Urban Standards and Ecosystem Services: The Evolution of the Services Planning in Italy from Theory to Practice

Human well-being is determined by multiple factors related to health, social relations, safety, environment, landscape, cultural heritage, and quality of services. The Italian planning system provided a set of “urban standards”, in terms of threshold values of areas per inhabitant destined for public services and facilities. The application of urban standards, for a period of more than fifty years, did not result in a broad improvement of life quality in the urban areas. This paper discusses the issue of urban facilities in Italy in order to evaluate the opportunity to innovate traditional standards according to the environmental and ecological paradigm, focusing on the benefits provided to humans by natural ecosystems, the so-called ecosystem services (ESs). The paper investigates the evolution of the Italian planning practice through the introduction of quality standards and innovative tools able to meet the ever-changing social demand. The research aims to verify if the ES concept is really implemented in the Italian planning practice and if the ecosystem approach has a real impact on political decision-making. Using a comparative method, four case-studies of urban municipal plans are selected and analyzed in order to identify different approaches and possible fields of innovation. The research highlighted a lack of integration of ecosystem services approach in the land use decisions, although there is an in-depth survey on the state of conservation of ecological and environmental resources. The local experiments of qualitative standards represent an attempt to deal with specific ecological emergencies, namely flood risk, air, water, and soil pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Conclusions discuss, from an international perspective, the need to revise the traditional planning approach in the field of public services and facilities, taking into account the influence of ecosystem services on human well-being.

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Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Green Change along an Urban-Periurban Gradient

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030645 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 645 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Maraja Riechers ◽

Micha Strack ◽

Jan Barkmann ◽

Teja Tscharntke

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Population Density ◽

Social Relations ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Principal Component ◽

Well Being ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Core ◽

Perceived Importance

Urbanization by densification is globally increasing and endangers maintenance of urban green and associated social-ecological systems. Cultural ecosystem services play a crucial role in human well-being, especially in urban areas. We analyzed perceived importance of cultural ecosystem services provided by green space in Berlin along an urban-periurban gradient. Based on extensive pretests, we designed a standardized questionnaire and conducted 558 face-to-face interviews. B using multiple regressions and principal component analysis, we show that perceived importance of cultural ecosystem services and patterns of urban green use are affected by an urbanization gradient and associated changes in population density. Important cultural ecosystem services decreases in urban core areas with higher population density, whereas people in periurban areas with more available green spaces exhibit a greater valuation of nature. In contrast, social relations and cultural diversity had the highest importance in the urban core, while cultural heritage, education, natural awareness, recreation, and aesthetical appreciation were higher valued in the less populated periurban areas, suggesting two bundles of cultural ecosystem services.

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Evaluation of the Equity and Regional Management of Some Urban Green Space Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Main Urban Area of Xi’an City

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12070813 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 813

Author(s):

Hui Dang ◽

Jing Li ◽

Yumeng Zhang ◽

Zixiang Zhou

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Green Space ◽

Well Being ◽

Urban Green Space ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Deposition Flux ◽

Urban Green ◽

Xi’An City

Urban green spaces can provide many types of ecosystem services for residents. An imbalance in the pattern of green spaces leads to an inequality of the benefits of such spaces. Given the current situation of environmental problems and the basic geographical conditions of Xi’an City, this study evaluated and mapped four kinds of ecosystem services from the perspective of equity: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, air purification, and climate regulation. Regionalization with dynamically constrained agglomerative clustering and partitioning (REDCAP) was used to obtain the partition groups of ecosystem services. The results indicate that first, the complexity of the urban green space community is low, and the level of biodiversity needs to be improved. The dry deposition flux of particulate matter (PM2.5) decreases from north to south, and green spaces enhance the adsorption of PM2.5. Carbon sequestration in the south and east is higher than that in the north and west, respectively. The average surface temperature in green spaces is lower than that in other urban areas. Second, urban green space resources in the study area are unevenly distributed. Therefore, ecosystem services in different areas are inequitable. Finally, based on the regionalization of integrated ecosystem services, an ecosystem services cluster was developed. This included 913 grid spaces, 12 partitions, and 5 clusters, which can provide a reference for distinct levels of ecosystem services management. This can assist urban managers who can use these indicators of ecosystem service levels for planning and guiding the overall development pattern of green spaces. The benefits would be a maximization of the ecological functions of green spaces, an improvement of the sustainable development of the city, and an improvement of people’s well-being.

