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Freedom of Information (FOI) is considered a crown jewel of reforms fostering public administration transparency and accountability. However, FOI's symbolic power alone cannot overcome the organizational barriers and obstacles to its effective implementation. This paper presents the results of a field experiment performed in Italy, a late FOI adopter, where an FOI request was sent to the 307 municipalities with more than 30k inhabitants. The experimental design exploits marginal wording variation in the requests to test whether municipalities discriminate between ordinary citizens and high-profile requesters. The experimental evidence suggests that most Italian municipalities reply to FOI requests. The results show two opposite types of discretionary bias: Northern municipalities tend to favor high-profile requesters, whereas Southern municipalities tend to respond to them with a higher degree of attrition. The study investigates the determinants of this difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy retrofitting of residential buildings is considered a challenge to be tackled not only at building level, but also at urban scale, to give a stronger impulse for a concrete transition towards climate neutrality. This paper presents an easy-to-use analysis method based on the elaboration and scaling-up of data collected through the energy performance certificates (EPCs) to identify different urban energy zones distinguished by their energy performance index. This method is therefore conceived for better informing urban planning decisions, thus boosting more effective energy-sensitive urban planning strategies and eventually to foresee dedicated financial instruments to act in the more energy demanding areas of the city, establishing priorities for integrated strategies. This analytical method has been applied and tested in one municipality in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy, where the recent urban planning law is pushing municipalities towards the development of urban planning strategies oriented to drastically improve the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. Results show that only a small number of areas manage to reach a good performance with fairly low levels of energy performance index, with the most critical situation found in the most central areas of the capital and in the hamlets. • Easy-to-use method for assessing energy performance of residential building at urban scale is proposed • Method based on data easily available for local authorities, like energy performance certificates (EPCs) and urban morphology • The method supports urban planners in municipalities in taking more targeted decisions for improving energy efficiency • The main output of the method is the definition of an energy performance index (EPI) for different urban contexts • EPI allows to wisely balance economic incentives, identifying areas where multi-purpose interventions are recommended [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analyze percentages of waste separation at a municipal level. • We study the role of municipal distance from plants in waste management. • A very general complex network approach is adopted. • Communities detection is explored for both the investigated issues. • The theoretical model is validated over high quality data from the Italian reality. The paper contributes to the debate concerning the management of municipal solid waste by providing an analysis of two key aspects of waste management - namely, waste separation and dispatch to treatment plants. Our analysis aims at detecting the extent to which actual behavior in (close-by) municipalities is similar with respect to those two aspects. To pursue our scope, a complex network approach is followed. In particular, we conceptualize, explore and compare two networks, whose nodes are the municipalities, while weights synthesize in one network the percentage of sorted waste that is collected at a municipal level, and in the other one the distance from the waste processing plants used by each municipality. The theoretical network models are implemented through an empirical study based on a high quality dataset referred to Italian municipalities. In this regard, the detection of communities of municipalities and their geospatial contextualization are introduced as devices for a complete description of current practices of municipal waste separation and transfers in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assemblage of a building inventory is necessary for the evaluation of seismic impact scenarios at the territorial scale. Building inventory, representing the distribution of building vulnerability classes at the territorial scale, could be performed at different levels of detail, depending on the size of the building stock, the territorial unit of analysis and on the adopted vulnerability model. Census-based data are usually employed as primary source for building inventory. A recent advancement towards compilation of regional scale inventories is provided by the interview-based Cartis approach, implemented in Italy within "Territorial themes" Reluis project, financed by the Italian Civil Protection Department. This paper proposes a first comparison of the results in terms of building inventory and the subsequent impact assessment that are obtained using Census (CE) and Cartis-based (CA) data for a town in southern Italy; a probabilistic framework for inventory is applied. Different vulnerability models are adopted and results compared. Moreover, a simple procedure that combines the informative levels present in the two