Fabrizio Cumo

An estimation of urban fragmentation of natural habitats: Case studies of the 24 italian national parks

Italy is a densely populated country, where most of the land is actively used by its human population. As a result, many of the remaining natural areas are subject to different typologies of human pressures that generally cause habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation, unanimously considered as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity conservation, is due to a variety of factors related to land use changes, such as urban sprawl, increasing of transport infrastructures, and the intensification of agriculture and forestry practices. The main purpose of this paper was to investigate levels of natural habitat fragmentation due to the presence of human settlements in the Italian National Parks through the use of the Urban Fragmentation Index (UFI). All the results were recorded in a GIS database (Geographic Information System), elaborating a new method for a comparative spatial analysis of these records in order to achieve a critical scale of the habitat fragmentation levels in each of the 24 Italian National Parks. The results represent an important indicator for the prioritization of biodiversity conservation interventions in the Italian National Parks.

Eco friendly service buildings and facilities for sustainable tourism and environmental awareness in protected areas

Starting from the multi-year experience in environmentally friendly building projects gained by CITERA of the Faculty of Architecture (Sapienza University of Rome), the main goal of this paper is to apply this expertise for the planning of environmentally sound service buildings and facilities in natural protected areas, in order to increase tourist facilities avoiding the subsequent environmental impacts that too often are produced in areas with high environmental and landscaping values. Therefore, this paper will take into account the relationships between service buildings for tourism and their eventual ecological impacts in the surrounding areas, in order to pinpoint innovative envelope technologies as well as technical smart solutions for a sustainable promotion of tourist facilities, including, in addition to service buildings, even the requalification of paths and water routes. The other central aim of the project is to propose practical methods for the use of these service buildings and facilities as favourable places to disseminate environmental protection notions. Furthermore, the project foresees the application of a case study in the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Park. The obtained results may be used by other protected areas administrations as possible solutions for improving environmental sustainability of their tourism management plans.

Air quality in Italian small harbours: a proposed assessment methodology

The main objective of this paper is to present an analytical and easy-to-use method for evaluating the presence of air pollutants in small harbour areas along the Italian shores, and the potential exposure of workers to that risk. The research aims to highlight the possible differences in air quality characterization among different areas and periods of any analysed harbour. Therefore, the proposed method foresees a seasonal monitoring of some atmospheric pollutants within examined ports, identifying wherever possible the main source of air pollution for each zone. In particular, to pinpoint the most critical areas, the methodology foresees the monitoring of concentrations for some selected pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, particular matter and benzene. The methodology, developed within the framework of a research project supported by the Regional Authority of Lazio, has been tested in four pilot port areas. The acquired results point out that air pollutant concentrations could significantly diverge among different areas and periods of a single harbour and, consequentially, the evaluation of the results allows a spatial and temporal comparison of pollutants concentrations in each portal zone. Thus, the described method represents a useful tool for local administrations to plan best practices and the use of the best available technologies for impact mitigation, with the final goal of reducing air pollution in the most critical portal zones.

Technologies And Strategies To Design Sustainable Tourist Accommodations In Areas Of High Environmental Value Not Connected To The Electricity Grid

As envisaged in the ‘Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism’, the adoption of a holistic and integrated approach and the use of the best available knowledge and technologies are key aspects to ensure sustainable tourism. In particular, policies and actions should be planned by considering the latest and best available knowledge, and, at the same time, analyzing all the related impacts on the area of intervention. In this context, this paper describes an approach to design sustainable tourist accommodations in areas characterized by high environmental value (e.g. natural protected areas) by minimizing the related impacts on the surrounding environment and sensitizing users towards preservation and conservation of natural resources. In fact, the aim of biodiversity conservation included in each rule for a natural protected area requires the application of eco friendly technologies and sustainable strategies for the protection of the natural heritage. In the proposed approach, three aspects of tourist accommodations have been considered: the system component, the building envelope and the integration between them. As a result, the architectural structures designed, including the materials, shape, energy efficiency, modularity and removability, are in line with the standards of bio-architecture. The materials used comply with the technical requirements and the technological needs of tourist accommodations, are mostly recycled or reusable and come from the surrounding area, so they can be easily integrated into the landscape. The components that make up the accommodations are easy to assemble and disassemble, making it possible for them to be reused in another area, without changing the environmental conditions at the new site. Some components are precast and prepared on-site using local materials whose modularity makes them highly suitable for use in different environmental and morphological conditions. To use these architectural structures in places without services and distribution networks for energy and water, special attention has been given to develop innovative and sustainable energy solutions: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been used as the only energy vector, in combination with a cogeneration plant, to provide heat and electric energy as well as with specific building envelopes that allow the transfer of LPG into the walls to pro vide energy to innovative gas appliances. The environmental impact of the proposed approach was assessed by analyzing the environmental application of these structures in tourist accommodations in the Circeo National Park in Italy.

Eco-architecture and sustainable mobility: an integrated approach in Ladispoli town

This paper presents an eco-architecture project in a public green space of the Ladispoli Municipality, located on the Italian shorelines close to the city of Rome. The purpose of the project is the creation of a multifunctional urban green space, where social relations, sports, environmental awareness education and other activities can take place in a natural context. The final aim of the project, which includes a requalification of the surrounding areas, is to obtain an ecofriendly interaction between the urban public space and the built space, with sustainable mobility principles and the conservation of the natural environment. The project offers different outdoor activities for all ages and includes the design of a building which contains two multipurpose playgrounds, a gym, supporting functions, a bar and public toilets. The building design includes a green roof, for preserving space to nature and for guaranteeing a harmonious integration with the surrounding environment. In order to enlarge the green area, to bring it up to the contiguous buildings and to create a closer connection between the housing areas on both sides of the ditch and the park itself, a tunnel for the vehicular traffic was created. The project improves the usability of the green space through the introduction of: pedestrian and cycle paths connected to the existing ones, wooden bridges, new functions and services. The distinctive feature of the whole project is an integration of different best available technologies for obtaining an optimization of the performances in

