Sustainability

Research

18 pages, 1519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Planning Port–City 2030: The InterACT Approach as a Booster for Port–City Sustainable Development

by Benedetta Ettorre, Gaia Daldanise, Eleonora Giovene di Girasole and Massimo Clemente

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15641; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115641 - 6 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1157

Port–city ecosystems face pressing challenges, such as land regeneration and environmental conservation, while striving to foster conscientious governance models among stakeholders. An innovative solution to address these issues lies in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), acknowledged by sustainability frameworks as essential for sustainable [...] Read more.

Port–city ecosystems face pressing challenges, such as land regeneration and environmental conservation, while striving to foster conscientious governance models among stakeholders. An innovative solution to address these issues lies in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), acknowledged by sustainability frameworks as essential for sustainable urban development. Although ICT is regularly employed by ports for logistics and traffic management, its untapped potential for urban planning is substantial. Starting from studies conducted on port planning and management and the use of ICT as a decision support system, this research seeks to explore the feasibility of devising an innovative model to facilitate deliberative decision-making for the regeneration of port–city interaction areas. This study adopts the InterACT approach to support planning efforts by constructing an open and implementable Geographic Information System (GIS). This approach has been tested on the Port of Naples in Italy to provide the Port System Authority (AdSP) of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea with strategic guidance as part of their efforts to draft a new Port Master Plan. The initial achievements encompass the establishment of an operational database to facilitate stakeholders within the Port, in conjunction with the implementation of a deliberative decision-making process enriched by ICT. Additionally, a tool was devised to seamlessly combine visualization and spatial data integration, thus fostering engagement and collaboration between port and urban stakeholders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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26 pages, 20056 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Touristification and Conflicts of Interest in Cruise Destinations: The Case of Main Cultural Tourism Cities on the Spanish Mediterranean Coast

by Francisco José Chamizo-Nieto, Nuria Nebot-Gómez de Salazar, Carlos Rosa-Jiménez and Sergio Reyes-Corredera

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6403; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086403 - 8 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2965

Abstract

Tourist demands and the ensuing commodification of habitability in cities have led to the emergence of resistance movements. This study aims to define patterns in touristified cities by measuring the presence of citizen initiatives, together with tourism intensification and related socio-demographic variables. All [...] Read more.

Tourist demands and the ensuing commodification of habitability in cities have led to the emergence of resistance movements. This study aims to define patterns in touristified cities by measuring the presence of citizen initiatives, together with tourism intensification and related socio-demographic variables. All the indicators have been tested in the Mediterranean port cities of Barcelona and Malaga as they lead the cultural offer. Both municipalities have been analysed at census-section level and show a common urban pattern: the Airbnb offer has spread out in the old town in direct competition with traditional accommodation and replacing long-term rentals. Statistical analysis reveals a significant correlation among citizen initiatives with tourism services, which are the driver mechanisms behind the movements. Cluster maps show a clear centre-periphery pattern according to the tourism intensification set with high coefficient values for tourist accommodation. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation indicates that protest movements emerge in tourism specialisation areas with a high concentration of tourist facilities. Monitoring the proposed indicator system over time may serve as a basis for local administrations to promote new urban policies dealing with overtourism. Future research may redefine and include new variables, test other tourist destinations and consider a smaller non-administrative territorial unit of analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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23 pages, 24172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relating Spatial Quality of Public Transportation and the Most Visited Museums: Revisiting Sustainable Mobility of Waterfronts and Historic Centers in International Cruise Destinations

by Carlos Rosa-Jiménez, Sergio Gutiérrez-Coronil, María José Márquez-Ballesteros and Alberto E. García-Moreno

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2066; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032066 - 21 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1145

Abstract

Museums are main tourist resources for independent cruise passengers in cultural cruise destinations. However, their influence on cruise destinations is scarcely analyzed. The aim of this paper was to focus on two questions: What distribution of museums facilitates a sustainable mobility of cruise [...] Read more.

