scholarly journals LIFE+2010 QUADMAP Project: a new methodology to select, analyze and manage Quiet Urban Areas defined by the European Directive 2002/49/EC

Noise Mapping ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Itziar Aspuru ◽  
Igone Garcia ◽  
Chiara Bartalucci ◽  
Francesco Borchi ◽  
Monica Carfagni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
European Directive ◽  
Selection Analysis ◽  
Stress Levels ◽  
Definition Of

AbstractConcerning quiet areas, the definition provided by the Environmental Noise Directive (END) is intended to preserve the acoustic environment in those areas where it is considered good, according to general indicators and limits. However, the END is not clear enough to allow appropriate assessment and management in urban environments. The aim of QUADMAP project was to deliver a method and guidelines for the identification, delineation, characterization, improvement and management of Quiet Urban Areas (QUAs) as defined by the END. The Project also wanted to help clarify the definition of a QUA, its meaning and its added value for cities in terms of health, safety and lowering stress levels. In this article, after an introduction of the current European scenario on QUAs, the main aspects of the methodology introduced for the selection, analysis and management of QUAs are described. Eventually, the major results achieved by the Project, in terms of the guideline on QUAs, the implemented interventions and the achieved benefits, are reported and discussed.

scholarly journals LIFE+2010 QUADMAP Project: results obtained from the analysis of data collected during the application of the new methodology to the pilot quiet areas

Noise Mapping ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-37
Author(s):  
Chiara Bartalucci ◽  
Francesco Borchi ◽  
Monica Carfagni ◽  
Lapo Governi ◽  
Sergio Luzzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Current Paper ◽  
Formal Definition ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Selection Analysis ◽  
Open Country ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract Since the 90s, quiet areas have commonly been considered as places to be acoustically preserved or where acoustic interventions should be implemented to reduce noise levels. With the enforcement of the Environmental Noise Directive in 2002, a formal definition of a ‘quiet area in agglomeration’ and a ‘quiet area in open country’ was established. However, many Member States complained about the absence of guidelines regarding the identification and management of quiet areas. The LIFE QUiet Areas Definition and Management in Action Plans (QUADMAP) project started in 2011 to contribute to the Directive’s incomplete requirements for quiet areas. The project’s main result has been the introduction of a flexible methodology for the selection, analysis and management of quiet areas in agglomeration in which both acoustic and nonacoustic parameters are evaluated. The current paper illustrates the analyses carried out on the data collected during the application of the selection, analysis and management phases of the developed methodology in the different pilot cases selected during the Project. Mentioned analysis are aimed at verifying the benefits of the proposed complementary selection criteria (‘relative quiet urban areas’ identification criteria and ‘homogeneous urban areas’ subdivision criteria), at defining the measurement periods most representative of the areas and the acoustic and nonacoustic parameters to be considered as the most significant.

scholarly journals Broadening Understanding on Managing the Communication Infrastructure in Vehicular Networks: Customizing the Coverage Using the Delta Network

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano Silva ◽  
Lucas Silva ◽  
Leonardo Santos ◽  
João Sarubbi ◽  
Andreas Pitsillides
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Vehicular Networks ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Circle Pattern ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Past ◽  
Communication Devices ◽  
Definition Of

Over the past few decades, the growth of the urban population has been remarkable. Nowadays, 50% of the population lives in urban areas, and forecasts point that by 2050 this number will reach 70%. Today, 64% of all travel made is within urban environments and the total amount of urban kilometers traveled is expected to triple by 2050. Thus, seeking novel solutions for urban mobility becomes paramount for 21st century society. In this work, we discuss the performance of vehicular networks. We consider the metric Delta Network. The Delta Network characterizes the connectivity of the vehicular network through the percentage of travel time in which vehicles are connected to roadside units. This article reviews the concept of the Delta Network and extends its study through the presentation of a general heuristic based on the definition of scores to identify the areas of the road network that should receive coverage. After defining the general heuristic, we show how small changes in the score computation can generate very distinct (and interesting) patterns of coverage, each one suited to a given scenario. In order to exemplify such behavior, we propose three deployment strategies based on simply changing the computation of scores. We compare the proposed strategies to the intuitive strategy of allocating communication units at the most popular zones of the road network. Experiments show that the strategies derived from the general heuristic provide higher coverage than the intuitive strategy when using the same number of communication devices. Moreover, the resulting pattern of coverage is very interesting, with roadside units deployed a circle pattern around the traffic epicenter.