approaches is proposed, allowing a mixed-type inventory from Census and Cartis data (CC) to be used for seismic impact assessment. Results of the application show that the inventory and related damage distribution changes as a function of the method adopted and in relation to the parameters considered for building classification in the vulnerability model. Comparing the impact in terms of a mean value of damage over the entire municipality, d m , calculated for various seismic intensities and starting from CE, CA and CC inventory, it is seen that the CC inventory is generally more conservative with respect to CA and CE for all the vulnerability methods, and a maximum scatter of approximately 45% in terms of d m is obtained for the considered application with one of the vulnerability methods. • The paper presents simplified methods to assemble building inventory. • Initial considered databases for building inventory are census returns and a newly developed interview-based database. • First comparison of the results on building inventory and damage assessment obtained using three types of building inventory. • Different vulnerability methods are considered for building classification and expected damage calculation. • The method is applied for a case study town in southern Italy. [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]

The obligations arising from legislation and other instruments affect the macro-level decision-making related to the transition toward a circular economy (CE), which is a multifaceted topic since it tries to aggregate the interests of different stakeholders. In this context, this paper aims to analyse the current policies, strategies and initiatives related to the CE transition from a multicriteria perspective and under the lens of NIT (New Institutional Theory). This is the first approach that analyses which CE strategies and related practices boost the transition from a macro-level perspective, using a multicriteria method and considering developed and emerging economies. For this reason, this paper can be helpful for researchers and practitioners involved in implementing strategy and policymaking aimed at the transition toward a CE. It also contributes to the discussion on the global transition to the CE by identifying differences and similarities between countries. The proposed methodology has been applied to compare the realities in Italy and Brazil. The perceptions of several stakeholders from the two countries have been gathered through a questionnaire to evaluate numerous strategies against several social, environmental, economic, and technical criteria. The main results are: Italy presents a proactive behaviour, a higher level of institutionalisation, and a coercive isomorphism related to European regulations and strategies. In contrast, Brazil has reactive behaviour, a lower level of institutionalisation, and is impelled by mimetic isomorphism. Although it is possible to observe several advances in the last years in Brazil, the transition to a CE is still in the early stages compared to Italy. [Display omitted] • Transitioning to a new economic model is not a quick and straightforward process. • Transition requires changes in countries, regions, cities, supply chains and companies. • Some strategies and related practices have been adopted to enable the transition. • National legislation and Action Plans can boost the transition toward a circular economy. • In developing countries, the exploration of CE concept and its potential benefits has been rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the presence of urban wildlife has increased in many cities around the world, with the consequent increase of human-animal relations. The city of Genoa (NW Italy) is a particularly complex case study where such phenomena are associated with rural depopulation of the surrounding countryside and spontaneous rewilding processes that have led several animal species to approach urban areas in search of new spaces. This paper deals with human-wildlife interactions in Genoa in relation to the geography of the city by way of a survey circulated throughout Genoa. Drawing from survey data, the research investigates residents' perceptions and understanding of urban wildlife in relation to their area of residency with a focus on wild boars. People's responses show that some areas of the city have a higher level of interaction with wildlife, and this partly affects the way in which such phenomena are perceived and tolerated by the population. In addition, the results show that there is no clear opposition towards urban wildlife and that people are concerned about sustainable forms of urban planning to the benefit of both residents and wildlife. • Rewilding processes involve both rural and urban areas of Liguria (NW Italy). • In recent times city of Genoa (NW Italy) has seen a progressive increase of wildlife. • Intensity of human-animal interactions varies in relation to people's area of residency. • People are concerned about public safety and good quality of urban environments but also animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether the gender of elected politicians affects the performance of Italian local governments in providing equitable and sustainable well-being to citizens. In fact, Italy was the first country in the European Union to include citizens' well-being objectives in economic planning. We use data on more than 6000 Italian municipalities for two years to investigate the relationship between gender representation at three bodies of local government with measures of socio-economic and environmental sustainability and find that larger