Perception and Communication of Seismic Risk: The 6 April 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake Case Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fausto Marincioni ◽  
Federica Appiotti ◽  
Maurizio Ferretti ◽  
Caterina Antinori ◽  
Paola Melonaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Italy ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Earthquake Risk ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Seismic Safety ◽  
Structural Resistance ◽  
2009 L’Aquila Earthquake ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City

On Monday, 6 April 2009 at 3:32 a.m. (local time), a moment magnitude 6.3 earthquake with an epicenter located near the city of L'Aquila, in central Italy, killed 308 people, injured 1,500, left 22,000 homeless, and temporarily displaced another 65,000. This study examines a sample of the affected population and finds that despite the long list of historical earthquakes that struck the region and the swarm of foreshocks occurring up to four months before the main shock of 6 April, the residents of L'Aquila had a rather low earthquake risk perception and an unjustified confidence in the seismic safety of their houses. This low perception of earthquake risk and ignorance of the real structural resistance of buildings appear to have inhibited the individual and collective propensity to develop emergency plans. This situation was further exacerbated by the lack of clear and forthright communication from the emergency management authorities about the impossibility of precisely predicting earthquakes and about the risks posed by many of the city's old buildings.

Seismic Damage to Churches: Observations from the L’Aquila, Italy, Earthquake and Considerations on a Case-Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 133-134 ◽  
pp. 641-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigia Binda ◽  
Claudio Chesi ◽  
Maria Adelaide Parisi
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Behavior ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Seismic Damage ◽  
Crack Pattern ◽  
Damage Analysis ◽  
Classification Procedure ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
The City

The earthquake that hit the city of L’Aquila, in central Italy, on the 6th of April 2009 has severely damaged most of the heritage buildings of the area. Soon after the event, a first survey of damage to ancient churches and palaces has been carried out according to a predefined classification procedure. Subsequently, a more detailed damage analysis was started in order to facilitate decision on future interventions. For one of these churches, S. Biagio Amiterno, damage consisted in the collapse of the upper part of the façade, in the localized collapse of the main vault, and in an extended crack pattern in vaults, columns, and walls. This damage pattern is interpreted here as case study. In more general terms, the exam of specific case studies gives the possibility of shedding light on various issues related to the seismic behavior of the building typologies concerned.

scholarly journals THE STRUCTURE OF SPACE: CUBISM AND MODERNISM. FIGURES AND ICONS IN JOSEF GOČÁR’S WORK

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21
Author(s):  
Domenico Giuseppe CHIZZONITI
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Design Work ◽  
Time Period ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City

This research paper relates to a number of works by Josef Gočár, a Bohemian architect who was active in a time period between “Cubist” vanguardism and “Rationalist” modernism. The theme regards the search for a general method which evaluates the key elements of the structure of space in architectural design. The main asset of architectural composition has traditionally been the close association between the syntactic order of the elements and a semantic perception of space. The aim of this essay is to explore the relation between the role of the experimental design regarding the multiple and changeable architectural experience and the creative process of architectural work. The methodological experience hereby demonstrated refers to a specific case study that belongs to the scientific research carried out by Gočár and his researchers’ group at the Prague Fine Arts Academy (AVU). His work is hereby re-interpreted in an effort to explore the experiential contribution to the architectural design discipline, and the figurative aspect, by reexamining various characteristics of his practical experience as an architect involved in the civic priorities of the city, from the scale of urban settlement to the individual design work.

scholarly journals Approaching Bike Hazards via Crowdsourcing of Volunteered Geographic Information

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7015
Author(s):  
Rafael Hologa ◽  
Nils Riach
Keyword(s):  
Small Group ◽  
Volunteered Geographic Information ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Urban Cycling ◽  
Accident Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The City