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PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM: HARNESSING SOCIAL NETWORKS TO OPTIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS FOR DIVERSE AGING EXPERIENCES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2163 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S583-S583

Author(s):

Philip A Rozario ◽

Emily Greenfield ◽

Nancy Kusmaul

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Relations ◽

Low Income ◽

Disaster Preparedness ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Senior Housing

Abstract Social networks provide opportunities for engagement with others and structure the receipt and provision of emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support. Indeed scholars in this field have documented the importance of having strong social networks in influencing older adults’ well-being and quality of life. The three papers in this symposium draw on the convoy model of social relations and ecological model to examine and better understand the micro, mezzo, macro contexts that shape and influence how older people engage with and benefit from their networks in three areas: low-income senior housing communities, urban areas specifically targeting older Latinos with dementia, and disaster preparedness in micropolitan counties in eastern Iowa. The first paper, a cross-sectional study focusing on social connections in senior housing communities, examines levels of social networks, engagement, support and loneliness and their relationship with well-being outcomes. The second paper, a community-based participatory research project, reports an intervention that seeks to train natural helpers in a predominantly Latino urban neighborhood to identify and refer older Latinos with dementia to bilingual assessment services. The third paper, synthesizing findings from interventions targeting network building at the individual and state levels as well as a community-based network analysis, presents ways to strengthen networks at the mezzo and macro levels as well as environmental contexts that enable better disaster preparedness for community-based older adults. These papers will consider practice, policy and research implications in strengthening social networks and engagement to optimize older adults’ well-being in various settings.

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Assessment of the Spatial Dynamics and Interactions among Multiple Ecosystem Services to Promote Effective Policy Making across Mediterranean Island Landscapes

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10093285 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 3285 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Roxanne Lorilla ◽

Konstantinos Poirazidis ◽

Stamatis Kalogirou ◽

Vassilis Detsis ◽

Aristotelis Martinis

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Spatial Dynamics ◽

Well Being ◽

Temporal Variations ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Economic Resilience ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Ionian Islands ◽

Trade Offs

To manage multiple ecosystem services (ES) effectively, it is essential to understand how the dynamics of ES maintain healthy ecosystems to avoid potential negative impacts on human well-being in the context of sustainable development. In particular, the Ionian Islands in the central Mediterranean are characterized by high natural, ecological, and recreational value; however, the intensification of human activities over time has resulted in the loss of natural ecosystems, which might have negatively impacted ES. Here, we aimed to assess and understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of ES supply and how these components interact across the Ionian Islands to optimize future ES provision and mitigate current trade-offs. We quantified multiple ecosystem services and analyzed their interactions at a temporal scale across the four prefectures of the Ionian Islands. Seven ES were quantified covering all three ES sections (provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural) of the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). ES interactions were investigated by analyzing ES relationships, identifying ES bundles (sets of ES that repeatedly occur together across space and time), and specifying ES occurrence within bundles. The three ES groups exhibited similar patterns on some islands, but differed on islands with areas of high recreation in parallel to low provisioning and regulating ES. Temporal variations showed both stability and changes to the supply of ES, as well as in the interactions among them. Different patterns among the islands were caused by the degree of mixing between natural vegetation and olive orchards. This study identified seven ES bundles that had distinct compositions and magnitudes, with both unique and common bundles being found among the islands. The olive grove bundle delivered the most ES, while the non-vegetated bundle delivered negligible amounts of ES. Spatial and temporal variation in ES appear to be determined by agriculture, land abandonment, and increasing tourism, as well as the occurrence of fires. Knowledge about the spatial dynamics and interactions among ES could provide information for stakeholders and decision-making processes to develop appropriate sustainable management of the ecosystems on the Ionian Islands to secure ecological, social, and economic resilience.

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Sustainable Environmental Service - Knowledge Management

Sustainable Infrastructure ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0948-7.ch033 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 709-729

Author(s):

Pitchayanin Sukholthaman ◽

Kunio Shirahada

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Knowledge Management ◽

Waste Management ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Public Services ◽

Knowledge Society ◽

Well Being ◽

Literature Reviews ◽

Key Factor ◽

Questionnaire Surveys

Knowledge management (KM) is a key factor to increase effectiveness of management system. There have been researches of KM on many environmental services. Unfortunately, only a few researches have focused on sustainable service for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). There are evidences of ineffective waste management causing socio-economic and environmental problems, especially in urban areas of developing countries. Humans live in service economy and knowledge society. Waste management is one of the most important public services that all residents should receive while knowledge is needed to make service run smoothly and sustainably. This paper combines concepts of sustainable service and KM to clarify the importance and how these concepts have impacts on societal well-being. Literature reviews and questionnaire surveys are main analysis methods of this paper. Sustainable service with KM roles will be described and co-created values are identified.