representation of women in municipal leadership, executive and council bodies is significantly associated with improved municipal well-being. These results are also confirmed by accounting for endogenous issues, by adopting an extended definition of well-being and other robustness checks. Differences among northern and southern regions emerge with regard to the effects of incumbent female politicians. Other heterogeneous impacts are unclear or less marked. • A Wroclaw composite index of well-being is constructed at municipal level. • Gender quotas is used as instrumental variable in 2SLS regressions. • A larger share of women in municipal political bodies improves citizen's well-being. • Heterogeneity effects are detected among North vs. Center-South macro-regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• External operational variables are associated with efficiency estimation. • Efficiency is higher in municipalities with lower levels of income per capita. • Efficiency is lower for municipalities with higher undifferentiated waste produced. • Adoption of zero waste strategy is related to higher efficiency in MSW service. • Privatization is not associated with significant improvement in performance results. This paper assesses the performance of waste services in the region of Tuscany in Italy. It adopts non-parametric techniques for this purpose. Furthermore, it investigates the influence of the operational environment on the estimated performance by using the robust order-m technique. Meaningful levels of inefficiency were found in the Italian waste services. A specification of the ownership of the operator entrusted with waste management by municipalities and the formal adoption of the zero-waste strategy are included as environmental variables. The study concludes that the influence of the operational environment is a determinant of performance. The income per capita is negatively associated with efficiency, while population density is positively associated. Furthermore, efficiency levels are lower for municipalities with higher mixed waste per capita produced. Improving good pro-environmental behaviours is likely to improve efficiency and, thus, tariffs. The empirical results support the idea that it is necessary to make relevant organizational decisions that imply higher costs to increase the refuse collection rate. An increase in the separate collection rate beyond 50% is associated with the reduction of the efficiency level reached. Efficiency analysis does not consider the additional costs and the opportunities for municipalities to get revenues by selling them as secondary raw materials. Besides, the adoption of a zero-waste strategy is related to higher efficiency in MSW service provision. Finally, results about the ownership issue support the idea that privatization is not necessarily associated with the performance improvement of the waste services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to ground gentrification processes within a broader urban transformation pattern and within a deeper historical account, taking an ordinary city into consideration: Turin, in the North West of Italy. The paper elaborates on qualitative data collected along a twenty year span, allowing reflection on different phases and dynamics of capital extraction across time. We will show that, problematically, gentrification was considered as a positive model by local authorities and that it was adopted as a reference by both private and public actors to generate local growth and to react to economic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various heating technologies that can be applied to urban areas district heating is recognized to allow significant reduction in primary energy consumption, provided that the system is properly designed and operated. Thermo-fluid dynamic simulation tools can be of extreme importance in order to achieve this objective. This paper aims at presenting a thermo fluid dynamic model for the detailed simulation of large district heating network and showing how it can be usefully applied to examine options for the reduction of primary energy consumption. The model is tested using experimental data and then applied for analyzing transient operations of the Turin district heating network, which is the largest network in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. A comparison between simulations and experimental results shows that the model is able to predict the temperature in the nodes of the network with good accuracy. The thermal power required to each plant is also calculated with a good level of accuracy. The model can be used for the simulation of operational strategies, thus representing a versatile and important tool for the implementation of advanced management such as the installation of local storage units or the variation of user request schedules. • A thermo-fluid dynamic model for the detailed simulation of large DHNs is proposed. • The model receives data from the substations as the input. • The transient simulation of the Turin DHN is compared with measurements. • The model can be applied to implement advanced management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Optimal design of multi-vector energy hubs in energy communities. • MILP model using a multi-objective function. • Application to a real case represented by a university campus. One of the main ways to reach the important targets of the European Commission in the energy field set by 2030 is to implement sustainable energy systems to cover electrical and thermal energy demands, as well as transportation needs, in urban areas. In the aforesaid scenario, multi-vector