Museums are main tourist resources for independent cruise passengers in cultural cruise destinations. However, their influence on cruise destinations is scarcely analyzed. The aim of this paper was to focus on two questions: What distribution of museums facilitates a sustainable mobility of cruise tourists in balance with urban needs? And which factors affect the potential use of both means of sustainable travel—soft mobility and public transport—at cruise destinations? The network topological features of main museums were analyzed to compare similar features among tourism destinations. A topological study based on the model of the three urban fabrics was related to the objective quality of PT. This allowed for a greater walkability or potential use of PT to be estimated. The results allowed for a diverse sample of cultural tourism port cities with cruise activity to be classified in three centralized levels and two decentralized ones. Results indicated that centralized networks are more prone to cruise tourists, while decentralized networks are more related to main cultural destinations. Finally, the discussion section analysed recommendations and measures to improve sustainable mobility and the planning of new museums. The results of this paper will be of interest to cultural and transport managers at these types of destinations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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16 pages, 2355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Permeability of Waterfronts—Contemporary Approach in Designing Urban Blue Spaces

by Anastasiia Dubinina, Aleksandra Wawrzyńska and Karolina A. Krośnicka

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9357; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159357 - 30 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2496

Abstract

The constant struggle with rising sea levels and flood hazards has resulted in the change of the paradigm in shaping urban waterfronts towards increasing their permeability and creation of urban blue spaces. The aim of the paper was to indicate a new approach [...] Read more.

The constant struggle with rising sea levels and flood hazards has resulted in the change of the paradigm in shaping urban waterfronts towards increasing their permeability and creation of urban blue spaces. The aim of the paper was to indicate a new approach in designing public spaces at the sea–land interface by presenting a comparative study of the design solutions used in case of the four selected case studies: the Sea Organs in Zadar (Croatia), Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo (Norway), the Coastal Public Sauna in Helsinki (Finland) and Tel Aviv’s Central Promenade (Israel). The studied examples take into account the permeability of waterfronts (understood as a feature of the edge between water–land consisting of being soft and permeable). The authors decided to use the case study method as the main approach, analyzing such elements as: the site’s location and urban context, features of urban and architectural design (with usage of graphic methods and a qualitative description), and the land–water edge type (defined according the existing typologies). The study proved, that in recent years the designers have started to replace the vertical quay walls, which create a “rigid” water–land border, with multi-level solutions having a high degree of permeability for water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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25 pages, 8844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Vision of Sustainable Design Concepts for Upgrading Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Light of Climate Change Impacts: A Case Study from Beirut, Lebanon

by Dorota Wojtowicz-Jankowska and Bahaa Bou Kalfouni

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3986; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073986 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3594

Abstract

Rapid urbanization combined with the effects of climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor urban communities to natural hazards, particularly to informal settlements located in coastal areas. Apart from socio-economic challenges, the effects of climate change threaten the very existence of these [...] Read more.

Rapid urbanization combined with the effects of climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor urban communities to natural hazards, particularly to informal settlements located in coastal areas. Apart from socio-economic challenges, the effects of climate change threaten the very existence of these settlements. They are particularly vulnerable due to their poor structural quality and lack of adequate infrastructure to mitigate the consequences of any natural event. The article highlights an informal settlement belt, located on the coastline of the southern suburb of the capital Beirut. This area is an example of a complex urban, social, and economic structure. As a result, this research speculates on the possible sustainable design solutions and tested development strategies through urban, architecture, and landscape design proposals, derived from interventions that succeed in facing similar challenges compatible with the studied context. The aim is to advocate for comprehensive consideration and transformation of coastal informal settlements that can be used to encourage neutralizing the obvious challenges of climate change in urban settings. Therefore, planning specifications and quality aspects for future coastal informal settlements are proposed and extracted. The research involves analysis of qualitative data rather than quantitative data, as there is not much definite information available in terms of statistics, such as review of publications and grey literature. The scope of the study ranges from microscale improvement to providing usable and accessible city-wide ecological urban settings and sustainable spaces with new standards for coastal informal settlements as a potential backbone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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14 pages, 3203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Consumption Analysis on the Example of an Increasing Number of HGVs in the Port City

by Monika Ziemska

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7428; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137428 - 2 Jul 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2174

Abstract

Due to the increase in cargo handling in ports, and the thereby increase of trucking directly associated with them, this article examines the impact of heavy goods vehicles generated by the port facilities on the environment. The article determines what is feasible to [...] Read more.

