scholarly journals City-scale groundwater flow and heat transport modeling in the Milan Metropolitan Area

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Previati ◽  
Giovanni Battista Crosta ◽  
Jannis Epting
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Heat Transport ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Thermal Regime ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Anthropogenic Heat ◽  
Heat Sources ◽  
Thermal Potential ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

<p>Aquifers beneath big cities are considered a very important resource from an energy and water supply point of view and are increasingly exploited by means of groundwater extraction wells as well as by shallow open- and closed-loop geothermal systems. Moreover, the shallow subsurface of densely populated cities is increasingly hosting underground infrastructures such as tunnels and building foundations. These activities lead to thermal pollution of the shallow urban underground. This phenomenon has already been documented (urban heat island effect) in many cities worldwide with higher ground/groundwater temperatures in the city centers with respect to surrounding rural areas. The local thermal impact of various underground activities has been studied with analytical and local-scale numerical modeling. However, the resulting groundwater thermal regime at the city-scale is yet mostly unexplored.</p><p>In this work the effects of anthropogenic heat sources and subsurface infrastructures in the Milan metropolitan area is presented. To this aim a groundwater head/temperature monitoring network was established in 2016. Groundwater temperatures in the city center are up to 3°C higher with respect to less urbanized areas. A correlation between the urban density and the groundwater thermal regime was observed. In order to evaluate the spatial variability of the groundwater temperatures, a detailed analysis based on a 3D FEM groundwater flow and heat transport numerical model was carried out by means of the commercial code FeFlow. First, the variability of hydraulic and thermal properties as from borehole logs was spatialized into the model by means of 3D geostatistical techniques to account for aquifer heterogeneities. Complex thermal boundary conditions were assigned to the model including the effects of different land cover/sealing materials, building foundations, tunnels, shallow geothermal wells and the canal network. The thermal transport model was calibrated against high-resolution time-lapse groundwater temperature profiles and continuous measurements at fixed depth.</p><p>The modeling of the current thermal regime of the shallow aquifers was essential to understand the hydrogeological and thermal processes that are relevant at the city scale. The numerical results are a valuable tool to assess the impact of specific heat sources as well as of surface/subsurface infrastructures on the overall thermal regime and to test the long-term thermal potential of ground/groundwater heat exchangers under possible urban development scenarios. Thereby, the proposed approach can support the sustainable development of subsurface infrastructures at the city-scale and the management and assessment of the thermal potential of low enthalpy geothermal resources.</p>

scholarly journals Effect of anthropogenic heat sources in the shallow subsurface at city-scale

2020 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 07002
Author(s):  
Monika J. Kreitmair ◽  
Nikolas Makasis ◽  
Asal Bidarmaghz ◽  
Ricky L. Terrington ◽  
Gareth J. Farr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Anthropogenic Heat ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Heat Sources ◽  
Underground Structures ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Subsurface Structures ◽  
Systems Quality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Rapid rates of urbanisation are placing growing demands on cities for accommodation and transportation, with increasing numbers of basements and tunnel networks being built to meet these rising demands. Such subsurface structures constitute continuous heat sources and sinks, particularly if maintained at comfortable temperatures. At the city-scale, there is limited understanding of the effect of heat exchange of underground infrastructures with their environments, in part due to limited availability of long-term underground temperature data. The effects of underground temperature changes due anthropogenic heat fluxes can be significant, impacting ventilation and cooling costs of underground spaces, efficiency of geo-energy systems, quality and quantity of groundwater flow, and the health and maintenance of underground structures. In this paper we explore the impact of anthropogenic subsurface structures on the thermal climate of the shallow subsurface by developing a heat transfer model of the city of Cardiff, UK, utilising a recently developed semi-3D modelling approach.

scholarly journals Formal and Informal Governance Arrangements to Boost Sustainable and Inclusive Rural-Urban Synergies: An Analysis of the Metropolitan Area of Styria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10637
Author(s):  
Theresia Oedl-Wieser ◽  
Kerstin Hausegger-Nestelberger ◽  
Thomas Dax ◽  
Lisa Bauchinger
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
City Region ◽  
Informal Governance ◽  
Governance Arrangement ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Uniform Region ◽  
The City ◽  
Governance Arrangements