energy hubs consist of installing small and medium size power plants, mainly fed by renewable sources, and charging infrastructures for electric vehicles in sustainable urban districts. The optimal design of such systems can be faced from different points of view and using different methods, one of the most adopted being the development of mathematical programming algorithms typically aimed to minimize global costs and emissions. The contribution of this paper is to propose an innovative methodology to optimally design a multi-vector energy hub able to supply electricity and thermal energy, for space heating and cooling, to a set of buildings within a sustainable district acting as a local energy community. The developed mixed integer linear programming model is characterized by very detailed models of the technologies and by a multi-objective function which is proposed to evaluate the impact of the optimal solution on global costs and emissions. The proposed mathematical model is very comprehensive as it involves a wide range of energy technologies with detailed modelling by considering the impact of external ambient conditions and energy vector temperature values on the plant conversion efficiency, thus showing high replicability potential in real contexts. In the case study, the model is applied to a university campus in the North of Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-distance accessibility is a crucial element for economic development and for territorial cohesion. To be revealing, however, a measure of accessibility must not only consider the distance or travel time of a single mode, but should include the fares, the frequency and the interchanges of all available modes. The paper aims to address whether and where there is an accessibility problem between Italian regions, through a comprehensive measure of accessibility covering the entire Italian territory. The measure used in the paper is potential accessibility, with an exponential decay impedance function. Different from similar studies, this one gives a more in-depth definition of impedance parameters due to the availability of a transport model that includes the entire Italian long-distance supply (roads, coaches, long-distance rail services, air services, and ferries). The opportunities at destination are proxied by population, and private and public sector employees. The main outputs are detailed maps of accessibility that are significantly more realistic than using simple infrastructure indicators or single-mode measures. In addition, some policy conclusions are drawn in terms of past and future investment policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the spatial impacts and characteristics of the Muslim presence in Italy. The centrality of religion for many migrants has significant consequences on the morphology of the Italian cities. This is especially the case of Islam, which is now the second most important religion in Italy – and the prevalent religion among immigrants. After examining facts and figures about the Muslim presence in Italy, the paper focuses on two aspects of the Muslim urban presence. First, it analyses the residential patterns of Muslims, with reference to the case of Milan. The tendency towards a sprawled pattern is highlighted. The paper then analyses the four main ‘landmarks’ of the urban presence of Muslims in Italy: places of worship, halal butcheries, burial-places, and forms of public life. A discussion of the evolutionary prospects of Muslim spatiality in Italian cities over the next few decades follows these analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the effectiveness of different solutions for managing the rise of the groundwater level in the urban area of Milan (Italy). The study area is interested by a regional rising trend of the water table, which can bring about a hydrogeological hazard for the existing underground structures (metro tunnels, stations, deep foundations, etc.). The study was carried out by means of the following steps: (1) monitoring data analysis for reconstructing the regional trend of the water table; (2) calibration of a 3D numerical model of the groundwater flow; (3) scenarios simulation of the aquifer system evolution and evaluation of its effects on underground infrastructures; (4) evaluation of the effectiveness of different solutions for hazard mitigation. In the present day scenario, modelling results pointed out a local increasing of the groundwater levels over wide areas located nearby the tunnels intersections, where the highest increase in water table due to the regional trend is observed (about 10 m in the last 20 years). Results obtained for the future scenarios pointed out a significant increase in water level (from 1 m in short term scenarios to 10 m in the most pessimistic long term scenario), as well as an increase in water thrusts acting on the structures and flow velocity below foundations, bringing about important issues related to their static stability in the long term. Finally, the numerical results for different mitigation systems showed that in the long term the problem could be solved only through a superimposition of the effects of several solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the responsiveness of the electricity demand coverage in urban contexts to the changes in the Italian policies for PV systems. The morphological configuration of building roofs according to the number of covered flats, annual data of PV generation and electricity consumptions were considered in the transition from the feed-in tariff (FIT) mechanism to the tax credits scheme currently in force. With the