Due to the increase in cargo handling in ports, and the thereby increase of trucking directly associated with them, this article examines the impact of heavy goods vehicles generated by the port facilities on the environment. The article determines what is feasible to limit the percentage increase in the number of HGVs generated by the port areas such as container terminals or mass, which will result in a significant increase in emissions in the port city. In this study, five intersections were analyzed using micro-simulation to determine exhaust emissions such as CO, NOx, VOC, and fuel consumption. The analysis was made on the example of the port city of Gdynia in Poland, using the actual data. The use of the PTV Vissim tool made it possible to obtain the result data from the simulation of ten variants with a variant representing the current state. The results indicate that increasing the number of HGVs generated by port areas by 40% will make a significant difference in exhaust emissions. The obtained results can be useful for controlling the level of environmental pollution as predictive models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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17 pages, 2908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parameters Affecting Noise Emitted by Ships Moving in Port Areas

by Marco Nastasi, Luca Fredianelli, Marco Bernardini, Luca Teti, Francesco Fidecaro and Gaetano Licitra

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8742; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208742 - 21 Oct 2020

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 4104

Abstract

Only recently has noise been considered in the assessment of the sustainability of port infrastructures, after decades of unawareness. INTERREG Maritime projects unveiled problems that have been neglected so far, such as the lack of proper regulation and noise exposure assessments for citizens. [...] Read more.

Only recently has noise been considered in the assessment of the sustainability of port infrastructures, after decades of unawareness. INTERREG Maritime projects unveiled problems that have been neglected so far, such as the lack of proper regulation and noise exposure assessments for citizens. While it is true that a port area includes a huge variety of possible noise sources, very few of them have been characterized from an acoustical point of view. INTERREG projects have boosted research in the field, and previous studies have dealt with noise produced by moving ships in ports. The present work starts from a previous measurement campaign used to obtain broadband and 1/3-octave-band noise emissions of moving ships, and it aims to explain their uncertainties. More than a month’s worth of continuous acoustic measurements and video recordings were deeply analyzed in order to obtain an input database that is as precise as possible. A multiple regression analysis was performed in order to understand the influence that parameters such as minimum distance, speed, and draught have on ships’ noise emissions, which were calculated using pass-by measurements, with a special focus on ferries. The minimum distance of each ship’s passage from the microphone was measured using a video recording with an innovative methodology, providing results with 3 m of uncertainty. Knowing which parameter is more influential would help in planning proper measurements for monitoring or for drafting correct guidelines. Draught was determined to be uninfluential in ferries’ noise emissions, while the minimum distance and speed relations were estimated and accounted for in the calculation of a refined sound power level. From a spectrum point of view, the frequencies from 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz were determined to be those that contributed the most to the noise produced by the transit of a ship, and they vary with speed. With the studied corrections, different ferry models resulted in similar noise emissions. The standard deviation of noise emitted was reduced by 0.5 dB (A), and the average was also improved by positioning the ships’ flow at the correct average minimum distance. Furthermore, the right placement of a source is also important in the acoustic mapping phase for a correct evaluation of the propagation of noise at a distance. The use of more precise input data is important for improving the output of acoustic propagation models during the assessment of port noise in the surrounding areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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19 pages, 1747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Adaptation Plans in the Context of Coastal Settlements: The Case of Portugal

by Francesca Dal Cin, Martin Fleischmann, Ombretta Romice and João Pedro Costa

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8559; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208559 - 16 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3335

Abstract

The impact of sea-level rise on coastal towns is expected to be a major challenge, with millions of people exposed. The climate-induced risk assessment of coastal areas subject to flooding plays an essential role in planning effective measures for adaptation plans. However, in [...] Read more.

The impact of sea-level rise on coastal towns is expected to be a major challenge, with millions of people exposed. The climate-induced risk assessment of coastal areas subject to flooding plays an essential role in planning effective measures for adaptation plans. However, in European legislation, as well as in the regional plans adopted by the member states, there is no clear reference to urban settlement, as this concept is variable and difficult to categorise from the policy perspective. This lack of knowledge makes it complicated to implement efficient adaptation plans. This research examines the presence of the issue in Portugal’s coastal settlements, the European coastal area most vulnerable to rising sea levels, using the case of seashore streets as the most exposed waterfront public urban areas. Using the morphometric classification of the urban fabric, we analyse the relationship between urban typology and legislative macro-areas aimed at providing integrated adaptation plans. The study suggests that there is only a minimal relationship between the proposed classification and the geographical zones currently identified in coastal planning policies. Such incongruence suggests the need for change, as the policy should be able to provide a response plan tailored to the specificities of urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue City and Port: Waterfront Integration for Sustainability)

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