scholarly journals Assessing Health Effects and Soundscape Analysis as New Mitigation Actions Concerning the Aircraft Noise Impact in Small- and Middle-Size Urban Areas in Greece

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Gerolymatou ◽  
Nicolas Rémy ◽  
Konstantinos Vogiatzis ◽  
Vassiliki Zafiropoulou
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Aircraft Noise ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Noise Mapping ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
International Airport ◽  
Disability Adjusted Life ◽  
The Impact

In 2013 and 2014, two main International Airports in Greece were evaluated through the European directive on noise environment 2002/49/EC: “Nikos Kazantzakis” International Airport of Heraklion Crete and “Ioannis—Kapodistrias” International Airport in Corfu, both located in highly touristic areas of Greece. Acoustic measurement’s campaign, environmental noise mapping simulations and population exposure to noise were implemented in order to produce a complete Strategic Noise Map. Correlated to this acoustic approach, a comprehensive interview campaign and a detailed soundscape analysis were also conducted in both airports’ adjacent areas (Alikarnassos district in Heraklion and the peninsula of Canoni in Corfu City) in order to understand the impact of aircraft movements on both local residents and tourists, and analyze the perception of the soundscapes. A similar evaluation was also executed in order to assess possible health effects by using the WHO’s DALY’s (Disability Adjusted Life Year) metrics for environmental noise in relation to the exposure of the population. This paper presents the main results of these representative case studies, attempting a combined assessment of both health effects and soundscape characteristics to be used as evaluation tools towards the management and the rehabilitation acoustic environment characterized mainly by aircraft noise in touristic areas.

Sound arrival direction and acoustic scene analysis for the monitoring of airport noise

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. 4581-4591
Author(s):  
Keishi Sakoda ◽  
Ichro Yamada ◽  
Kenji Shinohara
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Correlation Method ◽  
Automatic Monitoring ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Aircraft Noise ◽  
Scene Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Sound Direction ◽  
Direction Detection

The authors have developed a sound direction detection method based on the cross-correlation method and applied it to automatic monitoring of aircraft noise and identification of sound sources. As aircraft performance improves, noise decreases, and people are interested in and dissatisfied with low-level noise aircraft, especially in urban areas where environmental noise and aircraft noise combine to complicate the acoustic environment. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and to measure not only aircraft noise but also environmental noise. Since our surveillance is aircraft noise, it is important to analyze noise exposure from acoustic information rather than trucks or images. In this report, we will look back on the development process of this sound direction detection technology, show examples of helicopters and application examples of acoustic scene analysis to high-altitude aircraft, and consider the latest situation realized as acoustic environment monitoring. We believe that this analysis will make it easier to understand the noise exposure situation at the noise monitoring station. It also describes the future outlook for this method.