Information on individual hazard perception while cycling and the associated feeling of safety are key aspects to foster sustainable urban cycling mobility. Although cyclist’s perceptions must also be critically reviewed, such crowdsourced Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) provides wide-ranging insights on diverse hazard categories in cycling. In this case study in the city of Freiburg, Germany, hazard perceptions, information about lane types, and the underlying routes were crowdsourced via an open source smartphone application by a small group with the aim of providing cyclists with effective solutions. By dealing with levels of reliability, we show that even a small group of laypersons can generate an extensive and valuable set of VGI consisting of comprehensive hazard categories. We demonstrate that (1) certain hazards are interlinked to specific lane types, and (2) the individual hazard perceptions and objective parameters, i.e., accident data, are often congruent spatially; consequently, (3) dangerous hot spots can be derived. By considering cyclists’ needs, this approach outlines how a people-based perspective can supplement regional planning on the local scale.

scholarly journals The Characters of the Form in the Vernacular Architecture A comparative study of the form's characters of facades of individual houses and commercial buildings in the City of Baghdad after 2003–Zayoona district as a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 145-164
Author(s):  
Amna Bassim Mohamed Salih
Keyword(s):  
Research Method ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Commercial Buildings ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Architectural Style ◽  
Official Control ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City

The characters of facades' form of the Iraqi building after 2003 have been changed, it has been described by many names. The problem of the research is that what are the features of the characters of the form in the façades of the buildings in Baghdad city after 2003? Are the façade of the individual houses or the commercial buildings is the heaviest in the visual weight? The research aims to answer those questions by choosing the vernacular architecture as a measurement tool. It is the informal image of the architecture, which is built by people informally and spontaneously, without official control and legislation to be organized. This is smellier to what has happened in Baghdad, after 2003 according to previous study submitted by the same researcher (The phenomenon of trespassing the architectural design regulation in the Iraqi cities 2003-2016- case study Baghdad) the individual houses as a case study. The research method has dealt with the previous studies, and with the terms and the vernacular architecture in some Arabic countries. The research determines the features of the form's characters in the façades of the vernacular architecture in Egypt, Yemen, and Palestine as the generic features of the vernacular taste in Arabic societies.  The researcher examines these features by checking list and Excel program and by selecting samples in Zayoona district after 2003 as a case study. The research's hypothesis has proved that the form's characters of local façades in Baghdad after 2003 are a rural vernacular. The facades of the individual houses have had the heaviest influences at the visual weight. The research has concluded that the characters of the vernacular architecture's form have common and basic styles among societies. when it has manifested in cities, showed their architectural style and identity, it indicates a decline in both architectural style and identity. The heavy influences of the visual weight in Iraqi architecture after 2003 depends on the decoration included two types: the rhythmic and geometric decoration, being important elements in the facades.  

Embeddedness and locational choices: A study of creative workers in a dance organisation

Urban Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1121-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Montanari ◽  
Annachiara Scapolan ◽  
Lorenzo Mizzau
Keyword(s):  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Heated Debate ◽  
Creative Workers ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Organisational Factors ◽  
Attraction And Retention ◽  
Locational Choices ◽  
The City

Locational choices of creative workers have been a matter of heated debate over the last decade. This study proposes a micro perspective aimed at disentangling how the individual decision-making process behind locational choices is activated and develops over time. To this aim, we combine previous geographic research on the issue with research on the role of organisational factors in workers’ attraction and retention. Empirically, we carried out an exploratory case study of dancers in a renowned contemporary ballet company based in Reggio Emilia, Italy. With this study, we highlight how matching professional quests and organisation-specific job opportunities activates locational choices, and we extend geographical approaches to embeddedness by considering the role of organisations as crucial mediating entities between the city context and creative workers.

Transforming a Small Midwestern City for Physical Activity: From the Sidewalks Up

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 690-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Hendricks ◽  
Risa Wilkerson ◽  
Christine Vogt ◽  
Scott TenBrink
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Community Intervention ◽  
Active Transportation ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Walking To School ◽  
The City ◽  
Walking And Biking

