From Degradation to the Regeneration of Territorial Heritage. An Eco-Systemic Vision for the Promotion of the Natural, Urban and Landscape Capital of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper is interesting and well structured. The general applied methodology is innovative, related to the classification of families of problems and proposed solutions. However the methodology needs a specific description because it is not clear the specific contribution and the role given by the authors for producing the huge amount of collected data and information. There are many references to national/regional legislation and regional/sectoral plans but the authors' contribution it is not easy recognizable.

I suggest to better describe the role and contribution at the beginning of the par. 2.

Nothing else to highlight.

Author Response

Preliminary note for reviewers

The Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, like all Italian metropolitan cities, is a Vast Area Authority whose extension coincides with the territory of the former Province (3,210.37 sq km, over 150 inhabited centers, for a total of 548,009 inhabitants of which 180,000 residents in the city of Reggio Calabria, once the provincial capital).

 

As suggested, the “Materials and Methods” paragraph has been integrated, in the initial part, with a text that outlines the intense activity of study and research, documented also in the bibliography, and from whose results the work object of the article has started. Thanks to the wide availability of data to draw on and a methodology now consolidated over the years but flexible, as can be seen from the text, with respect to the change of degradation phenomena.

The following text is proposed in the second paragraph:

The research took root in the activities carried out over more than three decades, documented by publications and research reports on closely related topics: the land consumption of the regional territory of Calabria between 1954 and 1984 and the map of environmental risk in Calabria [10 - 11], the naturalistic environmental framework plan of the Territorial Coordination Plan of Calabria [12], the studies for the settlement heritage of the Aspromonte National Park [13], the studies for the natural heritage of the Province of Reggio Calabria [14], the drafting of the Charter of Places of the Calabrian Region [15-16].

This integrated accumulation of knowledge has enabled a vision capable of going beyond the sectoral approach, which usually leads to a reading of the territory by "levels" and individual problems, to use the method of direct observation and interpretative identification of phenomena and Recurrent "degradation families" and then the precise quantification of the extension of the direct area and the causes of degradation for the development of an assessment of the possible effects on wide and derived areas. The aim is to raise these issues by putting forward hypotheses of causes and direct and induced effects to propose specific in-depth laboratories for each type of territorial degradation with the necessary skills (geologists, chemists, agronomists) to start interventions with a Regional and University direction that can constitute lines for pilot action towards the solution of the problems and for the development of rules of behaviour and periodic monitoring, which would also be useful for every single local territorial reality.

 

The additions and the changes made to the new draft of the article are due to the specific requests of both reviewers.

Finally, the entire article was again checked by a professional English editing service.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Thanks for the opportunity to review such an interesting research piece. The following comments aim to enhance the content of the article and to clarify aspects that might be unclear to the reader.

 

Abstract:

The abstract could benefit from two or three sentences at the beginning to introduce the overall problem statement. It jumps too quickly to results and methodology without providing the context to that.

 

Introduction:

It provides a great overview of the problem under investigation, including the legal and political aspects. This said, towards the end of the introduction, it becomes unclear what are the aims and objectives of this paper and its relation to the urban fabric. The last 3 paragraphs would benefit from some revision where the authors would clearly state the aims of the paper and the relationship with the urban area of Reggio Calabria.

 

Materials and Methods

The authors provided an overview of this landscape. Oftentimes “naturalistic, landscape and cultural heritage” is mentioned several times, however, no formal characterisation of that landscape is provided. I did not get a full picture of that landscape through the text. In addition, the text in the figure is not translated to English. At the end, the authors claim some design themes but is unclear how those have been summarised.

I think this section needs further improvement. The entire methodology is unclear. What did the authors do? How did they collect the data? What sources were used? Is this a design-evidence based project? Empirical? Is this a study-case approach?

I would suggest the authors to have a look at: van den Brink, A., Bruns, D., Tobi, H., Bell, S. (Eds.) (2017). Research in Landscape Architecture. London: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315396903

 

Results:

This section is clear.

I would suggest the authors to cover then the topics of environmental and social degradation, effectiveness of ecosystem services and loss of habitats and erosion in the introduction to strengthen the entire argument. Also, those topics should be reflected in the methodology. What metrics are to be used to evaluate such impacts in the case study in question?

 

Discussion:

The discussion is strong but oftentimes it gets too descriptive rather than conclusive. Certain parts come across as an opinion piece and not drawing the results of this work. Also it is too lengthy, I wondered if the legislation mentioned is important to make a point?

 

Conclusion:

Unfortunately no conclusion is provided. I think the authors may want to address this and provide a clear summary if the aims and objectives have been addressed and what sort of limitation have been founding this study.  

Author Response

Preliminary note for reviewers

The Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, like all Italian metropolitan cities, is a Vast Area Authority whose extension coincides with the territory of the former Province (3,210.37 sq km, over 150 inhabited centers, for a total of 548,009 inhabitants of which 180,000 residents in the city of Reggio Calabria, once the provincial capital).