In the past, the contrasts between rural and urban regions were the primary feature of analysis, while today, spatial dynamics are realized by the interactions between spaces and focus on the dependencies of rural-urban areas. This implies that boundaries are not anymore perceived as fixed but as flexible and fluid. With rising spatial interrelations, the concept of the “city-region” has been increasingly regarded as a meaningful concept for the implementation of development policies. Governance arrangements working at the rural-urban interface are often highly complex. They are characterized by horizontal and vertical coordination of numerous institutional public and private actors. In general, they provide opportunities to reap benefits and try to ameliorate negative outcomes but, due to asymmetric power relations, rural areas are often challenged to make their voice heard within city-region governance structures which can too easily become focused on the needs of the urban areas. This paper addresses these issues of rural-urban partnerships through the case of the Metropolitan Area of Styria. It presents analyses on the core issue of how to recognize the structure and driving challenges for regional co-operation and inter-communal collaboration in this city-region. Data were collected through workshops with regional stakeholders and interviews with mayors. Although the Metropolitan Area of Styria occupies an increased reference in policy discourses, the city-region has not grown to a uniform region and there are still major differences in terms of economic performance, the distribution of decision-making power, accessibility and development opportunities. If there should be established a stronger material and imagined cohesion in the city-region, it requires enhanced assistance for municipalities with less financial and personal resources, and tangible good practices of inter-municipal co-operation. The ability to act at a city-regional level depends highly on the commitment for co-operation in the formal and informal governance arrangement, and on the willingness for political compromises as well as on the formulation of common future goals.

Drugs and Justice: The Impact of Drugs on Criminal Justice in a Metropolitan Community

1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Klofas
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Local Level ◽  
War On Drugs ◽  
Case Processing ◽  
York Metropolitan Area ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

This study examines the impact of drugs on the criminal justice system of the greater Rochester (New York) metropolitan area. Although discussed widely, there has been little investigation of the effects of the “war on drugs” at the local level. This research considers patterns of arrest and case processing and includes an examination of drug treatment. Increases in arrests, particularly for possession of drugs, have occurred in the city but not the suburbs and have had a disproportionate effect on African-Americans. Many cases are processed as misdemeanors and result in minor sanctions. The implications for traditional order maintenance concerns in a metropolitan community are discussed.

scholarly journals Electoral behaviour in the Kraków metropolitan area: 1993–2011

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (35) ◽  
pp. 65-80
Author(s):  
Radosław Linkowski
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Political Change ◽  
The Political ◽  
Voting Behaviour ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Electoral Behaviour ◽  
The City

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to describe changes in support for the four principal political options (‘right’, ‘left’, ‘liberal’, ‘peasant’) available in the Kraków Metropolitan Area (KMA) in parliamentary elections in the period 1993–2011. The electoral behaviour of the residents of the various KMA zones became increasingly similar in the study period. The political ‘distance’ between the northern commuter zone of the KMA (part of the Russian partition in the 19th c.) and the rest of the KMA, decreased significantly. The suburban zone of Kraków also changed over the course of the study period by becoming significantly similar to the city in terms of voting behaviour. This political change was largely due to substantial social and economic changes in the rural parts of the metropolitan area. Urban areas in the KMA were much more stable in their voting patterns and tended to politically resemble one another much more than rural areas. The city of Kraków and the southern part of its commuter zone – part of the Austrian partition in the 19th c. – were characterized by fewer fluctuations in voting behaviour than the two remaining parts of the KMA.

scholarly journals An Updated Hardiness Zone Map for Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-696
Author(s):  
Derald A. Harp ◽  
Edward L. McWilliams ◽  
Michael A. Arnold ◽  
John F. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Anthropogenic Heat ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Fort Worth ◽  
Westward Expansion ◽  
Contour Maps ◽  
National Climatic Data Center ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Plant Hardiness