Assessment of Environmental Noise by Harmonica Index – Case Study: The City of Niš

2015 ◽  
Vol 801 ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Momir Prascevic ◽  
Darko Mihajlov ◽  
Dragan Cvetkovic ◽  
Aleksandar Gajicki
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Index Case ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Noise Environment ◽  
European Directive ◽  
Noise Data ◽  
Sound Environment ◽  
The City ◽  
Index Calculation

Noise is a very present environmental nuisance, especially in urban areas. Information on the noise environment of agglomerations over 100,000 inhabitants is now available thanks to the publication of the first strategic noise maps made for the 2002/49/EC European directive. However, it currently remains difficult to understand the environmental noise data because of the used noise indicators expressed in decibel unit, which is complicated to explain and relatively far-removed from the perception of people. Acoucité and Bruitparif, two French organizations specialized for management and organization of urban noise observatories in France, have worked on a proposal for a new index closer to the perception of people. At the end of the HARMONICA project a new environmental noise index called the Harmonica index is suggested. The Harmonica index is an adimensional index with values between 0 and 10. This is why 93% of people surveyed during the project find the Harmonica index easy to understand. According to the Harmonica index the sound environment can be assessed as quiet, noisy and very noisy. The overview of the Harmonica index, the structure of Toots software for the Harmonica index calculation and an example of application of the Harmonica index for assessment of environmental noise in the city of Niš will be given in this paper.

Geomorphology of the Anthropocene in Mediterranean urban areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Brandolini ◽  
Chiara Cappadonia ◽  
Gian Marco Luberti ◽  
Carlo Donadio ◽  
Leonidas Stamatopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Anthropogenic Landscapes ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Shallow Cavities ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Time Specific

Urban-geomorphology studies in historical cities provide a significant contribution towards the broad definition of the Anthropocene, perhaps even including its consideration as a new unit of geological time. Specific methodological approaches to recognize and map landforms in urban environments, where human-induced geomorphic processes have often overcome the natural ones, are proposed. This paper reports the results from, and comparison of, studies conducted in coastal historical cities facing the core of the Mediterranean Sea – that is, Genoa, Rome, Naples, Palermo (Italy) and Patras (Greece). Their settlements were facilitated by similar climatic and geographical contexts, with high grounds functional for defence, as well as by the availability of rocks useful as construction materials, which were excavated both in opencast and underground quarries. Over centuries, urbanization has also required the levelling of relief, which was performed by the excavation of heights, filling of depressions and by slope terracing. Consequently, highly modified hydrographic networks, whose streams were dammed, diverted, modified in a culvert or simply buried, characterize the selected cities. Their urban growth, which has been driven by maritime commercial activities, has determined anthropogenic coastal progradation through port and defence or waterfront works. Aggradation of artificial ground has also occurred as a consequence of repeated destruction because of both human and natural events, and subsequent reconstruction even over ruins, buried depressions and shallow cavities. As a result, the selected cities represent anthropogenic landscapes that have been predominately shaped by several human-driven processes, sometimes over centuries. Each landform represents the current result, often from multiple activities with opposing geomorphic effects. Beyond academic progress, we believe that detecting and mapping these landforms and processes should be compulsory, even in risk-assessment urban planning, because of the increase of both hazards and vulnerability as a result of climate-change-induced extreme events and extensive urbanization, respectively.

scholarly journals Broadening Understanding on Managing the Communication Infrastructure in Vehicular Networks: Customizing the Coverage Using the Delta Network

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano M. Silva ◽  
Lucas D. Silva ◽  
Leonardo A. L. Santos ◽  
João F. M. Sarubbi ◽  
Andreas Pitsillides
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Vehicular Networks ◽  
Vehicular Network ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Circle Pattern ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Past ◽  
Definition Of

Over the past few decades, the growth of the urban population has been remarkable. Nowadays, 50% of the population lives in urban areas, and forecasts point that by 2050 this number will reach 70%. Today, 64% of all travel made is within urban environments and the total amount of urban kilometers traveled is expected to triple by 2050. Thus, seeking novel solutions for urban mobility becomes paramount for 21st century society. In this work, we discuss the performance of vehicular networks. We consider the metric Delta Network. The Delta Network characterizes the connectivity of the vehicular network through the percentage of travel time in which vehicles are connected to roadside units. This article reviews the concept of Delta Network and extends its study through the presentation of a general heuristic based on the definition of scores to identify the areas of the road network that should receive coverage. After defining the general heuristic, we show how small changes in the score computation can generate very distinct (and interesting) patterns of coverage, each one suited to a given scenario. In order to exemplify such behavior, we propose three deployment strategies based on simply changing the computation of scores. The results show that the strategies derived from the general heuristic are very interesting, all of them deploying roadside units in a circle pattern around the traffic epicenter.