aim of assessing the changes over time in three representative cities, the fluctuations both in the premiums for the produced electricity and the tax credits applied to the PV system costs were observed from July 2010 to February 2016. Furthermore, the main time-varying parameters, such as the prices of the exported and purchased electricity, prices of the PV system devices discount rate, average inflation rate and increase in the electricity price were included in the assessment. The proposed estimation methodology, which economically filters the energy results, found that the tax credits program was more attractive than the FIT and premium schemes until the first trimester of 2016, when some modifications to the electricity bills for domestic consumers were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noise impact of the whole railway infrastructure was characterized in the urban environment of Pisa, Italy. The ordinary train transits were considered, nevertheless it was given particular attention also to the noise sources referable to railway operations like manoeuvring, loading and unloading, truck movements, braking, squeals and whistles. These kinds of noise are usually neglected in the noise modelling and are hereafter called “unconventional noises”. The characteristics of the railway infrastructure and the receptors' distribution guided the measuring point selection and led to a survey with a sample of 119 people ranging between the ages of 35 and 70 and residents in the area for at least 5 years. The differences between the ordinary noise modelling and the measured noise, including the unconventional ones, were investigated. Dose–effect relationships for %HA and measured or simulated railways noise were calculated and compared with others in literature. The last paragraph of this paper is dedicated to the exposure to railway vibration and its relation with noise exposure. The results show the limitations of traditional noise mapping for railway epidemiological studies based exclusively on ordinary transits and confirm the role of vibrations as enhancing factor for disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Walking may be the primary mode to access a railway station, yet the walkability around stations has not been well researched. This paper explores methodologies for assessing walkability in urban areas in close proximity to a railway station. To address both the objective environmental characteristics and subjective aspects of walking, walkability indicators were developed with reference to four key criteria: urban form; design of the street; obstacles and traffic safety; and personal perception. Researchers conducted field observations of the urban neighbourhood within a radius of 800 m from selected railway stations. Subsequently, the concept of Walk Score® has been applied to cross-check research findings from the field observations and we have developed an adapted version of 'Walk Score' including traffic noise, pedestrian casualties, road speed limits and air quality. This is a point deduction system of traffic related obstacles from the original Walk Score® which evaluated walkability based on the distance to selected urban amenities. Research reported in this paper forms part of an EU funded project, which compared the accessibility of six railway stations in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. Using three German case studies, this paper presents key results and discusses the validity and limitation of the methodology. • New methodologies for walkability in urban areas around a railway station. • Combined methodologies in assessing objective and subjective aspects of walkability. • The walkability of three German railway stations along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. • An adapted version of 'Walk Score' including traffic related obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an empirical study aimed at evaluating the cost efficiency of 108 Italian major municipalities, and investigating to what extent the municipality efficiency is also associated to the effectiveness of public expenditure, and consequently to quality of services offered to citizens. The study implements Data Envelopment Analysis to calculate the efficiency score and understand if it is influenced by scale economies and determine the type of these economies. For this purpose, every municipality was modeled as a production function using 6 cost item inputs and 2 outputs. Finally, the study implemented a truncated regression equation using the bootstrapped efficiency estimate as the dependent variable, and a selection of indicators measuring the quality of public services offered in the context as the independent variables. Results reveal that there exist important scale inefficiencies in a number of municipalities, but unexpectedly a great amount of inefficiencies are caused by decreasing returns to scale. Additionally, the study suggests that a trade-off between expenditure efficiency and effectiveness, i.e. the quality of public service, seems to exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the size distribution–in economic terms–of the Italian municipalities over the period 2007–2011. Yearly data are rather well fitted by a modified Lavalette law, while Zipf–Mandelbrot–Pareto law seems to fail in this doing. The analysis is performed either at a national as well as at a local (regional and provincial) level. Deviations are discussed as originating in so called king and vice-roy effects. Results confirm that Italy is shared among very different regional realities. The case of Lazio is puzzling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to