Eduardo Barata

Greening transportation and parking at University of Coimbra

Purpose This paper aims to explore the potential contribution of integrated traffic and parking management strategies to ensure more rational use of available parking spaces and to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by commuters traveling to the University of Coimbra (UC) main campus. Design/methodology/approach An integrated modelling approach is used, including the characterization of supply and demand for parking and public transport, the creation and implementation of a survey to campus users and a life-cycle approach to assess six transportation and parking strategy scenarios. Findings This comprehensive analysis demonstrates the importance of integrated management measures to greening commuters’ transportation and parking within a University campus, identifying and quantifying opportunities for successfully making the transitions toward a more sustainable future, namely, increasing well-being and reducing environmental impact. Practical implications Results demonstrate that effective control of illegal parking and different forms of modal shift toward public transportation may contribute to important reductions in environmental impacts. Social implications Local population reveals willingness to participate in collective efforts to tackle traffic and parking problems, challenging authorities to take action and empowering ever more people to engage in such cathartic changes. Originality/value This comprehensive approach is highly valuable for the management of parking and traffic within the UC campus, providing innovative lessons on the social and environmental impacts that would result from this policy approach to urban areas (e.g. historical centers) facing the typical problems of a carbon society, such as traffic congestion, non-regulated parking and intensive car use.

Using Count Data and Ordered Models in National Forest Recreation Demand Analysis

This research addresses the need to improve our knowledge on the demand for national forests for recreation and offers an in-depth data analysis supported by the complementary use of count data and ordered models. From a policy-making perspective, while count data models enable the estimation of monetary welfare measures, ordered models allow for the wider use of the database and provide a more flexible analysis of data. The main purpose of this article is to analyse the individual forest recreation demand and to derive a measure of its current use value. To allow a more complete analysis of the forest recreation demand structure the econometric approach supplements the use of count data models with ordered category models using data obtained by means of an on-site survey in the Bussaco National Forest (Portugal). Overall, both models reveal that travel cost and substitute prices are important explanatory variables, visits are a normal good and demographic variables seem to have no influence on demand. In particular, estimated price and income elasticities of demand are quite low. Accordingly, it is possible to argue that travel cost (price) in isolation may be expected to have a low impact on visitation levels.

The opportunity costs of commuting: the value of a commuting satellite account framework with an example from Lisbon Metropolitan Area*

ABSTRACT Commuting affects regional and urban economies. It shapes urban areas, defines their relationships with neighboring regions, intensifies economic flows and exacerbates energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper sets out a proposal for an innovative commuting satellite account (CSA), integrated in a multi-regional input–output model. This framework combines commuting activities with regional distribution of income, distinct household consumption structures, real estate renting activities and the energy consumption and environmental flows incorporated in the different industries. To assess the opportunity costs of commuting, the CSA framework is applied to the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The socio-economic-environmental impacts of a scenario in which commuters become non-commuters by moving their residence to the municipality in which they work are estimated. The analysis indicates that: commuting, in general, induces significant economic and environmental opportunity costs. Finally, the adoption of policy-oriented recommendations contributing to limit sprawling in metropolitan regions is discussed.

Modeling commuting patterns in a multi-regional input–output framework: impacts of an ‘urban re-centralization’ scenario

The paper suggests a modeling approach for assessing economic and social impacts of changes in urban forms and commuting patterns that extends a multi-regional input–output framework by incorporating a set of commuting-related consequences. The Lisbon Metropolitan Area case with an urban re-centralization scenario is used as an example to illustrate the relevance of this modeling approach for analyzing commuting-related changes in regional income distribution on the one side and in household consumption structures on the other.

Sustainability Skills: The Case of a Portuguese University

Based on the state of the art on universities and sustainability, an attempt was made to understand the development of a Portuguese university on the perspective of sustainability, by analyzing the necessary skills for such sustainability. The design used for this research was the case study design. The data collection occurred between September and November 2014, and a data collection protocol elaborated from the theory on sustainability in universities was used. Through observations, interview and analysis of documents as evidence sources, the most expressive results highlight that the University of Coimbra—UC uses sustainability concepts that go beyond teaching and learning. The institution aims to develop, through programs, contests to gather ideas from students and business consultancies, a philosophy that would emerge from the sustainability skills inside the campus, curriculum and community. Through the environmental management of the campus, UC promotes energy savings, preservation of resources, waste reduction, preservation of the property, gas and water as to the energy efficiency plan, and the creation of new courses for sustainable development. It is observed that the university has the efficient sustainability skills as to the analyzed dimensions, and they were monitored as to its goals and programs. With lower emphasis, due to the secular characteristics, the sustainability actions occur on the structures that require alternatives to meet new sustainability concepts, which have been introduced into green universities.

Combining Observed and Contingent Travel Behaviour: The Best of Both Worlds?

Natural resources offer a wide range of benefits to society. But many of these resources can be irrevocably lost if active measures are not adopted. Considering that environmental protection endeavours involve opportunity costs, economic valuation is essential to inform policymakers about the full net benefits of alternative measures, mainly if they are not properly reflected in market prices. The literature on environmental valuation has been proliferating and significant developments have been achieved. Focusing on the methods used to evaluate the benefits related to the recreational use of natural areas, this paper explores the potential complementarity of approaches based on combined revealed and stated preferences techniques. We conclude that putting together the best of these both worlds imposes additional efforts that are worthwhile.