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Assessment of Potential Supply of Ecosystem Services in Coimbra Municipality

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2019030025 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

Leitão ◽

Ferreira ◽

Ferreira

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Qualitative Evaluation ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Potential ◽

Environmental Pressures ◽

Quantitative Classification ◽

Natural Systems

Land-use changes driven by human activities affect natural systems. Urbanization, forest monoculture and intensive agriculture are changing the functioning of many biotic and abiotic processes. This tends to decrease the ability of ecosystems to provide services, which leads to several problems particularly in cities. This study investigates the ability of urban areas with great population and environmental pressures, to supply ecosystem services. The study was carried out in Coimbra municipality, through the assessment of regulation, provisioning and cultural services. The quantification of ecosystem services was based on the evaluation performed by experts familiar with the study area, through questionnaires. A total of 31 questionnaires were completed. The experts ranked the potential supply of 30 ecosystem services for the 33 existent land-uses. based on a qualitative evaluation: “strong adverse potential”, “weak adverse potential”, “not relevant”, “low positive potential” and “strong positive potential”. The qualitative evaluation was converted into a quantitative classification (−2, −1, 0, 1, 2). The values were used to develop an ecosystem services quantification matrix and to map the information in the study area, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Despite the limited ecosystem services provided by urban areas, agricultural fields and especially green spaces are relevant for the provision of resources essential for human survival and well-being. The methodology used in this work is still useful for the quantification of ecosystem services in cities with characteristics associated with the Mediterranean climate. This type of studies are important to (i) anticipate problems originated from the loss of ecosystem services, (ii) identify good and bad practices of land use changes, (iii) the role of connectivity in maintaining biotic and abiotic processes, and (iv) develop practices that promote the sustainable development of societies.

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DIAGNÓSTICO DE UMA POPULAÇÃO DA TERCEIRA IDADE

Estudos Interdisciplinares sobre o Envelhecimento ◽

10.22456/2316-2171.7979 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Marina Sousa Pinheiro Mota ◽

Carine Moura Ferreira ◽

Daniele Idalino Janebro ◽

Ione Ramos de Queiroz ◽

Maria Do Socorro Ramos de Queiroz

Keyword(s):

Social Relations ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Life Quality ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Problems ◽

Life Meaning ◽

N 93 ◽

Keywords Aging ◽

The Town

RESUMO:Este estudo teve como objetivo traçar e avaliar o perfil das pessoas da terceira idade e desenvolver práticas educativas multidisciplinares que contribuam para melhorar a qualidade de vida. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa realizada no município de Cabaceiras-PB e envolveu 41% da população com faixa etária de 60 anos. Participaram 176 idosos, a faixa etária predominante foi de 60 a 69 anos (n=93), o gênero feminino foi o mais freqüente, a maioria eram casados e moravam com a família e apenas 40 deles não tiveram oportunidade de estudar. Grande parte residia em casa própria e apenas 18 deles não estavam satisfeitos com o lugar onde moravam por falta de infra-estrutura da cidade; 98% da amostra era aposentada (n=172) e destes, 49 ainda exerciam alguma atividade, sendo a principal, do tipo laborativa. Dos participantes, 150 conseguiam desenvolver sozinhos suas atividades diárias, os que demonstraram insatisfação era devido a problemas de saúde. Com relação a perspectivas futuras, 130 revelaram ter ao menos algum projeto a ser realizado, no entanto, alguns deles estavam insatisfeitos com a velhice porque não conseguiam manter sua autonomia. Dos problemas de saúde, os mais frequentes foram hipertensão/cardiopatias, hipertensão/diabetes e doenças osteo-musculares. Mesmo apresentando certas limitações, 92% (n=162) revelaram ser felizes por manter relacionamento familiar e social afetivo. Em alguns casos, a falta de apoio pode resultar numa ruptura do seu projeto existencial, originando a perda do significado da vida. O importante é viver com qualidade conseguindo manter a autonomia e o bem estar.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Envelhecimento. Idoso. Terceira idade. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate and draw up the elderly people profile and develop multidisciplinary educational practices that improve their life quality. It was a quantitative research conducted in Cabaceiras-PB town which involved 41% of the population aged about 60 years old. 176 elderly took part in the research, the predominant age group was 60 to 69 years old (n=93), female ones were the most frequent, most of the interviewed were married and lived with their family and only 40 of them had no opportunity of studying. Many of the elderly live in their own home and only 18 of them were not satisfied with the place where they lived because of the town lack of infrastructure; 98% of the sample was retired (n=172) and 49 of them still were not carrying out any activity; the most common one was the laborious. 150 of the participants could develop their own daily activities by themselves; the ones, who showed discontentment, did so, due to health problems. Regarding future prospects, 130 have revealed at least one project to carry out, however, some of them were dissatisfied with their aging because they could not keep their own autonomy. The most common health problems were hypertension/heart disease, hypertension/diabetes and osteo-muscular diseases. Even having some limitations, 92% (n=162) of the elderly proved to be happy by maintaining affective family and social relations. In some cases a lack of support may result in the ending of the elderly existential project, causing the loss of the life meaning. The important thing is to have a good life quality, managing to keep independency and well-being. KEYWORDS: Aging. Elderly. Third age.

