in last decades in the Mediterranean region producing heterogeneous spatial patterns determined by the interplay of factors such as climate, land-use changes, and human pressure. The present study hypothesizes that rising levels of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification are reflected into increasingly complex (and non-linear) relationships between environmental and socioeconomic variables. To verify this hypothesis, the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework was used to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of eleven indicators derived from a standard assessment of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification in Italy. Indicators were made available on a detailed spatial scale (773 agricultural districts) for various years (1960, 1990, 2000 and 2010) and analyzed through a multi-dimensional exploratory data analysis. Our results indicate that the number of significant pair-wise correlations observed between indicators increased with the level of soil and land degradation, although with marked differences between northern and southern Italy. ‘Fast’ and ‘slow’ factors underlying soil and land degradation, and ‘rapidly-evolving’ or ‘locked’ agricultural districts were identified according to the rapidity of change estimated for each of the indicators studied. In southern Italy, ‘rapidly-evolving’ districts show a high level of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification during the whole period of investigation. On the contrary, those districts in northern Italy are those experiencing a moderate soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification with the highest increase in the level of sensitivity over time. The study framework contributes to the assessment of complex local systems' dynamics in affluent but divided countries. Results may inform thematic strategies for the mitigation of land and soil degradation in the framework of action plans to combat desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relating urban form and functions for the various typologies of metropolitan regions is an intriguing area of research. Mediterranean cities offer a kaleidoscopic overview of different urban forms (dominated by compact and dense settlements) and functional patterns at the local scale. The present study introduces an exploratory analysis of the long-term expansion (1960–2010) of a paradigmatic Mediterranean city (Athens, Greece) suspended between informality and planning, competitiveness and crisis. Going beyond the classical models investigating urban growth in developed countries, 17 socioeconomic and territorial indicators were analyzed by decade for each municipality within the study area to identify latent factors characterizing the recent phases of urban expansion. Our results point out the increased complexity of growth patterns that are shifting from a strictly mono-centric spatial organization to a more entropic and scattered model based on the dichotomy between the compact city and the neighboring dispersed suburbs. The methodology applied offers a comprehensive overview of the relationship between form and functions underlying post-war Athens' development and contributes to the understanding of urban complexity in the contemporary city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study related to land use structure and urbanization-driven land fragmentation. It mentions that actual trends in Mediterranean landscapes includes loss of diversity, natural habitats and corridors due rapid urbanization processes. It also reflects on urban planning and decision-making for sustainable development that require high-resolution data to establish relationship between the socioeconomic performances of urban systems and their environmental impacts.

The present study assesses the level of sensitivity to desertification of forest types in Italy between 2000 and 2010 on a fine resolution scale using the Environmental Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme. The proposed methodology identifies and ranks the level of sensitivity of fourteen forest types and quantifies the changes in their level of sensitivity over time as a contribution to understanding of complex landscape-forest interactions in Mediterranean ecosystems. Only few forest types showed a relatively high sensitivity level, suggesting that forests may positively contribute to the mitigation of land degradation processes in the Mediterranean region. Forest types showing the highest sensitivity are native types mostly adapted to dry Mediterranean landscapes, introduced vegetation types and highly-fragmented and heterogeneous forest types. Results suggest that: (i) high-quality and biodiversity-rich forest types (e.g., beech, mountain pine forests) may act as vegetation buffer mitigating the increase of land sensitivity to desertification at the landscape scale; and (ii) the remaining forest types (especially highly fragmented, low-quality or low-biodiversity classes in areas with severe soil and climate conditions) may undergo increases in land sensitivity to desertification and should be protected through specific management measures as also implemented in the framework of the National Action Plans to Combat Desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overgrazing is a common form of land degradation at the global scale with negative impact on ecosystem functioning, natural capital stocks, socio-ecological systems and economic development. Although most of the regions in Mediterranean Europe are affected by soil degradation driven by unsustainable grazing, information on the spatial relationship among overgrazing, the economic structure and socio-spatial attributes of rural communities is limited. The present study explores the relationship between an index of grazing pressure and a set of indicators assessing six thematic domains (Population dynamics and human settlement, Labour market and human capital, Economic specialization and competitiveness, Quality of life, Agriculture and rural development, Territory and environment) at the municipal scale in Italy. An exploratory data analysis based on non-parametric inference, multiple regression models, Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering was developed with the aim to profile municipalities exposed to high or low degree of grazing pressure. An index of overgrazing-driven soil degradation risk which integrates grazing intensity and soil erosion risk was finally proposed. The analysis contributes to identify socioeconomic factors influencing soil degradation in areas with unsustainable grazing possibly leading to desertification risk. Results indicate that the socioeconomic profile of municipalities with high grazing pressure is characterized by specific socio-spatial and economic attributes, traditional cropping systems and a typical land-use structure. Our results may support the development of sustainable land management strategies in areas sensitive to land degradation in the Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is a relatively common form of soil degradation in Europe threatening coastal areas and fertile lowlands and altering the