estimate how the profitability of grid-connected PV (photovoltaic) systems may vary month by month due to the changes in all parameters involved in the economic evaluation (discount rate, PV electricity selling price, inflation rate, price of PV devices etc.). The effects of these variations were investigated for a district of a city in the South Italy (Palermo). The results of the analysis provided the trend of the actual coverage of the district power demand from June 2010 to August 2012. In particular the load match index, which considers the daily energy demand covered by PV systems, ranged from almost 30% to less than 12%, which is less than the value of 17% of the final energy consumption in 2020 from renewable energy sources that Italy is obliged to ensure by the European Union Directive 2009/28/EC. Finally, a sensitivity analysis related to shading and mismatch factors was carried out. If 10% of the solar energy had been shadowed, the load match index would have reduced of 70%. Similarly, if only 40% of electrical production had been used, the load match index would have lowered to an almost null value in January 2012. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper contributes to the critical literature that links greening initiatives with the risk of gentrification. As urban areas become greener and provide high quality amenities, they attract wealthier residents, thus channelling the benefits of greening to a few. Most existing research has analysed the results of greening initiatives once they have been completed. This article explores green gentrification as a form of strategic action, by analysing the emerging Green Tree Strategy (GTS) for Porto Marghera, Italy. This area has undergone historical greening initiatives, beginning with the "garden city" of Enebezeer Howard (1902). The GTS is the newest green regeneration initiative in Porto Marghera. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews and through an online social network survey. The results show that the GTS has a clear ideological core – built around a new strategy of perception – but also that its appeal can be challenged in terms of industrial and employment displacement. The support for the GTS is fragmented and lacks consensus in Porto Marghera. However, if local actors are to successfully resist further attempts at green gentrification, they likely need to build an alternative vision, organized around a balanced development between green infrastructures and social inclusiveness. • Sustainability and greening initiatives in cities often lead to gentrification. • The Green Tree Strategy (GTS) is an early stage greening initiative proposed for Porto Marghera, Italy. • We explore the GTS as a form of strategic action, developing in a social movement like fashion. • Green gentrification is avoidable but resisting it requires an alternative conception of equitable greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work is focused on the planning of rational heating systems for urban areas. District heating is an important option to supply heat to the users in urban areas. The energy sustainability of such option depends on the annual energy request, the population density and the efficiency in heat production. Among the alternative technologies, geothermal heat pumps play a crucial role. Nevertheless, in densely populated areas, an additional consideration is necessary: the subsurface thermal degradation caused by heat pump installations may affect the performances of surrounding installations. This paper aims to propose a procedure to select which users in an urban area should be connected with a district heating network and which ones should be heated through an alternative technology, in order to reach a globally optimal system from the energy viewpoint. The analysis of potential interferences between heat pumps is here conducted using a thermo-fluid dynamic model of the subsurface. The application to an Italian town is considered as a test case for the procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The over time a knowledge of atmospheric aerosol composition near monuments has become an increasingly important issue in preservation strategies. Concerning the protection of outdoor monumental heritage against urban air pollution, scientific works have mainly focused on the composition of background urban aerosol. In the literature the importance of atmospheric pollutant monitoring close to monuments is not yet sufficiently emphasized. In order to fill this gap, the atmosphere in proximity of the Florence Baptistery was monitored throughout 2003. Aerosol samples were collected close to two of the three doors, characterized by different exposures to pollutant sources. The non-carbonate carbon and soluble ions in the total suspended matter were measured. The paper presents and discusses the comparison between the analytical data obtained from the different sampling sites on the same monument. The results obtained may provide a contribution to the formulation of guidelines for a suitable safeguard of cultural heritage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive ground response study for the municipality of Villa Collemandina in Northern Tuscany (Italy). This site was selected following a macroseismic analysis of the 1920 Garfagnana earthquake (M w=6.5), which, at Villa Collemandina, produced damage and losses that were larger than at any other site near the earthquake epicentre, thus indicating the presence of possible site effects. Hence, both experimental and numerical methods are applied in order to investigate the ground response at different locations