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Functional diversity: a key aspect in the provision of ecosystem services

Revista Colombiana de Ciencia Animal - RECIA ◽

10.24188/recia.v8.n1.2016.232 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 94

Author(s):

JESÚS BALLESTEROS CORREA ◽

JAIRO PÉREZ TORRES

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Well Being ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Different Types ◽

The Relationship

Functional diversity is one of the crucial aspects of the functioning of ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services. In this review paper, we analyze how biodiversity contributes to human well-being through the provision of goods and ecosystem services, and related aspects of ecological processes and their relationship with the functional diversity of ecosystems are presented. It aims to explain in a simple way, the concepts related to functional diversity, the importance of the functional groups and the role of functional traits of the species as a key element in the responses of organisms to environmental changes. Understanding the relationship between ecosystem processes, functional diversity of species and providing ecosystem services, allow better management of natural ecosystems and their biodiversity, enabling conservation and sustainable use of different types of services provided by ecosystems.

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Urban expansion in the Atlantic Forest: applying the Nature Futures Framework to develop a conceptual model and future scenarios

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2019-0904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (suppl 1) ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Cavalcanti Lembi ◽

Cecilia Cronemberger ◽

Caroline Picharillo ◽

Sheina Koffler ◽

Pedro H. Albuquerque Sena ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Well Being ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Social Ecological ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Impact

Abstract: The Atlantic Forest is an important hotspot of biodiversity and ecosystem services that contributes to the well-being of its 125 million human inhabitants, about three quarters of the Brazilian population. In the coming decades, forecasts show that urban areas in the Atlantic Forest will grow at the expense of natural ecosystems, leading to increasing pressure on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We used the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) for envisioning positive scenarios for cities in the Atlantic Forest. First, we developed a conceptual model based on the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) approach to describe consequences of urban growth for the three NFF perspectives: Nature for Society, Nature for Nature and Nature as Culture. Second, we proposed scenario storylines that encompass multiple social-ecological values of nature and could be used by policy makers to plan desirable futures for the Atlantic Forest. Then, we discussed the impact of distinct policies on these values, identifying the different ways in which the management of urban green and blue spaces, natural ecosystems, and urban densities can lead to different social-ecological outcomes. We further detail the complexity, trade-offs, and synergies regarding city development, nature conservation, and human well-being in this tropical hotspot. Applying NFF can contribute to the ongoing debate regarding urban sustainability, by providing an interdisciplinary and integrative approach that explicitly incorporates multiple values of nature and the visualization of positive futures.

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Developing a Framework for the Implementation of Landscape and Greenspace Indicators in Sustainable Urban Planning. Waterfront Landscape Management: Case Studies in Gdańsk, Poznań and Bristol

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11082291 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 2291 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Joanna Badach ◽

Elżbieta Raszeja

Keyword(s):

Urban Planning ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Case Studies ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Landscape Management ◽

Structural Diversity ◽

Well Being ◽

Planning System ◽

Modes Of Governance

Urban landscape (UL) management and urban greenspace (UG) delivery require effective planning tools. The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual framework for the implementation of ecological, structural and visual landscape and greenspace indicators (LGI) in spatial development of urban areas. The UL and UG management provisions in Poland are identified at various levels of urban planning (local, municipal and regional). Furthermore, the applicability of the selected set of LGI in the Polish planning system is considered based on the existing planning documents. The quality of UL and UG transformation is discussed in three case studies in Bristol, Gdańsk and Poznań in the broader context of the English and Polish spatial planning systems. Bristol is used as a point of reference for the evaluation of UL and UG management in Poland and for the comparison between English and Polish landscape policies. Based on the conceptual framework and the analysis of the case studies, critical areas of UL and UG management in Poland are identified. The existing planning system often fails to ensure the continuity of landscape structures, and it does not include its preservation and enhancement to a sufficient extent. Therefore, the implementation of the proposed LGI framework could significantly improve the ecological and visual quality, as well as the structural diversity of UL and UG. Moreover, the article concludes by indicating some practical implications of the proposed LGI framework for urban planners, policy makers and other stakeholders in terms of improving the modes of governance for UL and UG management as well as of accounting for human health and well-being.

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