The combination of concrete and asphalt surfaces, large buildings, lack of surface water, and anthropogenic heat inputs result in urban temperatures warmer than surrounding rural areas. This effect is often most pronounced with winter minimum temperatures and may cause changes in local plant hardiness zones. Local minimum temperatures were obtained for the years 1974-96 from the National Climatic Data Center and the Office of the State Climatologist of Texas for all recording stations within the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas metropolitan area. Data were averaged and analyzed in two groups: 1974-86 and 1987-96. Contour maps were created using Surfer software. The 1974-86 local map had only one major difference from the 1990 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map, which was the inclusion of 8a temperatures in more western portions of the metroplex. The inclusion of the years 1987-96 resulted in the westward expansion of 8a and a new 8b zone near downtown Dallas. These changes mimic the expansion of suburban development and increased urbanization over the last decade. We propose an updated plant hardiness zone map for this metropolitan area, which should more accurately reflect changes that have occurred since publication of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map.

scholarly journals Validation of UWG and ENVI-Met Models in an Abu Dhabi District, Based on Site Measurements

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindita Bande ◽  
Afshin Afshari ◽  
Dina Al Masri ◽  
Mukesh Jha ◽  
Leslie Norford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Weather Generator ◽  
Anthropogenic Heat ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Urban Weather ◽  
The City

The city of Abu Dhabi is growing every year in population, urban extent and energy demand. This research focuses on the application of two simulation programs to estimate changes in urban climate associated with continued development in Abu Dhabi: The Urban Weather Generator (UWG) and ENVI-met. Simulation with these two software packages are validated with the site data measured in downtown Abu Dhabi. A comparison analysis (in the different seasons) between the rural data, the simulation output, and the site measurements shows the variations of the UHI in this Middle Eastern city and the potential of the validated tools. The main aims of this study are: (a) to make a seasonal validation of the UWG for the city of Abu Dhabi (referring to urban-rural available data). The tool was previously validated for a year (no seasonal division) for Abu Dhabi, Toulouse, Basel, Singapore, Rome and Barcelona. The simulations are based on the 2016 version of the Urban Weather Generator. The analysis is separated into three main seasons (instead of the full year): winter, spring, summer. (b) To make a seasonal validation and improve the second tool evaluated in this study, ENVI-met 4.0. The software can simulate urban temperature, humidity and wind speed. Guides are proposed for the enhancement of the accuracy of both estimation procedures. Referring to the results, UWG tends to overestimate the canyon temperature during the summer and has a more realistic estimation on the winter season. ENVI-met has better estimations of temperatures during the summer season compared to UWG. Finally, the UWG weather file contributes a more detailed energy model on a mesoscale model. It considers the seasonal effect and shows the impact of the climate on profiling the UHI phenomena. ENVI-met needs improvement in calculating the anthropogenic heat and in calculation of the mean radiant temperature.

Demand and supply side changes in the Santa Cruz, Bolivia, milk sector 1985 – 2002: impact on small-scale producers and poor consumers

2004 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 315-321
Author(s):  
J. Rushton ◽  
N. Duran ◽  
S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
The Past ◽  
Country Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

During the past three decades worldwide dairy policies have been implemented to promote the consumption of milk and milk products in urban areas and the production from rural areas close to big cities (Alderman et al., 1987). Bolivia and the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra have been influenced by these worldwide directives and this current study examines the impact of policies on the demand and supply side of the sector, but with particular emphasis on smallholder milk producers and poor urban consumers. The current research is part of a multi-country study on the supply, demand and impact of dairy and other policies over a 10 to 15 year period (1985 to 2000) of the milk sectors of Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kathmandu, Nepal.

Effectiveness of Barriers at Suicide Jumping Sites: A Case Study

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette L. Beautrais
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Central City ◽  
Young Male ◽  
National Database ◽  
Extreme Caution ◽  
Safety Barriers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Objectives: Suicide safety barriers were removed from a central city bridge in an Australasian metropolitan area in 1996 after having been in place for 60 years. The bridge is a known suicide site and is located adjacent to the region's largest hospital, which includes an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. This paper examines the impact of the removal of these barriers on suicide rates. Method: Data for suicide deaths by jumping from the bridge in question, from 1992to 2000, were obtained from the regional City Police Inquest Office. Data for suicide deaths by jumping from other sites in the metropolitan area in question, from 1992 to 1998, were obtained from the national health statistics database. Case history data about each suicide death by jumping in the metropolitan area in question, from 1994 to 1998, were abstracted from coronial files held by a national database. Results: Removal of safety barriers led to an immediate and substantial increase in both the numbers and rate of suicide by jumping from the bridge in question. In the 4 years following the removal of the barriers (compared with the previous 4 years) the number of suicides increased substantially, from three to 15 (χ2 = 8, df = 1, p < 0.01); the rate of such deaths increased also (χ2 = 6.6, df = 1, p < 0.01). The majority of those who died by jumping from the bridge following the removal of the safety barriers were young male psychiatric patients, with psychotic illnesses. Following the removal of the barriers from the bridge the rate of suicide by jumping in the metropolitan area in question did not change but the pattern of suicides by jumping in the city changed significantly with more suicides from the bridge in question and fewer at other sites. Conclusions: Removal of safety barriers from a known suicide site led to a substantial increase in the numbers of suicide deaths by jumping from that site. These findings appear to strengthen the case for installation of safety barriers at suicide sites in efforts to prevent suicide deaths, and also suggest the need for extreme caution about the removal of barriers from known jumping sites.