within the Villa Collemandina municipality. Results obtained from the spectral analysis of earthquake recordings using the reference site method and those from a 2-dimensional dynamic simulation reveal the presence of site effects due to the buried geomorphology (basin-like effects), allowing us to explain the severe damage and losses produced by the 1920 Garfagnana earthquake. As a further result, horizontal to vertical spectral ratio techniques and 1D soil modelling are proved to be inadequate for an effective characterization of the ground response at sites that, like Villa Collemandina, present a complex local geology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Starting from January 2008 Milan implemented a charging scheme to enter an 8km2 area of the city centre. The term used to denote the scheme is Ecopass, conveying the stated political objective of the scheme: a pass to improve the quality of the urban environment (ECO). The charge depends on the Euro emission standard of the vehicle. The paper illustrates the main features and impacts of the Milan Ecopass scheme, and presents a preliminary cost–benefit analysis. The scheme has been effective in curbing not only pollution emissions, but also congestion, and the result has been achieved with low implementation costs and without major political opposition. The cost–benefits analysis presents an overall net benefit. The identification of the winners and losers of the policy is conditioned by penalty payments. Without including the penalties, the surface public transport users and the society at large are the main winners, whereas car and especially freight vehicle users are net losers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bonini (2009, Structural controls on a carbon dioxide-driven mud volcano field in the Northern Apennines (Pieve Santo Stefano, Italy): relations with pre-existing steep discontinuities and seismicity. Journal of Structural Geology 31, 44–54) presents a 2D mechanical analysis to infer the failure conditions responsible for the seismicity distribution during an Mw =4.6 seismic sequence nucleating during 2001 in the Northern Apennines. In my view the mechanical analysis presented in this paper has some weakness or is not well constrained, in particular: 1) the assumption of a dip angle of 50°, is not consistent with the activated structures; 2) the Pf = σ 3 condition, difficult to be attained along a cohesionless fault dipping at 50°; 3) the isotropic stress state, i.e. σ 2 = σ 3, that is not consistent with the active or recent stress field in the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The probability distribution of the annual maximum peak flows on the River Tiber at the town of Rome (Ripetta) can be evaluated using the information available since the XV century. In this paper the probability distribution of two series of annual peak flows maxima observed at the Ripetta gauge is analysed: the systematic series, including all the data observed since the beginning of the systematic stage record in 1782, and the censored series of the exceptional floods that inundated the town of Rome, starting from the XV century. In order to find a criterion for choosing the “optimum” distribution law for the high return period quantiles, an index that takes into account both the accuracy and the uncertainty of the quantiles estimation is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper are presented the results of integrated investigations aimed at building a reference geological model for the seismic microzonation of Celano municipality (Central Italy). The study area is located along the northern rim of the Fucino basin, which is an intermontane half-graben filled by thick Plio-Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine deposits and is surrounded by Meso-Cenozoic limestone and Neogene sandstone relieves, with mean elevation around 1500m a.s.l., that also represent the bedrock units of the basin itself. Evidences of recent tectonic activity within the Fucino basin have been pointed out by several paleoseismological studies recently performed to better frame the effects of the seismogenic structures responsible for the Ms 7.0, 1915 Avezzano earthquake and other historical and prehistoric seismic events occurred in the area. On the basis of integrated site and laboratory investigations, such as surface geological surveys, borehole logging, isotope geochemical analyses based on 230Th/234U dating method, geotechnical investigation and hydrogeological prospecting, the geological model of the area was built. The identification of such model was fundamental in view of correct planning and development of further investigations and analyses, mainly based on geophysical methods and seismic response modelling, carried out by other research teams cooperating within the Celano seismic microzonation project. