Antonio Ledda

Landscape planning and ecological networks. Part A. A rural system in Nuoro, Sardinia

Urban-rural landscape planning research is nowadays focusing on strategies and tools that support practitioners in designing integrated spaces starting from the analysis of local areas, where human and natural pressures interfere. A prominent framework is provided by the ecological networks, whose design regards the combination of a set of green areas or patches (the nodes) interconnected through environmental corridors (the edges). Ecological networks are useful for biodiversity protection and enhancement, as they are able to counteract fragmentation, and to create or strengthen relations and exchanges among otherwise isolated elements. Biodiversity evolution, indeed, depends on the quantity and quality of spatial cohesion of natural areas.xa0 In this paper, we aim at designing an ecological network for the periurban area on the town of Nuoro in central Sardinia. The narrative unfolds in two parts. Part A is presented in this paper and includes its methodological premises, i.e. biodiversity conservation and ecological network analysis and design, and the introductory elements of a spatial analysis on a pilot ecological network of one hundred patches. We locate patches by focusing on the ecosystems supported by the target vegetal species holm oak ( Quercus ilex ) and cultivated or wild olive ( Olea europaea var. sativa , O. europaea var. sylverstis ). These are very common plants species in the municipality and some animal species are active as seed dispersal. The reminder, i.e. Part B, of the essay is presented in an homonymous paper that focuses on the illustration of the network analysis conceived as a monitoring system and, in future perspective, as a planning support system.

Tourism Environmental Impact Along Religious Routes And Slow Transport Infrastructures: The Role Of Coastal Areas

Tourism is a major sector of the European economy. In particular, religious tourism along pilgrimage routes is a prominent phenomenon. Some religious routes in the island of Sardinia, Italy, start from coastal zones and may exert a relevant impact over the environment. The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental effects of Italian and Sardinian urban planning tools related with religious tourism. In particular, it focuses on SEA quality and integration with the European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS).

Sea Guidelines. A Comparative Analysis: First Outcomes

The European Directive 2001/42/EC (Directive) has introduced the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), a procedure for assessing the effects of certain plans and programs on the environment. The Directive has been transposed in different ways and times within Europe: member states have frequently drawn up guidelines to facilitate SEA implementation, by adopting different approaches. So far a few studies have been performed to analyze SEA guidelines. In this paper we aim to analyze key elements of SEA guidelines released by seven European countries in order to evaluate the effectiveness of those documents and SEA implementation. We have found that no SEA guidelines satisfy all key elements we have identified. Based on the latter finding, this work is introductory to a further analysis which aims to characterize SEA guidelines and define a proposal of SEA guidelines for landscape planning in the Italian region of Sardinia.