scholarly journals Mapping and Assessment of Urban Ecosystem Services: Capacity in Vilnius City

Author(s):  
Ieva Misiūnė ◽  
Darijus Veteikis

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits people gain from ecosystems, which are essential to human well-being. ES concept allows us to demonstrate more clearly the importance of nature, understand its benefits and justify its preservation. Knowledge on ecosystem’s capacity to provide services and the demand for these services allows us more effectively organize spatial planning, avoid conflicts and protect the ecosystems from degradation. This article reviews one of the ES assessment and mapping method called ES matrix model and presents its application to Vilnius case study. Using the method and expert knowledge twelve ES were assessed and mapped. The review of the method has shown that it can be applied at different scales and to evaluate several ES simultaneously. In previous studies, the method was applied to assess ES capacities both locally and at European level, often using expert knowledge for ES evaluation. Method application for the case study confirms that the results of the evaluation mainly depends on primary data, i.e. the scale and accuracy of the land used map and the sufficient sample of experts. The case study showed that the lowest concentration of evaluated services is in the center of Vilnius town and surrounding neighborhoods, and as the distance from the city center increases, the number of ES increases as well. An ES richness map, which shows how many different services exist in a given area, showed a low number of ES in the central and western part of the city (a maximum 6 out of 12 services rated). Additional research, however, is needed to assess the quality of the existing services. Such an assessment of the ES potential and the quality of the services can serve as an additional tool for territorial planning and efficient use of green urban spaces.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Lidia Domínguez-Parraga

This study aims to analyze the consequences of the gentrification process as a result of tourism on the elderly inhabitants. Firstly, the concept of gentrification is reviewed, a process that is no longer exclusive to large cities but has spread to smaller and lesser-known municipalities. A clear example of this type of new tourist destination is the city of Cáceres, a World Heritage medium-sized city where tourism is the basis of its economy. The research considers gentrification in medium-sized cities and its effect on active aging. Based on a qualitative methodological approach, a total of 32 in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed to compare two neighborhoods—one gentrified and one not. The results show a remarkable disparity in the residents’ perceptions of their environment and their city. The findings suggest adverse effects on the quality of aging due to the gentrification process, such as family dependency, social-space disconnection, and a generally pessimistic image of the neighborhood. Consequently, the impact of tourism negatively affects the gentrified neighborhood inhabitants’ psychological, social, and emotional well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-127
Author(s):  
Ananda Vieira de Lima Almeida ◽  
Vitor Erick Cardoso Freitas

The discussion about the use, or not, of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by gas station attendants has been growing, in the contemporary context, due to the expansive increase in the consequences generated by the absence of this essential equipment at gas stations. The present study highlighted the importance of raising awareness among the attendants regarding their working conditions, mainly due to the high exposure to toxic compounds. At this core, resistance to use PPE by these workers comesfrom sociocultural issues that notoriously influence the conditionsimposed by this service. In this logic, the case study, determined by the book of Research Methodology by Marconi and Lakatos (2003), thistheme is based on data collection at gasstationsin the city of Salvador- BA, in 2021, to highlight the situations faced by these professionals and, consequently, the impacts on their quality of life and health. The resistance to the use of this equipment harms the present and future well-being of the attendants.


Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Aiga Spāģe

Cities have a wide variety of green infrastructure types, such as parks and gardens. These structures can provide important ecosystem services (ES) with a major impact on human well-being. With respect to urban planning, special consideration must be given to such green infrastructure types when implementing measures to maintain and enhance the quality of life. Therefore, generating knowledge on the urban ES of differently scaled green infrastructure types is important. This systematic literature review provides an overview of existing studies which have explicitly investigated the urban ES of differently spatial-scaled green infrastructure types. By reviewing 76 publications, we confirm rising academic interest in this topic. The most frequently assessed urban ES belong to the category Regulating and Maintenance. Only a few have considered individual small structures such as green roofs or single gardens; green spaces are often aggregated into one, mostly city-wide, object of investigation, with resulting oversimplifications. Moreover, generalizing methods are mostly applied. Simultaneously, many studies have applied methods to evaluate location-specific primary data. More research is needed on small-scale structures, in particular to consider site-, and thus location-specific, parameters in order to successfully implement the ES concept into urban planning and to obtain realistic results for ES assessments.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (79) ◽  
pp. 656-674
Author(s):  
Walid Abbas El-Aouar ◽  
César Ricardo Maia de Vasconcelos ◽  
Alipio Ramos Veiga Neto

Abstract This study aimed to understand how the insertion of music in the work environment contributes to achieving Quality of Working Life (QWL), from the perspective of biopsychosocial and organisational well-being. The context where the study was conducted was the manufacturing area of a major textile company located in Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The use of a case study was the research strategy adopted, with exploratory and descriptive objectives. The primary data was collected through the focus group technique and semi-structured interviews were used as an additional tool. Respecting the theoretical saturation criterion, four focus groups were formed, each comprising eight randomly selected participants from the seventy-six co-workers in the sector. The data was analysed qualitatively, using the content analysis technique. Twenty-eight QWL attributes were identified. It was concluded that musical insertion provides biological, social and, above all, psychological and organisational well-being to the co-workers, contributing to achieving QWL in the work environment researched.


