Thomas Panagopoulos

Urban planning with respect to environmental quality and human well-being.

The cities of today present requirements that are dissimilar to those of the past. There are cities where the industrial and service sectors are in decline, and there are other cities that are just beginning their journey into the technological and industrial sectors. In general, the political and social realms have been restructured in terms of economics, which has resulted in an entirely different shape to the primitive structures of civilization. As people begin to understand the dynamic nature of landscapes, they stop seeing landscapes as a static scene. Sustainable cities must be simultaneously economically viable, socially just, politically well managed and ecologically sustainable to maximize human comfort. The present research suggests a multi-disciplinary approach for attaining a holistic understanding of urban environmental quality and human well-being in relation to sustainable urban development.

Integrating Geostatistics and GIS for Assessment of Erosion Risk on Low Density Quercus suber Woodlands of South Portugal

This research integrates the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) with geostatistical techniques and a Geographic Information System (GIS) to model erosion potential for soil conservation planning in Quercus suber agrosilvopastoral woodlands in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. Graphical interpretation of the RUSLE parameters was performed using ordinary kriging. Semi-variograms were produced for each parameter. The maps resulting from the interpolation techniques were introduced in a GIS and their values reclassified. After that, spatial modelling was used to develop the final overlay map from all the information of the analyzed soil properties and RUSLE parameters, simulating “a potential soil erosion map.” Hydraulic conductivity and the soil erodibility K factor with a nugget-to-sill ratio of 57% and 67%, respectively, showed the weakest spatial dependence, whereas organic matter demonstrated the strongest (31%). The maps created demonstrate the existence of a heavily textured area in the southern part of the site that could affect erosion and vegetation management techniques. Hydraulic conductivity was higher than 6 cm/h in the northeastern part of the experimental area. The correlation between the spatially interpolated and observed values during the semi-variogram cross-validation, using the data set for method development, was high (r2 > 0.81). The northwestern area was the most adequate for annual fodder cultivation. The most degraded and less suitable areas were in the southern part, with 108 t/ha potential erosion. Site-specific management methods could improve productivity and decrease the risk of erosion. The present research shows that geostatistics and GIS are useful tools for sustainable management of extensive agrosilvopastoral areas.

Sustainable reclamation of industrial areas in urban landscapes

During the second half of the twentieth century a widespread crisis of numerous industrial sectors contributed to the appearance of derelict industrial areas. In this perspective the recycling of derelict industrial areas is indispensable for sustainable city development in the optic of recovery and conservation of our industrial heritage. The transformation of derelict industrial sites into public spaces represents a significant enhancement to the quality of life and land use, and at the same time marks a new commitment to the transformation of once-industrial sites to new cultural and environmental uses. This requires a new planning approach based on knowledge, new technologies and collaborative design. The present study evaluates three design strategies that might be used to reclaim derelict sites in urban areas transforming them for the society and the environment. Each is strategy related to different landscape characters: the heritage, the environmental and the socio-cultural character. The objective of the present work was to analyse those design strategies used in the reclamation of derelict industrial areas using three representative different case studies: Duisburg Nord, Fresh Kills and Downsview Park. In those projects it was found that the design strategies adopted minimize the environmental impact assuring a harmonious reclamation of the natural and built environments. Landscape architects such as Peter Latz, James Corner and Bruce Mau, have shown how to create culturally stimulating landscapes with a large variety of uses and activities arising out of the derelict remains of past industry.

Early growth of Pinus nigra and Robina pseudoacacia stands: contributions to soil genesis and landscape improvement on lignite spoils in Ptolemaida

Two forest species planted on spoil heaps in Ptolemaida, Pinus nigtz and Robinia pscwdoacacia, were studied. The productivity of both species was high. The majority of trees in the pine stand were vigorous and had good quality trunks. while most Rohinia trees suffered from strong competition from neighbouring trees and were forked in many branches. The addition of fly ash to spoil materials produced generally better growing conditions. Fourteen years after their establishment, the two stands had improved soil properties significantly more than had natural revegetation. Distinct surface, A, and C horizons formed under both stands. The contribution to landscape aesthetic improvement by the evergreen Pinus nigra was greater than that by the deciduous Robinia, also a desirable species because of its initial fast growth, intense sprouting and rapid nitrogen-enriching properties. The study suggests that afforestation with mixed stands of evergreen pine species and nitrogen-fixing trees is probably the best solution for successful rehabilitation.

Enhancing city resilience to climate change by means of ecosystem services improvement: a SWOT analysis for the city of Faro, Portugal

Green Infrastructure has recently gained importance as a planning tool at the regional and local levels. While it provides a range of ecosystem services, greater attention is needed on integrating the economic, environmental and social benefits produced, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. This paper maps out the urban green infrastructure as a delivery mechanism of ecosystem services and identifies a number of measures for ecosystem services improvement using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats approach for the city of Faro within the context of the Algarve region. The absence of an integrated strategy for the urban built and green areas and the low connectivity with the hinterland green areas were the main weaknesses of the city. The solutions, identified by means of ecosystem services regulation functions, address the related measures, anticipate the climate change challenges and enhance the city’s resilience. Social, economic, health and visual-aesthetic benefits have been particularly emphasised for each measure identified.

