The increasing concern about climate change has produced growing interest in
natural ventilation and urban planning. There seems to be a gap in the study of
introducing urban climate into urban planning, even though doing so would
increase population comfort and decrease energy spending. Natural ventilation
provided by wind flowing through the streets of a city might be considered as
a first priority for passive cooling. It is intuitive that if the street grid coincides
with wind flow direction, a city will get more wind in the street. Otherwise,
building walls will stop the wind. This study addresses this important topic,
grounded on the urbanization of Ildefons Cerdà with regard to Barcelona. In
this research, a consistency analysis of the grid orientation and wind flow
direction is done for Barcelona. The objective is to demonstrate using current
technology that Cerdà’s grid orientation, which strove to capture fresh winds
in summer and avoid cold winds in winter, really works. Methodologically, we
discuss the reasons, found in the vast work of the Cerdà urban plan, for
capturing winds; and we demonstrate the goodness of fit of street grid
orientation for capturing winds using spatial analysis in GIS.

KEYWORDS

Winds; natural ventilation; urban planning; Cerdà; grid orientation; spatial analysis.

Classical analyses of constraints and challenges associated with development in middle-income Latin American countries have been performed based on per capita income levels. Since the first decade of the twenty-first century, the structural gap approach has been an alternative criterion to that of per capita income. It identifies areas where there are gaps, such as poverty, inequality and social inclusion, which hinder social and economic development. In the present study, we used hierarchical cluster analysis to assess the socioeconomic development of cities in Ecuador. The goal was to add depth and flexibility to the study in order to assess a more complex reality regarding the development level of the country. This way, the resulting taxonomies of cities could be used to address specific policies to improve quality of life and sustainability of the population.

Keywords: Hierarchical cluster analysis, Latino America, Structural gap theory, Socioeconomic development. 

DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-31776-8.

ABSTRACT

Since the last decades, China has become one of the most important countries in the world economy. The country's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) (2001) and the Beijing Consensus (2004), among other factors, have outlined its economic strategy in aspects such as international trade. Through massive investment in developing countries through win-win cooperation (Alves, 2013) and taking soft power as its main strategy (Wang, 2008), China is becoming one of the main economic powers in the world. This new world scenario is reflected in cities. Million-dollar investments by Chinese companies are having an increasing presence in the economic development of European cities (Casaburi and Blanco, 2013). An example of this is the Hong Kong Company Hutchinson Port Holdings in Barcelona (Frago, 2015). Its investment in the creation of the Barcelona Europe South Terminal (BEST) port center, in 2012, has led to positioning the city as one of the most important logistics hubs in the Mediterranean area. On the other hand, the policy of opening up the Chinese population to emigration (Song and Liang, 2019) has implied their entry into American and European cities, sometimes leading to the opening of small and medium-sized companies in different sectors (Chaudhry and Crick, 2004; Fong et al., 2012; Guerassimoff, 2003; Katila and Wahlbeck, 2012).

RESUMEN

Desde las últimas décadas, China se ha convertido en uno de los países más importantes en la economía mundial. La entrada del país en la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC) (2001) y el Consenso de Beijing (2004), entre otros factores, han trazado su estrategia económica en aspectos como el comercio internacional. A través de la inversión masiva en países en desarrollo a través de una cooperación win-win (Alves, 2013) y tomando como estrategia principal el soft power (Wang, 2008), China se está convirtiendo en una de las principales potencias económicas del mundo. Este nuevo escenario mundial tiene su reflejo en las ciudades. Inversiones millonarias de empresas chinas están teniendo cada vez más presencia en el desarrollo económico de las ciudades europeas (Casaburi y Blanco, 2013). Un ejemplo de ello es la empresa de Hong Kong Hutchinson Port Holdings en Barcelona (Frago, 2015). Su inversión en la creación del centro portuario Barcelona Europe South Terminal (BEST), en el 2012, ha supuesto colocar a la ciudad como uno de los hubs logísticos más importantes en la zona del Mediterráneo. Por otra parte, la política de apertura a la emigración de la población china (Song y Liang, 2019) ha implicado su entrada en ciudades americanas y europeas conllevando, en algunas ocasiones, la apertura de pequeñas y medianas empresas en diferentes sectores (Chaudhry y Crick, 2004; Fong et al., 2012; Guerassimoff, 2003; Katila y Wahlbeck, 2012).

