This thesis explores the concept of equity and proposes methods to make it operational in decision-making focused on promoting sustainability. The conceptual approach developed in the research draws on the recognition that the two notions of equity and sustainability are tightly intertwined in the sustainable development debate. As George (1999) claimed, sustainable development is founded on and fully embodied by intra-generational and inter-generational equity, which might be described as transactions of rights between and across generations, respectively. In spite of this, the implications on equity are still poorly addressed in strategic decisions. This led to the identification of the three main objectives of this research. The first objective is to understand the extent to which sustainability issues are addressed in current practice, focusing on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) experiences of spatial planning and Oil & Gas development. To this purpose, a framework is developed to analyse the degree of consideration of sustainability principles in SEA, and demonstrate its application to a sample of SEA of Italian urban plans. This framework links Gibson's (2006) sustainability principles to a number of guidance criteria and eventually to review questions, giving particular emphasis to the key concepts of intra- and inter-generational equity. The framework was applied to review the Environmental Report of a sample of urban plans of major Italian cities. The results of this review shows that, even if sustainability is commonly considered as a pivotal concept, there is still work to be done in order to effectively integrate sustainability principles into SEA. Regarding the proposed framework, the review confirms the significance of clarifying equity concerns in the light of sustainability in view of operationalizing intra- and inter-generational equity in decision-making. The second objective is to identify criteria and indicators to measure intra- and inter-generational equity, against which present state and future trends can be assessed. A conceptual framework for identifying the different implications related to the use of different values and perceptions on equity is built. Subsequently, a set of equity perspectives to guide the assessment of strategic actions through the lens of intra- and inter-generational equity is proposed and discussed. This set includes four equity perspectives, compatible with each other with covered significant sustainability issues, and minimizing conflict, namely opportunity, distributional fairness, distributional fairness across generations and justice for an imperfect world. The review of equity perspectives allows identifying a set of equity criteria that might be useful in focusing assessment on crucial and integrative sustainability issues. These criteria are reasonably inclusive of essential general intra- and inter-generational equity considerations that account for sustainability over space and time. However, criteria need to be specific to the context of analysis. This is addressed in this study by selecting a specific sector of investigation that offered significant insights for dealing with sustainability in decision-making. The attention was directed to the Oil & Gas sector for the scope of challenges and positive chances posed to sustainability. For this purpose, the research work specifically fleshes out how current SEA of Oil & Gas sector practice addresses sustainability. A framework for reviewing SEA practice helped to explore to what extent current SEA for the Oil & Gas sector contributes, procedurally and substantively, to sustainability oriented decisions. 11 case studies related to both off-shore and on-shore Oil & Gas developments are reviewed against this framework. The results show that case studies were more oriented to analyse opportunities derived from Oil & Gas development without fleshing out other potential developmental alternatives. Additionally, even if the SEA reports claim to pursuit a common strategic intent to equally share benefit derived from Oil & Gas development, they do not generally provide a means to tackle this aspect. This part of the investigation allowed also to support the identification and selection of aspects, elements, suggestions and best practise that would assist in defining contest-specific equity criteria and indicators for decision-making in the Oil & Gas sector. This leads to the third objective of the thesis: testing the applicability of the proposed methods to a case study, dealing with complex decisions at strategic level. A case study on Oil & Gas development in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy) was selected: the Val d’Agri oil field, Western Europe’s biggest onshore oil field. Scenario storylines, representing interactions among environmental, social and economic concerns, are constructed and applied against the framework. Specifically, short-term and medium-long term scenarios are developed by varying geographical scopes, ranging from the regional scale to two nested local areas surrounding the Oil & Gas activities. Scenarios are then assessed against the set of intra- and inter-generational criteria identified by selecting appropriate indicators adapted to context and available data. Indicators are valued according to a quali-quantitative analysis that assisted in examining and comparing trade-off between human and environmental systems under the different scenarios. The results helped to identify opportunity and risk of different scenarios at strategic level. None of the scenarios provided “the best solution†in term of aggregated equity scores or perfect win-win solutions for each equity perspective. In the long-term, none of the territorial levels (local and regional) seemed to acquire significant increase in equity benefits, not even one at expenses of each other. According to the assumptions, this might suggest that incremental benefits of Oil & Gas development are concentrated outside the three level considered. Nevertheless, the case study shows that approaching to decision with more attention to a sustainable management of the environment and involving institutions at different levels might be a key role in achieving more wide-spread and long-term positive results. However, scenarios presented possible significant trends in equity criteria, which were affected by restraints in data collected, as well as, simplifications and approximations in analysis. In this exercise, it was assumed that all equity criteria within each temporal dimension receive equal weights and that all three geographical levels were equally weighted too. Introducing participatory mechanisms might be useful for supporting interpretations of implications potentially affecting generations at different temporal and territorial scale, satisfying possible needs of other equity criteria, and establishing priorities in perspectives on equity adopted. In this sense, the equity framework proposed might be a suitable tool for supporting and guiding deliberative processes. Analogously, the spatio-temporal decision matrix, framed through the lens of equity for assessing scenarios against equity criteria, might represent a simple yet flexible framework for analysing and discussing concurrently temporal and spatial implications of plausible storylines.