Abstract:

The abstract has been integrated with a central period which is reported below:

The methods of direct observation and critical interpretation of the phenomena, in terms of extension and incidence, are aimed at advancing a protocol of interventions for the definition, evaluation and implementation of regeneration prospects through experimental pilot laboratories for University-Region coordination.

Introduction:

It is believed that the integration set at the beginning of the “Materials and Methods” paragraph also outlines the objectives of the research activity described by the article with respect to the degradation families referable to the marginal fringes of the fabric relative to the actual capital city itself and to those affecting the constellation of centers characterizing the entire territory of the Metropolitan City.

The following text is proposed in the second paragraph:

The research took root in the activities carried out over more than three decades, documented by publications and research reports on closely related topics: the land consumption of the regional territory of Calabria between 1954 and 1984 and the map of environmental risk in Calabria [10 - 11], the naturalistic environmental framework plan of the Territorial Coordination Plan of Calabria [12], the studies for the settlement heritage of the Aspromonte National Park [13], the studies for the natural heritage of the Province of Reggio Calabria [ 14], the drafting of the Charter of Places of the Calabrian Region [15-16].

This integrated accumulation of knowledge has enabled a vision capable of going beyond the sectoral approach, which usually leads to a reading of the territory by "levels" and individual problems, to use the method of direct observation and interpretative identification of phenomena and Recurrent "degradation families" and then the precise quantification of the extension of the direct area and the causes of degradation for the development of an assessment of the possible effects on wide and derived areas. The aim is to raise these issues by putting forward hypotheses of causes and direct and induced effects to propose specific in-depth laboratories for each type of territorial degradation with the necessary skills (geologists, chemists, agronomists) to start interventions with a Regional and University direction that can constitute lines for pilot action towards the solution of the problems and for the development of rules of behaviour and periodic monitoring, which would also be useful for every single local territorial reality.

 Materials and Methods

As already indicated, the "Materials and Methods" paragraph has been integrated into the initial part. The text of the figure has been translated into English.

Results:

It is believed that the integration set at the beginning of the “Materials and Methods” paragraph also helps the understanding of a methodology that provides for the preparation of specific in-depth laboratories for each type of degradation necessary both for the initial assessment of the impact and for preparatory work on the proposition of the "pilot" interventions.

Discussion:

In this paragraph the specifications of laws and plans have been eliminated, cited to highlight actions to respond to the problems faced, which could appear redundant.

Conclusion:

As suggested, a new paragraph was added, concerning the conclusions, which in addition to further clarifying the objectives and limitations of the research, supports and completes the changes made to the previous paragraphs.

The text of the fifth paragraph is proposed below:

 The numerous research passages, performed over the years according to different paths and favouring the renewed governance forms of the territory, today metropolitan, and therefore of vast area, have allowed the extension and the vastness of the problem of "quality waste" of the territories, for the development of a range of site-specific solutions while at the same time a "pilot" for similar contexts in which to advance verified answers effectively.

The degradation conditions affecting the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, which is a Vast Area Authority whose extension coincides with the territory of the former Province (3.210.37 sq km, over 150 inhabited centres, for a total of 548,009 inhabitants of which 180,000 are residents in the city of Reggio Calabria, once the capital of the province), makes this extremely diverse territory an ideal laboratory to tackle the issue of the conceptual transition between contrast to consumption and land waste towards forms of authentic regeneration of naturalistic values ​​and systemic reflection. In such contexts, which express naturalistic, environmental and cultural identity excellence of the territory, it is possible to map phenomena of environmental degradation that create relapses also from a social and economic point of view, if only for the occurrence of forms of collective addiction to degradation. It is therefore possible to recognise the ideal field for a theoretical and applied experimentation directed towards overcoming the concept of "consumption" towards the authentic identification of the causes, of the direct and indirect incidence of the areas, but above all of the possible measures of intervention, even of the human and social dimensions, as the vision of a desired integral ecology.

Precisely in this sense the objective of the proposed research is to stimulate the observation of degradation phenomena by advancing hypotheses of causes and direct and induced effects so that specific laboratories relative to each family of territorial degradation express the necessary competences, even in a way transversal to the different cases. Due to  direct Region-University coordination, where the latter can provide the activities of a Third Mission; a real support to the role of government of local authorities, which identifies those interventions useful to constitute lines of action not only to provide solutions to problems, but above that guide towards a code of behaviour and periodic monitoring, applicable with equal effectiveness from a vast scale to the single local territorial reality.

 

The additions and the changes made to the new draft of the article are due to the specific requests of both reviewers.

Finally, the entire article was again checked by a professional English editing service.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

With the proposed changes, the quality of the article has improved dramatically and I suggest for this manuscript to be published as it is.