ABSTRACT

In the second decade of the twenty-first century, urban space finds itself at a key juncture in history where biodiversity, population growth, and climate change are highly relevant elements in the context of global change. A more holistic perception of urban analysis has highlighted the significance of the benefits for human health that derive from experiences with nature and associated biodiversity. Urban ecosystems contain a varied and little known biodiversity, which can be a key element in the culture of sustainability. Additionally, the level of proximity of the population to urban services, such as health, education, or parks, increases the degree of satisfaction, quality of life and well-being of the population (Pallares-Barbera et al., 2011; 2005; 1986). New studies reveal the relationship between more holistic urban planning that includes elements of climate and nature and that can offer a range of important benefits in terms of health, well-being and adaptation and mitigation to climate change. On the contrary, the reduction of biodiversity or the scarcity of services can generate spaces of well-being void and an increase in social conflict. The innovation in this chapter focuses on two fundamental axes: urban biodiversity and planning as inseparable elements to achieve sustainability, the case study being the city of Barcelona.

RESUMEN:

En la segunda década del siglo veintiuno, el espacio urbano se encuentra en una coyuntura clave en la historia donde la biodiversidad, el crecimiento de la población, y el cambio climático constituyen elementos muy relevantes en el contexto del cambio global. Una percepción más holística del análisis urbano ha puesto en valor la significancia de los beneficios para la salud humana que se derivan de las experiencias con la naturaleza y la biodiversidad asociada. Los ecosistemas urbanos contienen una variada y poco conocida biodiversidad, que puede constituir un elemento clave en la cultura de la sostenibilidad. Complementariamente, el nivel de proximidad de la población a los servicios urbanos, como la sanidad, la educación, o los parques, incrementa el grado de satisfacción, calidad de vida y bienestar de la población (Pallares-Barbera et al., 2011; 2005; 1986). Nuevos estudios revelan la relación entre una planificación urbana más holística que incluya elementos del clima y de la naturaleza y que puede ofrecer una gama de beneficios importantes en temas de salud, bienestar y adaptación y mitigación al cambio climático. Por el contrario, la reducción de la biodiversidad o la escasez de servicios puede generar espacios de vacío de bienestar y de aumento de conflicto social. La innovación de este capítulo se centra en dos ejes fundamentales: la biodiversidad urbana y la planificación como elementos indisolubles para conseguir la sostenibilidad, siendo el caso de estudio la ciudad de Barcelona.

ABSTRACT

Individuals can move through space, but since not all space is the same, they will be attracted to certain preferential locations. There is an uneven distribution of economic activity in space, and it will attract consumers based on the constraints of demand preferences, increased returns to scale, and transportation costs (Hamilton and Linge, 1979). Spatial variations in demand depend on consumer preferences, among other characteristics, according to the type of goods offered by the different areas of the city, the cultural origin of individuals in the city, the time of day and the day of week. Therefore, the decisions that individuals make to use the space are limited by what the market offers in this space. The relationship between demand and supply will cause spaces where productivity will be higher, such as cities and others where there will be no productivity, such as deserts. The reason these differences exist is due to agglomerations of activities that attract consumers and these are concentrated in cities.

RESUMEN

Los individuos pueden moverse a través del espacio, pero dado que no todo el espacio es igual se verán atraídos por determinadas localizaciones preferenciales. Existe una distribución desigual de la actividad económica en el espacio, y ésta atraerá a consumidores en función de las limitaciones de preferencias de demanda, del aumento de los rendimientos a escala y de los costos de transporte (Hamilton y Linge, 1979). Las variaciones espaciales en la demanda dependen de las preferencias de los consumidores, entre otras características, según el tipo de bienes ofrecidos por las diferentes áreas de la ciudad, el origen cultural de los individuos en la ciudad, la hora del día y el día de la semana. Por tanto, las decisiones que toman los individuos para usar el espacio están limitadas por lo que ofrece el mercado en este espacio. La relación entre demanda y oferta causará espacios donde la productividad será mayor, como las ciudades y otras donde no habrá productividad, como los desiertos. El por qué existen estas diferencias es debido a aglomeraciones de actividades que atraen a consumidores y éstas están concentradas en las ciudades.

A B S T R A C T

The vegetation within the urban system provides sheltering and food provisions to birds, influencing their nesting options. This study analyses for the first time in the Mediterranean area how different socio-ecological factors related with public urban green management can influence the nesting of the passerine bird order. It uses a case study in the city of Valls (Catalonia, Spain). First, the public urban green was quantitatively and qualitatively characterised; then the nests from the passerine birds were collected and identified, and finally, potential associations between nests and urban green-related socio-ecological factors such as vegetation type (tree, shrub, herb, liana), plant species, neighbourhood type, pruning type, fruit and seed production, and presence of insect plague were analysed. A total of 300 nests were identified and belonged, mostly, to the family of Fringillidae and Sylviidae, all from Mediterranean agroforestry areas. Passerine birds show preference for the historic centre, being this area the one with highest biodiversity of vegetation in the city, in detriment of surrounding neighbourhoods, which in turn are less biodiverse. Passerine birds do not consider four tree species (Celtis australis, Laurus nobilis, Robinia pseudoacacia and Pinus pinea) suitable for nesting whereas showing preference for two tree species of medium height and size (Hibiscus syriacus and Melia azederach). Also, passerine birds seem to preferably nest in trees that have been pruned intensively. These results suggest that, to strengthen the passerine bird diversity in cities, urban green management should promote certain species of trees of medium size and intensive pruning while supporting the overall biodiversity of the urban green. All these results contribute to inform effective urban planning and management strategies for passerine birds conservation that aim to reconcile urban development and urban biodiversity protection.