Background:Jackson, Michigan (population 36,000) started active living interventions to help solve residents' low physical activity levels. Jackson's experience can serve as a case study for beginning similar efforts in smaller communities.Methods:In 2003, Jackson began a 3-prong community intervention utilizing the 5P model to increase safe physical activity opportunities and encourage walking and biking for short trips. The focus included work on projects at 1) elementary schools, 2) worksites, and 3) city-wide networks.Results:Evaluation results show changes in attitudes toward active transportation (8% increase in children who thought walking to school was “safer” postintervention), intentions to try active transportation (43% of Smart Commute Day participants “would” smart commute more often postevent), and increased physical activity (the percentage of students walking to school more than doubled at 3 of 4 intervention schools). In addition, a community level observational study was conducted at 10 locations in the city in 2005 and 2006. The number of people seen using active transportation increased from 1,028 in 2005 to 1,853 people in 2006 (a 63% increase).Conclusions:Local community-driven projects to increase walking and biking can be effective by utilizing a variety of interventions, from the individual to the policy level.

scholarly journals Technological options towards a carbon neutral town in central Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 238 ◽  
pp. 08003
Author(s):  
Andrea Bartolini ◽  
Danilo Salvi ◽  
Leonardo Pelagalli ◽  
Flavio Caresana ◽  
Gabriele Comodi
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Polluting Emissions ◽  
The City ◽  
Technological Options

The paradigm of highly integrated cross sector energy systems grants several opportunities for welcoming high shares of renewable energy sources in meeting the energy demands of current urban districts. A key asset towards such challenge lies in the progressive deployment of more distributed energy systems, achieving configurations tailored to the needs of the local communities lying in their physical proximities. This study analyses the case study of a small town situated in central Italy, which energy supply already features a set of distributed and cross-sector energy resources such as a district heating network fed by a 1.2 MWe natural gas engine and more than 30 MWp of non-controllable renewables. The city energy systems are modelled in the analysis tool EnergyPLAN in order to analyse the technical feasibility of introducing different technological options aimed at reducing the polluting emissions generated in meeting different energy related needs of the district.

scholarly journals MUSEPICK: AN INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK TO PRESENT THE COMPLEX OF SANTISSIMA ANNUNZIATA IN ASCOLI PICENO (ITALY)

2017 ◽  
Vol XLII-5/W1 ◽  
pp. 557-564
Author(s):  
E. Petrucci ◽  
D. Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Architectural Heritage ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Augmented Virtuality ◽  
Archival Documents ◽  
The City

Nowadays, digital media play a central role in a shift towards updated modes of communicating knowledge. In addition to this, the tragic recent events related to the long series of earthquakes that have taken place in central Italy have also, unfortunately, reiterated the need to document and preserve not only the material value of the architectural heritage but also the intangible values related to the events and people that have characterized their history. In this framework, the paper investigates some of the opportunities offered by technological innovations, in particular, by the specific application areas of augmented reality and augmented virtuality. The case study The historical site chosen as case study is the complex of <i>Santissima Annunziata</i>, which has played a very important role in the city of Ascoli Piceno (Italy) for centuries. <br><br> The objective was to develop a low-cost web-based platform to serve as a place to gather cultural content related to the diffuse cultural heritage, organized in applications regarding graphical and 3D models as well as 360° images and archival documents.

scholarly journals Good Educational Practices for the Development of Inclusive Heritage Education at School through the Museum: A Multi-Case Study in Bologna

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8736
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Gómez-Hurtado ◽  
José María Cuenca-López ◽  
Beatrice Borghi
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Heritage Education ◽  
Complex Approach ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Close School ◽  
The City

This article presents the outcomes and conclusions of a research work designed to determine and describe good inclusive practices for the development of heritage education in schools through museums in the city of Bologna. To this end, we applied a qualitative methodology through the study of four cases, four museums in the city of Bologna, selected for their good practices in educational programmes for schools. Instruments such as interviews, observation, and documentary analysis were used. The results emphasise a close school-museum relationship, with heritage as an agent that enhances people’s identity, a fundamental element in the citizenship development of Bolognese society, and a key aspect for the development of inclusive principles and the care of all people, although improvements in the processes and some limitations in the development of the programmes are perceived. The outcomes highlight the importance of school and museum relations and the development of an inclusive heritage education that advocates a holistic, integrative, and complex approach to heritage, as an essential element in the development of the individual and of society.

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