Assessing user preferences on post-industrial redevelopment:

There is a growing interest in post-industrial landscape redevelopment and public participation in urban planning process. This study examined the public preference on post-industrial land transformation projects. A semi-qualitative methodology was used throughout the application of a questionnaire and interviews. Data on public perception of post-industrial landscape that incorporates significant environmental, cultural and historic assets were collected from 450 residents. Results illustrate that community attitudes to brownfield regeneration projects are positive. Urban growth should consider the redevelopment of derelict and/or abandoned areas instead of consuming new green areas. The results illustrated that, according to public perception, the most important aspect in the redevelopment of the study area is the creation of multifunctional areas, and that this aspect is statistically related with touristic activities, mobility and accessibility, use of renewable energies, environmental education, economic redevelopment, and safety/security. The researchers suggest that coupling the information gathered throughout the public preference process with the intrinsic characteristics of each landscape is helpful in understanding community expectations in order to inform urban regeneration projects that consider the economic, environmental and cultural functions of sites.

Influences on citizens’ policy preferences for shrinking cities: a case study of four Portuguese cities

Population decline in cities (‘shrinking cities’) is an increasing international phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to determine citizens’ policy preferences for tackling shrinkage and to ascertain whether different causes of shrinkage lead to different preferences, on the basis of which we identify viable urban regeneration strategies to implement in Portugal’s shrinking cities. This information was obtained by a face-to-face questionnaire survey of 701 residents in four case study cities, who were asked to rank five types of policy: economic revival, safety and accessibility, public services, building interventions, and environmental actions. The results show no differences between cities regarding the policy identified by residents as being most important (economic revival). However, differences between cities in the second and third most important policies were observed and are linked to the particularities of shrinkage in each city. Furthermore, we found a strong link between the ranking of the policies and the demographic and socioeconomic profiles of respondents, which also differ between cities. Younger respondents ranked economic revival higher, whereas older residents ranked safety and accessibility higher. Building rehabilitation was ranked as important mostly by lower-income residents, whereas improvement in public services was identified as being important by the residents of smaller cities in the interior of the country. Giving voice to citizens and allowing them input into policy options appears to be of value for defining the most appropriate policies to apply in shrinking cities.

RECLAMATION OF DERELICT INDUSTRIAL LAND IN PORTUGAL: GREENING IS NOT ENOUGH

A negative effect of the globalization on industry over the past decades was a vast array of obsolete industrial facilities and the various impacts, which were generated from them. In this context, abandonment, sale or demolition of such facilities, were fairly common approaches. However, the creation of new and more severe environmental legislation, the high price of urban land, and the public pressure related with the need to protect the environment, increased the number of post-industrial sites that returns to productive use. Within every problem there is an opportunity. Derelict and contaminated industrial sites have high potential for urban regeneration, ecological restoration and reintegration into the surrounding community. To exemplify the importance of those spaces in the urban landscape, this paper will analyze two industrial reclamation projects realized in Portugal during the last decade (Parque Tejo-Trancao – Expo 98 and Braga Stadium – Euro 2004). The significance of these projects in achieving a sustainable urban landscape is discussed. This article shows that the industrial landscape should be viewed as a resource and its recovery as an opportunity to develop new multifunctional landscapes in which new forests are indispensable.

Adaptation of the Canadian Fire Weather Index to Mediterranean forests

The Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) is one of the most used tools to forecast forest fire hazard. In this paper, we propose an adaptation of the FWI to take into account the Mediterranean vegetation and climate, to improve FWI performances for areas with these characteristics. In particular, the FWI has been calibrated for two Mediterranean regions (Algarve, Portugal and Peloponnese, Greece) by fitting the experimental data, collected in the field, for the forest fuel moisture content, with the values expected by the application of the original Canadian FWI. Field data were collected during the 2010 and 2011 fire seasons. The satisfactory results obtained by the adaptation of parameters from the original FWI, in spite of the small sample areas and limited time of collection, allowed us to verify the usefulness of the method in describing the fuel moisture dynamics and obtaining indexes closer to the characteristics of the Mediterranean forests considered. The adapted FWI, if further tested and extended to other sample areas, may help in a more detailed and precise application of the FWI index by improving the daily forest fire hazard forecast, to become also a better support for the Civil Protection Agency of Mediterranean countries.

What makes people stay in or leave shrinking cities? An empirical study from Portugal

ABSTRACT The attractiveness of cities as places to live determines population movements into or out of them. Understanding the appealing features is fundamental to local governments, particularly for cities facing population decline. Pull and push attributes can include economic aspects, the availability of amenities and psychological constructs, initiating a discussion around which factors are more relevant for migration. However, such discussion has been underexplored in studies of shrinking cities. In the present study, we contribute to the discussion by identifying pull and push factors in Portuguese shrinking cities. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire of 701 residents in four shrinking cities: Oporto, Barreiro, Peso da Régua and Moura. Factor analysis and automatic linear modelling were used to analyse the data. Our results show that the economic activity is the most relevant feature for retaining residents. However, characteristics specific to each city, related to heritage and natural beauty, are also shown to influence a city’s attractiveness. The cause of population shrinkage was also found to influence residents’ assessments of the pull and push attributes of each city. Furthermore, the results show the relevance of social ties and of place attachment to inhabitants’ intention to continue living in their city of residence.