The land-use and cover changes are the major causes of the biodiversity loss. This is particularly true in the contexts of Alpine valley floor, where increasing human-driven pressures affect remnant habitats and fragile ecosystems. To pursue biodiversity conservation, aiming environmentally sustainable development, spatial planning should maintain landscape ecological functions in order to guarantee the habitats and supporting processes for as many species as possible. Besides, planners as well as other stakeholders involved in land-use changes need value-based information or at least information easily obtainable that provides clear insights on the ecological consequences of these land-use changes. Currently, the assessments of the ecological impact of project or plan proposals have several shortcomings. Spatial planning often disregards the different biodiversity components, just focused on species richness of protected areas. Most of landscapeoriented indices fails especially in providing an understanding of disruptive changes of ecological processes. A former project, to which I contributed, was meant to provide an assessment of biodiversity assets for the Trento Province (northern Italy) in order to support environmental decision by a decision support system: the Information System of Ecological Value, or Sistema Informativo della Sensibilità Ambientale (SISA). This has been furnishing to planners value-based information, through a reliable and transparent evaluation, based on expert judgments, but this has some limitations for contexts of the valley floor and concerning ecological processes. The attempt to solve the above mentioned shortcomings and the SISA limitations fostered the motivation behind this study. To this end, a methodology for ecological assessment was proposed. The overall objective is to support land-use planning towards development of ecologically sustainable landscapes. In particular, the ecological assessment concerns the main processes supporting local biodiversity in human dominated and fragmented landscapes: habitat functioning and functional connectivity. The study has focused on one specific environmental context, i.e. the landscapes of the Alpine valley floor. A secondary objective of the study was to develop a decision support system easily applicable by environmental agency officers or planners. This means requiring as few data as possible in order to permit reliable evaluation of planning ecological consequences even in the cases where poor data sets are available. These objectives were pursued through the following steps and intermediate objectives: a) Review the current studies on ecological/biodiversity impact assessment applications, in order to identify the shortcomings and key-issues that need to be addressed (chapter 2). b) Description of the relevant characteristics of targeted environment. In this study the chosen environment was Alpine valley floor, showing it requires urgent attention regarding biodiversity conservation (chapter 3). c) Development of a methodology for the assessment of landscape ecological functioning, attempting to overcome the literature limitations reported from literature review (chapter 4) d) Application of the proposed methodology on a case study within Alpine valler floor, to test the applicability and usefulness of the proposal (chapter 5 and 6). The study derived the main theoretical foundation from landscape ecology; in particular, the main theoretical references were meta-population and spatial graph theory. The proposed approach starts by acknowledging that patches of habitats are open or constrained by landscape barriers and interact with others throughout habitat networks. The evaluation approach relies on a dynamic, rather than a static, interpretation of ecosystems and living communities, by considering spatial attributes of habitat functioning. This is meant to include more components of biodiversity, rather than simple species number. Thus, different ecosystems could have been valued not only by the presence of species, but also by the virtue of the processes acting in the landscape and sustaining them. The assessment framework involves three nested levels, each characterized by its own objects and properties, according to the complexity of hierarchical systems. The quality of each object depends on the quality of nearby objects at the same level and on the quality of upper-level (or lower-level) objects. This enables to evaluate “emergent properties†of a landscape; consequently allows assessing cumulative impacts on habitat functioning due to land-use changes, as shown in the case of master plans’ mosaic for study area. The overall habitat loss resulted larger than that resulted by summation of single habitat losses. The connectivity analyses include both structural and functional characteristics, using barrier effect and spatial graph concepts. Besides the distances, the species response to landscape features and finer-scale movement decisions are considered. The spatial graph of connectivity allows evaluating importance of patches by their contribution to overall connectivity. Thus, it permits to visualize remnant possible paths for species dispersal in highly fragmented areas. Moreover, the spatial-graph based approach allows assessing indirect impacts due to fragmentation. Since the loss of a habitatnode may affect not only nearby habitats but even the functioning of the whole habitat network, it is possible to scan the impacts “spreading†along the habitat networks. The methodology output consists in a GIS-layer and rule sets hierarchically structured in a geodatabase. Once a land use changes, by performing the rule sets is possible update all related information providing assessment for land-use change scenarios (i.e. planning or project proposal). The qualitative multi-attribute evaluation, proposed at the end of methodology procedure, performs a clear separation between prediction and assessment of impacts, according to guidelines for environmental impact assessment. This evaluation is meant to translate species-specific assessments into ecological relevance values. This makes the proposed methodology suitable for EIA applications and consequently may support the same environmental decision targeted by the SISA project.

