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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]

The aim of Sustainable Development Goal 7 is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Increased energy efficiency is particularly important in the construction industry because urban agglomerations currently consume up to 80% of global energy, 40% of which is attributable to buildings. In countries like Italy however, where historical buildings constitute a significant part of the building patrimony, improving energy efficiency is not always straightforward as interventions must take into account the historical materials used as well as the context of the construction. Therefore, the aim of this research was to establish a methodology that would identify the most effective means of achieving energy efficiency taking into account the historical aspects of a building and its cultural context. The methodology proposed and described in this paper involves: preliminary analyses to identify the elements of value and the level of transformability of facades; the selection of different insulating materials; dynamic simulations of building behaviour; analyses of intervention costs in relation to each type of insulation and finally the preparation of a multi-criteria matrix to identify the most effective method of improving energy efficiency of a historical wall with differing degrees of transformability. Each insulating material was analysed in relation to heating and cooling requirements and material cost impact. The methodology was applied to a case study in the Province of L'Aquila, Italy. In the paper a multicriteria framework, for the improvements in the thermal efficiency of a building, it is presented. Specifically the attention is focused on heating requirements, cooling requirements and cost impact. The results indicate that, with respect to historical building, it is possible to adopt strategies finalyzed to improve the energy efficiency of these buidings, contributing in this way, also toward the SDG7. Specifically, the best performance for a wall with a high level of transformability can be obtained using calcium silicate, extruded polystyrene, kenaf and hemp, whilst, in the case of a wall with a low level of transformability, the best materials are calcium silicate, polyurethane and linen fiber. Finally, in the case in which external constraints prevent the application of a thick coat and internally there is limited space, the use of calcium silicate was found to be the best energy efficient measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great influence of site effects on damage patterns produced by seismic events of the past, stresses out the need to find proper relationships between the site local conditions and the potential damage that existing buildings may experience under earthquakes of different intensity. This issue proved to be relevant, especially for those masonry buildings in small historic centers, such as the ones belonging to the Apennine areas of Italy that suffered serious damage after the 2009 L'Aquila and the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequences. Some of these centers showed a not regular damage distribution, suggesting that site effects influenced the seismic response of their buildings. In this perspective, this paper provides an attempt to correlate earthquake damage to site effects, focusing the attention on two historic centers of the Abruzzi region, Campotosto and Cortino, which were damaged by the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequences and for which the amplification factors of the subsoil were carefully identified, resulting more influencing were higher damage was observed. First, the damage patterns observed after the 18 January 2017 seismic shock are represented in terms of Damage Probability Matrices and maps developed in GIS environment. Moreover, the data collected in terms of stats are interpreted through the application of the binomial probability distribution, in order to check its reliability in reproducing the gathered frequencies. Finally, in order to justify the damage of some specific buildings, the results of site response analyses are compared with the damage observed punctually on three damaged masonry buildings. • Damage Scenarios observed after the 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes on a Italian minor historic center have been put in relation with the results of a 3rd level Micro zonation study. • The binomial distribution proved to work well when buildings affected by site amplification effects are not included in the scenario; • The different damage levels observed after the earthquake have been justified according to the analysis of the average spectral acceleration measured for their esteemed frequencies and accounting for site amplification effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]