Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Several different international research groups work in light of these sce-
narios
2
. There have been different attempts to produce synthetic visions (a
synthetic framework was presented in Chapter 6.1 “Evaluating and Monitoring
the Sustainability of Governing Actions”), but the different experiences shown
present partial visions from limited angles. The experiments created to outline
an
interpretive synthetic
approach do not seem mature yet.
With the aim of being able to make a small step forward with these exper-
iments, research is being carried out in the Adriatic region of Italy
3
. The
results expected are not closed, pre-packaged solutions, but the outlines of
processes, guidelines, and essential orientations to face themes of
urban sus-
tainability
in a structural and non-superficial way [2, 3]. With the goal of cre-
ating a decision support system of governance to increase quality of life in the
city, the research activities foresee:
• Reinterpreting, using a transdisciplinary approach, the relationships
between different physical and environmental, morphological, historical,
and socio-economic
components of the city
. The project includes a com-
prehensive dynamic analysis of the urban system, with contributions from
multiple
integrated disciplinary
sectors, such as ecology, geology, statis-
tical mechanics, thermodynamics, technological sciences, economics, soci-
ology, environmental planning, architectural composition, and urban plan-
ning.
•
Measuring” the sustainability
of the urban environment by studying a
dynamic model that updates and surpasses traditional indicators based on
the vertical nature of the themes under investigation: mobility, building
construction,
energy efficiency
, air and water quality, environmental qual-
ity, and so on. Acting separately, these have been shown to be generally
insufficient at understanding urban complexity and ineffective in proposing
constant and cyclic elements of support with respect to strategic/structural
and operational planning tools. A holistic and
synthetic vision
also
requires the introduction of a parameterization system capable of consider-
adapting and changing following an experience, for example, living organisms characterized by their
evolutionary capacity: cells, organisms, animals, humans, organizations, societies, politics, and cul-
ture (For further information: Holland JH (2000), Emergence: From Chaos to Order. Oxford Univer-
sity Press; Gell-Mann M (1996) Il quark ed il giaguaro. Bollati Boringhieri, Turin).
2
As an example, the author mentioned sustainable sensitive urban design, which, in different
experiments, redefines the project contents in relation to the complexity of intertwining among
different levels of sustainability.
3
The transdisciplinary research group involves colleges from the University of Camerino and
other Italian universities (School of Advanced Studies, University of Pisa; University and
Polytechnic of Turin; University of Urbino) and foreign universities (University of Minho,
Portugal; University of Gjirokastër, Albania; University at Albany-SUNY, USA). The core from
which the first ideas for the development of the research program arose is composed of: C. Bisci,
G. Cantalamessa, R. C. Grifoni, R. D'Onofrio, F. Ottone, M. Perriccioli, M. Talia and M.
Sargolini.
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