The research project concerns the restoration of military real estate, starting from the procedures in progress in Italy related to dismission, with particular emphasis for Piacenza and the case study of Caserme Bixio and Nicolai (Comparto Nord/San Sisto-Cittadella). The work is aimed at defining the relationship between urban planning and rehabilitation of dismissed military areas, in order to create a synergic effort capable to face the transformation of these sites and their integration into the urban tissue. The results obtained from the various recordings performed in Italy and in USA during the preparation of this thesis may help to find a new possible scenario for the Comparto Nord and its historic buildings.

[EN] Trying to observe the changes that have occurred in territorial morphology; and how this is an input for urban planners, this research thinks about the forces, pressures, characteristics and consequences that were generated in the period 1992-2002 at the Metropolitan Area of Santiago de Chile (AMS), which underwent a similar process to phenomenon called counter-urbanization, which occurred in metropolitan areas of the post-industrialized countries. For this, first part of the research focuses on characterizing the recent past of urban transformations, particularly that referred to rural and urban space; the metropolitan area concept, describing the main models of urban development, particularly in United States and Europe, as well as its structure and main features in the Latin American context. Consequently, it is important to clearly define what is meant by the city and its different types through history, how have been migration processes that have transformed the way of inhabiting their setting through the years as a mixture of economic and social processes, etc. Various concepts used in the international literature on the idea of Counter-urbanization are analyzed in depth, in order to delve into the trends and emphasis has been given through the texts in time, as well as from different points of view of these: urban, social and economic, contributing to knowledge from a literal meaning to a translation in contemporary realities. In summary, was studied and characterized the Metropolitan Area of Santiago de Chile (AMS), since its foundation, crossing periods of Industrialization and neoliberal age, until the return to democracy, and how over time have been going deep transformations in its urban area and its rural environment. Straightaway, as now, with the different tools developed territorial planning, with increased infrastructure and economic improvement, have been changing travelling modes and affecting the environment. Finally it's concluded through a census analysis oriented research objectives, where the main social economic and environmental dynamics were studied at AMS; mobility and transport factors that have influenced migration processes in relation to others matters that may be present in the metropolitan areas of postindustrial cities in developed countries, that lived similar transformation processes developed in last decades. / [ES] En procura de observar los cambios que se han producido en la morfología territorial; y, como aporte para los planificadores urbanos, la presente investigación reflexiona acerca de cuáles han sido las fuerzas, presiones, características y consecuencias que generaron en el período intercensal 1992 y 2002 que el Área Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile (AMS), experimente un proceso semejante al fenómeno de la contraubanización, acontecido en las áreas metropolitanas de los países postindustrializados. Para ello, una primera parte de la investigación se avoca a caracterizar el pasado reciente de las transformaciones urbanas, particularmente lo que se refiere al espacio rural y urbano; lo que se entiende por área metropolitana, retratando los principales modelos de desarrollo urbano, particularmente en Estados Unidos y Europa, así como también su estructura y características principales en la realidad latinoamericana. Es importante para ello poder definir claramente lo que se entiende por ciudad y sus distintas tipologías a través de la historia, cuales han sido los procesos migratorios que han transformado la manera de habitar su entorno a través de los años, producto de los distintos procesos económicos, sociales etc. De manera importante se analizan los distintos conceptos que se manejan en la literatura internacional sobre el concepto de Contraurbanización, a fin de profundizar en las distintas tendencias y énfasis que se le han dado a través de los escritos, desde los distintos puntos de vista urbanísticos, sociales y económicos, aportando al conocimiento tanto de su interpretación más literal como de su tra- ducción en realidades contemporáneas. De manera sintetiza se estudia y caracteriza el Área Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile (AMS), desde su era fundacional pasando por los períodos de Industrialización y neoliberización hasta el retorno a la democracia, y como a través del tiempo ha ido sufriendo profundas transformaciones tanto en su área urbana como en su entorno rural. Como en la actualidad, con los distintos instrumentos de planificación territorial que se han desarrollado, con el aumento de las infraestructuras y la mejora económica, se han ido modificando los modos de traslado e incidiendo en el medio ambiente. Finalmente se concluye a través de un análisis censal orientado a los objetivos de la investigación, donde se estudian las principales dinámicas sociales, económicas y ambientales del AMS; los factores de movilidad y transporte que han incidido en los procesos migratorios, en relación