Author(s):  
Н. Мосиенко ◽  
N. Mosienko ◽  
А. Черепанова ◽  
A. Cherepanova

<p>Residents of monotowns face a specific range of problems affecting their social well-being. The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the types of life strategies of monotown residents with a focus on the place of residence and the location of the attractiveness of the urban environment and migration attitudes in them. The study employed a case-study strategy of an in-depth interview with residents of Sayansk, a monotown that displays risks of socio-economic deterioration. To describe the context, the authors used statistical data on the population and migration of the Sayansk population, as well as historical chronicle of the town. Based on two indications (perception of the quality of the urban environment and the migration attitudes), the authors have constructed a typology of life strategies and described the related characteristics of inhabitants. The study shows that the life strategies of the inhabitants reveal, on the one hand, a spectrum of migration patterns (depending on the characteristics of the inhabitants), and, on the other hand, various degrees of satisfaction with the quality of the urban environment, which makes the city attractive or unattractive in the eyes of the population.</p>


Author(s):  
Ioannis Souliotis ◽  
Nikolaos Voulvoulis

AbstractThe EU Water Framework Directive requires the development of management responses aimed towards improving water quality as a result of improving ecosystem health (system state). Ecosystems have potential to supply a range of services that are of fundamental importance to human well-being, health, livelihoods and survival, and their capacity to supply these services depends on the ecosystem condition (its structure and processes). According to the WFD, Programmes of Measures should be developed to improve overall water status by reducing anthropogenic catchment pressures to levels compatible with the achievement of the ecological objectives of the directive, and when designed and implemented properly should improve the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems that the delivery of ecosystem services depends on. Monitoring and evaluation of implemented measures are crucial for assessing their effectiveness and creating the agenda for consecutive planning cycles. Considering the challenges of achieving water status improvements, and the difficulties of communicating these to the wider public, we develop a framework for the evaluation of measures cost-effectiveness that considers ecosystem services as the benefits from the reduction of pressures on water bodies. We demonstrate its application through a case study and discuss its potential to facilitate the economic analysis required by the directive, and that most European water authorities had problems with. Findings demonstrate the potential of the methodology to effectively incorporate ecosystem services in the assessment of costs and benefits of proposed actions, as well as its potential to engage stakeholders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-693
Author(s):  
Koon Teck Koh ◽  
Marja Kokkonen ◽  
Heng Rang Bryan Law

Coaches are effective providers of social support to their athletes. Although sport-specific measures of social support have been developed to better understand athletes’ perceptions of available support, limited amount of research has addressed how sport coaches implement specific social support strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine university coaches’ implementation strategies in providing various forms of social support to their athletes. A total of eight sport coaches from team and individual sports (four from each sport) were purposefully selected for this study. Coaches were individually interviewed. The interview transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis. The results revealed that coaches from different sports shared similar strategies across emotional, esteem, informational and tangible dimensions, but with some distinguishable differences in the way these strategies were implemented. In documenting the lived experiences of sport coaches, key strategies valued highly among these coaches were highlighted, providing important implications for coaches to know how to incorporate these strategies into their coaching practice to better support athletes’ well-being and improve the quality of coaching. The findings also provide an implementation framework of social support that emphasizes key strategies for coaches to focus on in their coaching approaches.


Author(s):  
Minou Weijs-Perrée ◽  
Gamze Dane ◽  
Pauline van den Berg

Urbanization brings major challenges with regard to livability and the health and quality of life of citizens [...]


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murni Zainal ◽  
Azhan Abdul Aziz

Tiny homes are defined as a small dwelling in the form of a moveable unit, cabin or detached house which is sized to meet its occupants’ needs. Besides affordability, sustainability and minimalist lifestyle, the occupants’ demand for a cosy environment with a window or porch overlooking a garden. The objectives of the study are to investigate the benefits of utilising nature and serenity in promoting a supportive environment to achieve user well-being. Quantitative methodology was applied in this study using three case studies (CS1 at Urban area: Prototype Model of Microhouse, CS2 at Sub urban area: The Cabin Boutique Resort and SC3 at Outskirts area: Meraki Tiny House). The tool, ``Perceived Sensory Dimensions “(PSDs)” was used for respondents to evaluate the surrounding environment of the case studies by showing photos of two sensory dimension models (PSDs Nature and Serene). Close-ended questionnaires were distributed to the 21 respondents from the millennials group, to rate each perception for each case study. The results have shown that a natural and serene environment for CS3 is most preferred because of the aspirational quality of its PSDs, followed by CS2 and CS1.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Chun Cheung

This paper looks at the City of Melbourne's new office development CH2 as a case study of world class energy performance. In particular, the integrated design of conventionally independent systems has led to the potential to deliver significant savings to the Council and to deliver better environmental conditions to building occupants that in turn may contribute to satisfaction, well-being and productivity. It is concluded that this project has the potential to be an iconic example of effective implementation of ESD (environmental sustainable design) principles and therefore act as a demonstration project to others. Energy efficiency of more than 50% of current benchmarks for Melbourne is effected. Energy harvesting is defined as arising from squander, waste and nature, which is a new concept introduced in this paper to better describe the design decision process.


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