Numerical Analysis of the Impact of Intensive Underground Structures on Groundwater Flow in Guangzhou (Canton), China

2014 ◽  
Vol 501-504 ◽  
pp. 1832-1845
Author(s):  
Guanyong Luo ◽  
Hong Cao ◽  
Hong Pan
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Underground Structure ◽  
Hydraulic Head ◽  
Underground Structures ◽  
Groundwater Balance ◽  
Darcy Velocity ◽  
Groundwater Environment ◽  
Structure Density ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The soil over the bedrock in the city of Guangzhou is thin, with a depth of only about 11 m. Under such conditions, excessive exploitation of the underground space is very likely to affect the groundwater environment. In this paper, the impact of intensive underground structures, which act as barriers, on the groundwater flow in Guangzhou is investigated. The emphasis is on the impacts in terms of hydraulic head, Darcy velocity and groundwater balance. The study finds that: (1) Under the current underground structure density, the impact on the hydraulic head is small, and most of the change is in the range of ±0.5 m. (2) The Darcy velocity appears to be more susceptible to being affected by the structures. (3) The barrier effect of the intensive structures increases the overflow at the foot of the hills and reduces the transmissivity of the aquifer.

scholarly journals Expected impact of COVID-19 outbreak in a major metropolitan area in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarcísio M. Rocha Filho ◽  
Fabiana Sherine Ganem dos Santos ◽  
Victor Bertollo Gomes ◽  
Thiago Augusto Hernandes Rocha ◽  
Julio Henrique Rosa Croda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
World Health ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

AbstractIn January 2020 China reported to the World Health Organization an outbreak of pneumonia of undetermined origin in the city of Wuhan, Hubei. In January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Interest (PHEI).ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to assess the impact of a COVID-19 epidemic in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil.MethodsWe used a generalized SEIR (Susceptibles, Exposed, Infectious, Recovered) model, with additional Hospitalized variables (SEIHR model) and age-stratified structure to analyze the expected time evolution during the onset of the epidemic in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. The model allows to determine the evolution of the number of cases, the number of patients admitted to hospitals and deaths caused by COVID-19. In order to investigate the sensibility of our results with respect to parameter estimation errors we performed Monte Carlo analysis with 100 000 simulations by sampling parameter values from an uniform distribution in the confidence interval.ResultsWe estimate 1 368 (IQR: 880, 2 407) cases, 301 (22%) in older people (≥60 years), 81 (50, 143) hospitalizations, and 14 (9, 26) deaths in the first 30 days, and 38 583 (IQR: 16 698, 113, 163) cases, 8 427 (21.8%) in older people (≥60 years), 2181 (914, 6392) hospitalizations, and 397(166, 1205) deaths in the first 60 days.LimitationsWe supposed a constant transmission probability Pc among different age-groups, and that every severe and critic case will be hospitalized, as well as that the detection capacity in all the primary healthcare services does not change during the outbreak.ConclusionSupposing the reported parameters in the literature apply in the city of São Paulo, our study shows that it is expected that the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak will be important, requiring special planning from the authorities. This is the first study for a major metropolitan center in the south hemisphere, and we believe it can provide policy makers with a prognosis of the burden of the pandemic not only in Brazil, but also in other tropical zones, allowing to estimate total cases, hospitalization and deaths, in support to the management of the public health emergence caused by COVID-19.

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