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper the results of the numerical analyses, related to a site of the Abruzzo Region (Celano-AQ), finalized to the evaluations of site effects, are shown. The aim of the work was to give a methodology and results that can be used in seismic risk analysis, at the level of urban planning. Therefore, a series of geologic, geomorphologic, geotechnical and geophysical analyses have been carried out to characterize the lithological units and to identify the areas affected by site effects. The expected seismic inputs are individuated and two-dimensional numerical analyses have been done. The results are presented in terms of elastic pseudo-acceleration spectra and amplification factors, computed as the ratio between spectral intensity of output and input, in the period ranges 0.1–0.5 and 0.1–2.5s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A quantitative prediction of seismic site effects requires the definition of a subsoil parametric model for ground motion numerical modelling. This paper describes an application of integrated geophysical methods to define an earthquake engineering parametric model for the seismic zonation of the municipal area of Celano, Italy. In municipal areas of such extent, particularly in case of complex geology, subsurface characterization is an optimization procedure, where the objective function to be minimized is the uncertainty related to the subsoil features, under the constraint of fixed resources and logistical limitations. In the particular case of Celano, correlation between different geophysical results was very profitable in discriminating different geological scenarios in the historical centre and in areas designed for urban expansion, while defining the elastic properties of the near-surface deposits throughout the municipal area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports on a study on the evolutionary impact of vegetation in a newly built square in Milan designed by V. Gregotti. The aim of the work is to evaluate the impact of vegetation growth on users’ comfort. The methodology adopted involves: sets of field measures (air and radiant temperature, wind velocity and relative humidity); a simplified thermal comfort evaluation with the energy budget method COMFA; and a scenario for the vegetation growth. When trees become adult we can observe different phenomena. The shading effect under an aged tree canopy clearly shows a reduction of the absorbed radiation by users, generating an energy budget very close to comfort (under 50 W/m2) even with a high air temperature. In the case of points exposed to direct sunlight all day long, tree growth reveals two phenomena of the global radiation absorbed by a user: (1) reduction, by the tree screening effect, of absorption of the diffuse solar global radiation, and (2) increase, by the elevation of the objects viewed in the sky hemisphere, in absorption of the terrestrial radiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper a source apportionment of particulate matter pollution in the urban area of Milan (Italy) is given. Results of PM10 and PM2.5 mass and elemental concentrations from a 1-year monitoring campaign are presented. Mean annual and daily PM10 levels are compared with the limits of the EU Air Quality Directive EC/30/1999 and the results show that the limit values established would not be met in the urban area of Milan or the large surrounding area. Moreover, high levels of PM2.5 are registered and this fraction constitutes a high portion of the PM10 mass. In Milan the winter period is characterised by a high degree of air pollution due to a greater contribution of emissions and to adverse meteorological and thermodynamic conditions of the atmosphere. The application of multivariate techniques and receptor modelling (PCFA, APCFA) to the whole data-set led to the identification of the main emitting sources and to the source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in Milan. The most important sources were identified as ‘soil dust’, ‘traffic’, ‘industry’ and ‘secondary compounds’ for PM10 and as ‘soil dust’, ‘anthropogenic’ and ‘secondary compounds’ for PM2.5, explaining the greatest part of the total variance (91% and 75%, respectively). [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]

Seismic microzonation represents a basic tool for prevention activity planning and land management. An extensive and detailed microzonation study was performed with reference to the territory of the Municipality of Cavezzo, damaged during the seismic sequence hitting Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy, in 2012. In this paper, we discuss the work carried out to characterize the spatial variability of ground motion amplification due to local soil conditions in the municipality area. An inter- and multi-disciplinary approach is presented, involving geotechnical engineers, geophysicists, geologists and seismologists from different institutions, to thoroughly characterize the territory using complementary techniques with different level of resolution and confidence. A considerable amount of geomorphological, geological, hydrogeological, seismological, geotechnical and geophysical investigations was collected and processed for the purpose. A GIS-based (Geographic Information System) platform was initially setup to manage the gathered data, which now includes the results of about 1000 geotechnical and geophysical tests. Such an extended dataset was then used as a primary constraint for the creation of a comprehensive pseudo-3D geotechnical and seismo-stratigraphic model of the territory, consisting of a dense grid of one-dimensional vertical profiles to depict the variability of the soil properties over the area. The model was finally used as input for linear-equivalent ground response analysis. For the calculation of the amplification factors, special emphasis was given to the treatment and propagation of the uncertainties of the model parameters, whose different realizations have been accounted through a logic tree approach. • The spatial variability of ground motion was analysed in Cavezzo, Italy. • Geological, seismological, geotechnical and geophysical analyses were performed. • A GIS platform was setup including about 1000 geotechnical and geophysical tests. • A pseudo-3d seismo-stratigraphic model was created to compute amplification factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]