Keywords: Ornithofauna, Urban Biodiversity.

The crisis in traditional forest and farming activities that began in the second half of the 20th century has given way to a new territorial structure, characterised by greater forest density and an acceleration of urban sprawl, which has affected the impact of fires on the territory and especially on the inhabitants. The increased vulnerability of homes located at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and the differences in the intensity of fire impact makes it necessary to identify different typologies of WUI zones. Characterization of WUI typologies was based on four forest fires with distinct characteristics, selected from fires that occurred in Catalonia in 2003 and 2012. Based on the different landscape units that have been studied and the dynamics of the changes that have occurred in the study area over the past 15 years, together with the occurrence of fires during this period, identified three major WUI zone typologies: a) metropolitan, b) agroforest and c) mountain agrosilvopastoral. The results, based on Kappa index and Rate of Change, show significant changes in Land Use and Land Cover between 2003 and 2009 in each study area, but the economic and social context in each region generated different territorial dynamics for each typology. This diagnosis contributes to knowledge that expands the available planning and management tools to mitigate the effects of wildfires.

Keywords: Landscape, Kappa index, Rate of change, Wildfire prevention.

Abstract. The chapter aims to provide a contextualisation of the cyberpark concept as this is perceived by a wide range of experts in public space and information technologies. To do so it makes use of a questionnaire survey conducted with the participants of the CyberParks COST Action, which collected their views on a number of aspects concerning both the mediated and the not mediated public open spaces, such as: their elements and qualities, the facilities they should offer, the activities they should facilitate, the type of space and location that are most suitable to accommodate them, their appropriate size and manner for their development, their target user group and other aspects of their configuration. The analysis brings out the commonalities and differences in experts’ views regarding the mediated and the not mediated public open spaces, and, as such, it contributes to specify further the cyberpark concept, mapping out its characteristics and dimensions. This should enrich the ongoing dialogue within the literature and facilitate interactions between relevant, yet fragmented, scientific disciplines in the area to inform the production and appropriation of both mediated and the not mediated public open spaces.

Keywords: experts, views, diversity, survey.

Abstract. User-generated content (UGC) provides useful resources for academics, technicians and policymakers to obtain and analyse results in order to improve lives of individuals in urban settings. User-generated content comes from people who voluntarily contribute data, information, or media that then appears in a way which can be viewed by others; usually on the Web. However, to date little is known about how complex methodologies for getting results are subject to methodology-formation errors, personal data protection, and reliability of outcomes. Different researches have been approaching to inquire big data methods for a better understanding of social groups for planners and economic needs. In this chapter, through UGC from Tweets of users located in Barcelona, we present different research experiments. Data collection is based on the use of REST API; while analysis and representation of UGC follow different ways of processing and providing a plurality of information. The first objective is to study the results at a different geographical scale, Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area and at two Public Open Spaces (POS) in Barcelona, Enric Granados Street and the area around the Fòrum de les Cultures; during similar days in two periods of time - in January of 2015 and 2017. The second objective is intended to better understand how different types of POS’ Twitter-users draw urban patterns. The Origin-Destination patterns generated illustrate new social behaviours, addressed to multifunctional uses. This chapter aims to be influential in the use of UGC analysis for planning purposes and to increase quality of life.

Those who lose their origins lose their identity! Cultural heritage incorporates many elements, but its material and immaterial assets are rooted in history, cultivated in tradition and embody a shared memory, as Manero Miguel and García Cuesta point out in the introduction of the book. Cultural heritage assets also bring identity to a territory and society. In the twenty-first century, differentiation represents an important asset, hence heritage’s relevance is revealed when territories become differentiated owing to their heritage assets in this globalized world. Differentiation, moreover, is the nature of territorial competitiveness. The main goal of this book is to vindicate the role of the cultural landscape as a motor for sustainable development and as a factor behind territorial competitiveness. This book is important in many ways. Besides its obvious roles in research and policymaking, in such a period of political turmoil even world heritage has become a bargaining chip, as in the case of negotiations between the Trump administration in the United States of America and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In October 2017, the Trump administration declared that the USA would withdraw from UNESCO, claiming that the latter’s member nations have an anti-Israel bias. Thus, in the political complexity of nonsenses, cultural heritage must be vindicated because it has many functions: it is an incentive to preserve historic monuments, to develop new economic activities (and therefore create jobs and revenue), and to inculcate pride and identity in cultural heritage amongst inhabitants.