Diversity of organisms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip James
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
The Common ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Diversity Of Life

The focus of this chapter is an examination of the diversity of living organisms found within urban environments, both inside and outside buildings. The discussion commences with prions and viruses before moving on to consider micro-organisms, plants, and animals. Prions and viruses cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. Micro-organisms are ubiquitous and are found in great numbers throughout urban environments. New technologies are providing new insights into their diversity. Plants may be found inside buildings as well as in gardens and other green spaces. The final sections of the chapter offer a discussion of the diversity of animals that live in urban areas for part or all of their life cycle. Examples of the diversity of life in urban environments are presented throughout, including native and non-native species, those that are benign and deadly, and the common and the rare.

scholarly journals High-Resolution Modelling of Thermal Exposure during a Hot Spell: A Case Study Using PALM-4U in Prague, Czech Republic

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Jan Geletič ◽  
Michal Lehnert ◽  
Pavel Krč ◽  
Jaroslav Resler ◽  
Eric Scott Krayenhoff
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Thermal Exposure ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Cooling Effect ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Climate Index ◽  
Street Canyons ◽  
General Terms

The modelling of thermal exposure in outdoor urban environments is a highly topical challenge in modern climate research. This paper presents the results derived from a new micrometeorological model that employs an integrated biometeorology module to model Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). This is PALM-4U, which includes an integrated human body-shape parameterization, deployed herein for a pilot domain in Prague, Czech Republic. The results highlight the key role of radiation in the spatiotemporal variability of thermal exposure in moderate-climate urban areas during summer days in terms of the way in which this directly affects thermal comfort through radiant temperature and indirectly through the complexity of turbulence in street canyons. The model simulations suggest that the highest thermal exposure may be expected within street canyons near the irradiated north sides of east–west streets and near streets oriented north–south. Heat exposure in streets increases in proximity to buildings with reflective paints. The lowest heat exposure during the day may be anticipated in tree-shaded courtyards. The cooling effect of trees may range from 4 °C to 9 °C in UTCI, and the cooling effect of grass in comparison with artificial paved surfaces in open public places may be from 2 °C to 5 °C UTCI. In general terms, this study illustrates that the PALM modelling system provides a new perspective on the spatiotemporal differentiation of thermal exposure at the pedestrian level; it may therefore contribute to more climate-sensitive urban planning.

scholarly journals Understanding Social Impact and Value Creation in Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Italian Civil Service

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 4058
Author(s):  
Paolo Esposito ◽  
Valerio Brescia ◽  
Chiara Fantauzzi ◽  
Rocco Frondizi
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Hybrid Organizations ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Public Resources ◽  
Five Elements ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, it aims to analyze what kind of value is generated by hybrid organizations and how; second, it aims to understand the role of social impact assessment (SIA) in the measurement of added value, especially in terms of social and economic change generated by hybrids. Hybrid organizations are a debated topic in literature and have different strengths in responding to needs, mainly in the public interest. Nevertheless, there are not many studies that identify the impact and change generated by these organizations. After highlighting the gap in the literature, the study proposes an innovative approach that combines SIA, interview, interventionist approach and documental analysis. The breakdown of SIA through the five elements of the value chain (inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact) guarantees a linear definition of the value generated through change with procedural objectivity capable of grasping hybrid organizations’ complexity. The value generated or absorbed is the change generated by the impact measured based on the incidence of public resources allocated. Through the SIA and counterfactual approach, the civil service case study analysis highlights how the value generated by public resources can be measured or more clearly displayed in the measurement process itself.

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