long-term interplay between natural and human factors at the local scale. While rural areas with degraded soils are often characterized by poverty, unemployment and subsidence agriculture, less information is available on the relationship between soil salinization and various socioeconomic profiles typically observed in Mediterranean Europe. Using a large set of territorial indicators made available at the municipal scale in Italy, the present study explores the spatial correlation between an index of vulnerability to soil salinization and six socioeconomic domains (population structure/dynamics and human settlements, labor market and human capital, economic specialization and competitiveness, quality of life, agriculture and rural development, landscape and environment). An exploratory data analysis was carried out to derive a socioeconomic profile of the municipalities with low and high vulnerability to soil salinization. Results indicate that the socioeconomic profile of vulnerable areas is characterized by specific rural development variables, income patterns and socio-demographic structure. Young population, density of bank deposits, crime intensity, high density of workers, and a land-use structure dominated by irrigated crop and discontinuous built-up areas with a lower per-worker crop surface are the indicators contributing the most to determine the profile of rural communities in areas vulnerable to soil salinization. An in-depth knowledge of the socioeconomic context and socio-environmental relationships on a local scale may contribute to design effective policies of soil conservation and sustainable land management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the spatial distribution and basic characteristics of 2692 forest fires between 2000 and 2011 in Attica, Greece, a rapidly expanding urban region. Fire variables were assessed, together with variables describing the socio-economic local context in three distinct periods of Athens' expansion (2000-2003: semi-compact expansion and economic growth before the 2004 Olympic Games; 2004-2007: infrastructure development and discontinuous expansion following the Olympic Games; 2008-2011: crisis-driven decline of the construction industry). Fire characteristics changed over the three periods following the negative trends in the construction industry. Burnt areas decreased in the rural area around Athens and the opposite pattern was observed in the peri-urban belt. Our findings suggest that the temporal and spatial distribution of forest fires in Attica reflects the construction boom stimulated by the 2004 Olympic Games and the subsequent economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Fire Risk Index (FIRISK) based on an original land cover/land use nomenclature has been developed in the framework of EU-funded MEDALUS projects and integrated into a composite index of sensitivity to desertification (the so called environmentally sensitive area index: ESAI). The objective of the present study is to introduce a validation approach assessing the correlation between the FIRISK and seven independent fire indicators and quantifying the similarity in their spatial distribution in a study area (Attica, Greece) characterized by high fire risk and fragmented land-use structure. The FIRISK correlated positively with four out of seven fire indicators (average fire size, percentage of burnt area on the total municipal area, percentage of cropland and pastures burnt in each fire) in a non-linear fashion. Cluster analysis indicates that FIRISK spatial distribution was coherent with variables describing both fire size and the use of land endangered by fire. Results of the present study demonstrate that the FIRISK is a reliable indicator of fire risk within the ESAI framework. Moreover, the index is considered a key component of multi-criteria decision support systems classifying land according to the level of fire sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study compares the spatial distribution of selected rural land use classes in Italy with two soil indicators (a Soil Quality Index [SQI] and the Maximum potential Water Capacity of the soil [MWC]) at three points in time (1960, 1990 and 2006). Results of the analysis showed that landscape changes reflect a ‘migration’ of both semi-natural (forests, pastures) and agricultural (arable land, vineyards) uses towards areas with lower-quality soils. In particular, the agricultural ‘mosaic’ and shrubland-pasture classes that occupied land in 2006 had significant lower values of both the SQI and MWC compared to 1960. These processes may have implications for the stability of agro-forest ecosystems in the medium term. Due to its versatility, the procedure illustrated represents a monitoring tool for sustainable land management at the regional and country scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has launched a policy strategy called 'Zero Net Land Degradation' (ZNLD), which aims to prevent the degradation of productive land and restore already degraded land. In Europe, and especially in Mediterranean Europe, land degradation is a complex phenomenon affecting both depopulated, marginal agro-forest regions and affluent agricultural areas. In an effort to develop a ZNLD strategy in Italy we identified the socioeconomic variables associated with environmental conditions leading to a long-term (1960-2010) reduction in land sensitivity to degradation. Our results show an increase in ZNLD areas in the last ten years. Rural municipalities classified at ZNLD showed an economy based on services, an agriculture sector oriented towards quality productions and more sustainable cultivation practices, a balanced population structure and the prevalence of a mixed farmland/woodland land-use structure. These results may inform a country-scale ZNLD strategy targeting complex human-natural degradation processes in ecologically-fragile Mediterranean areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between form and function in European Mediterranean cities has been widely addressed from various perspectives. A number of studies indicate that, until the 1980s, compactness was a key trait of several cities of the Northern Mediterranean. However, after the 'compact growth' period, these cities experienced patterns of urbanization that differed from their traditional trends. Since the 1990s, sprawl, coupled with population decline in the inner cities, has become the main pattern of urban development. This article explores the key features of exurban development in the Mediterranean region in order to provide material for a discussion based on the differences and similarities in the characteristics of sprawl processes originating in the US and Northern Europe. It concludes that any debate on policy responses to sprawl must be specifically formulated according to the scope, administrative level, housing and planning system, territorial and socioeconomic characteristics of the urban system under examination. It is our belief that sprawl requires site-specific analyses and policy strategies for the region being studied if the process is to be effectively controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]