A Sustainable Requalification Of Bracciano Lake Waterfront In Trevignano Romano

This paper describes the first interventions carried out in accordance with the results of the three years bilateral research SoURCE (Sustainable Urban Cell) performed by CITERA (Inter department Centre for Territory, Building, Conservation and Environment) of the Sapienza University of Rome and the Department of Urban Planning and Environment of the Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm (KTH) regarding urban redevelopment and distributed micro-generation of buildings. The location is the municipality of Trevignano Romano in the area (urban cell) of the lake waterfront aimed at the integration of all facilities that will increase the tourist accommodation of the area. The concept of the project is to utilize empty spaces, in all lake waterfronts, for the construction of public toilets and showers, introduction of electric boat and bike rental for sightseeing with charging stations and construction of an energy efficient wooden prefabricated building to be used as a general shop for tourists (closest analogue service is about 3 km). The research is included in the executive programme for the scientific and technical cooperation between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Italy, in the area defined ‘Energy and Environment: Sustainable Cities’.

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (hns) Risk Assessment Along the Italian Coastline

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Risk Assessment along the Italian Coastline Davide Astiaso Garcia*, Fabrizio Cumo, Franco Gugliermetti, Flavio Rosa DIAEE (Dept. of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering) Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana, 18 00184 Rome, Italy CITERA (Interdisciplinary Centre for Housing, Heritage and Environment), Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Gramsci 53, 00197 Rome, Italy davide.astiasogarcia@uniroma1.it

Coastal and marine impact assessment for the development of an oil spill contingency plan: The case study of the east coast of Sicily

This project is one of the results of the multi-year collaboration in coastal and marine sustainable management, planning and policy between the General Directorate for Nature and Sea Protection of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and the CITERA Research Centre (Centro Interdisciplinare Territorio, Edilizia, Restauro, Ambiente) of the Sapienza University of Rome. The main objective of the project was to analyze the parameters involved in preparedness, prevention and response actions required by the Italian Ministry for the setting up of an Oil Spill Contingency Plan. Due to its critical anthropic impacts and its huge environmental heritage in terms of biodiversity richness and coastal geomorphological variety, the Eastern Sicily coastline, bounded by the geographic vertices of Cape Peloro and Cape Passero, has been chosen as the study area. Moreover this area is characterized by significant economic activities such as fishing and tourist industries. One of the major aims of the study was to rank coastal areas on the basis of their sensitivity to an unforeseen oil spill. Physical, geomorphological, biological and environmental attributes have been gathered using remote sensing techniques and field works, and they have been subsequently elaborated for the valuation of oil spill environmental sensitivity indices (ESI). In addition to ESI values, the elaborated maps contain other important information like landscaping and environmental constraints, human-use resources, archaeological and historical sites, and marine benthic biocenosis. In order to achieve the tasks and draw up the maps, the whole data set has been reported in a Geographical Information System (GIS) database. The obtained results include operational maps

Advanced technologies for sustainable building in the protected areas: Two case studies in Italy

For some years now the General Directorate for the Protection of Nature of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, and the Department of “Fisica Tecnica” of the “Sapienza” University of Rome have been collaborating on issues such as sustainable development in protected areas and new technologies concerning innovative low-impact materials to be used in areas of particularly high environmental sensitivity. The first case study presented for the Protected Areas deals with a pilot project in a suburban green area jointly individuated with the “Assessorato all’Ambiente” of the Municipality of Rome designed to evaluate low-impact building in contexts of environmental “Excellency”, such as parkland in urban areas, city outskirts, green areas and national parks. In line with the Strategic Environmental Evaluation, the reversibility of such buildings has been evaluated with particular care, although other considerations, such as aspects related to the education towards sustainability in architecture, were also looked into. Research has been oriented towards pinpointing ‘new’ envelope technologies in which to assembly components and technical solutions already known as “sustainable” and/or “energy efficient” (such as coat insulation, roof garden, ecologically compatible materials such as wood, etc.), but whose combined application has not yet been tested as a whole complex system. During the realization of this 500mq eco-sustainable structures the following technologies have been included: wooden structures and sheathing for a low energy consumption and naturally recyclable material; green roof coverings; systems for water cycle management; solar collectors for hot water production and photovoltaic systems; high performance glass in terms of light transmission, solar control and thermal insulation. The second case study, coming from the experience of the pilot project, is the realization of a 15 mq infopoint that is energetically self sufficient in the Eco-Architecture III 551 www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541 (on-line)

Identification and prioritization of areas with high environmental risk in Mediterranean coastal areas: A flexible approach

Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the cornerstone for the future management of coastal ecosystems with many vulnerability and hazard indexes developed for this purpose, especially in the engineering literature, but with limited studies that considered ecological implications within a risk assessment. Similarly, the concept of prioritization of sites has been widely examined in biodiversity conservation studies, but only recently as an instrument for territory management. Considering coastal plant diversity at the species and community levels, and their vulnerability to three main potential hazards threatening coastal areas (oil spills, Hazardous and Noxious Substances pollution, fragmentation of natural habitats), the objective of this paper is to define an easy-to-use approach to locate and prioritize the areas more susceptible to those stressors, in order to have a practical instrument for risk management in the ordinary and extra-ordinary management of the coastline. The procedure has been applied at pilot areas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, France, Lebanon and Tunisia). This approach can provide policy planners, decision makers and local communities an easy-to-use instrument able to facilitate the implementation of the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) process in their territory.