con aquellos que pudieran estar presentes en las áreas metropolitanas de las ciudades postindustriales de países desarrollados y que desarrollaron procesos de transformación similares, en décadas anteriores. / [CAT] En procura d'observar els canvis que s'han produït en la morfologia terri- torial; i, com a aportació per als planificadors urbans, la present recerca reflexiona sobre quins han sigut les forces, pressions, característiques i conseqüències que van generar en el període intercensal 1992 i 2002 que l'Àrea Metropolitana de Santiago de Xile (AMS), experimente un procés semblant al fenomen de la contraubanización, esdevingut en les àrees metropolitanes dels països postindustrializados. Per a açò, una primera part de la recerca es reclama a caracteritzar el passat recent de les transformacions urbanes, particularment el que es refereix a l'espai rural i urbà; el que s'entén per àrea metropolitana, retratant els principals models de desenvolupament urbà, particularment en Estats units i Europa, així com també la seua estructura i característiques principals en la realitat llatinoamericana. És important per a açò poder definir clarament el que s'entén per ciutat i les seues diferents tipologies a través de la història, cuales han sigut els processos migratoris que han transformat la manera d'habitar la seua entorn de través dels anys, producte dels diferents processos econòmics, socials etc. De manera important s'analitzen els diferents conceptes que es manegen en la literatura internacional sobre el concepte de Contraurbanización, a fi d'aprofundir en les diferents tendències i èmfasis que se li han donat a través dels escrits, des dels diferents punts de vista urbanístics, socials i econòmics, aportant al coneixement tant de la seua interpretació més literal com de la seua traducció en realitats contemporànies. De manera sintetitza s'estudia i caracteritza l'Àrea Metropolitana de Santiago de Xile (AMS), des de la seua era fundacional passant pels períodes d'Industrialització i neoliberización fins a la tornada a la democràcia, i com a través del temps ha anat patint profundes transformacions tant en la seua àrea urbana com en el seu entorn rural. Com en l'actualitat, amb els diferents instruments de planificació territorial que s'han desenvolupat, amb l'augment de les infraestructures i la millora econòmica, s'han anat modificant les maneres de trasllat i incidint en el medi ambient. Finalment es conclou a través d'una anàlisi censal orientat als objectius de la recerca, on s'estudien les principals dinàmiques socials, econòmiques i ambientals de l'AMS; els factors de mobilitat i transport que han incidit en els processos migratoris, en relació amb aquells que pogueren estar presents en les àrees metropolitanes de les ciutats postindustriales de països desenvolupats i que van desenvolupar processos de transformació similars, en dècades anteriors. / Peña Vera, MF. (2015). LOS PROCESOS DE TRANSFORMACIÓN EN LAS ÁREAS METROPOLITANAS DE LAS CIUDADES POSTINDUSTRIALES: CONTRAURBANIZACIÓN EN SANTIAGO DE CHILE [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/54112 / TESIS

[EN] The thesis aims to establish that identity may be essential as a tool for the project of landscape -from the practical stage of the profession-, and become a type of qualification and classification of projects -from the theoretical degree of landscape architecture-. Derived from this main objective and discerned by the process of analysis of identity on the landscape, the exposed thesis also will reveal, though identity current condition of the landscapes (in both the exceptional and the common), the necessary reorientation of the project of landscape. Thus, this journey towards a new identity of the landscape becomes an increasingly complexity of its condition: The thesis starts with two introductory chapters of glossary terms, identity and landscape, separately, where it narrows and limits the extension of both concepts, to explain them from the field of the landscape architecture - as a process designed, drawn and built- for the term LANDSCAPE and from human differentiation need and from their relationship with the environment for IDENTITY. Then defines LANDSCAPE IDENTITY, since the factors that compose it and make it feasible and analysable. Some are from the place and timeless as the topographic, geologic, climatic, water or vegetable, while others are environmental or temporary, such as the agricultural, artistic, environmental, architectural, or from engineering. Once established the definitions, an analysis and examine of the current state of landscape identity, will discover that although it trivializes the territory, with homogenization, excessive transformations and improper uses, in this NEW LANDSCAPE IDENTITY also generates new scenarios and enables research fields for a change in the relationship with the environment. Reuses and conversions, the extended urban character, the periphery, new uses and a renewed return to nature will be its greatest exponents. Finally, chapter TOWARDS A NEW LANDSCAPE IDENTITY, presents, through distinct exemplary projects of landscaping awarded and recognized, since the novel use of classification and analysis of the identity of the landscape, how it is possible on those scenarios generated in the present age, to create landscapes with identity. Proving the maxim that even though not all the landscapes have identity, all of them can have it. / [ES] La tesis pretende establecer que la identidad puede resultar esencial como herramienta del proyecto del paisaje -desde el estadio práctico de la profesión-, y devenir en tipo de calificación y clasificación de los proyectos -desde el grado teórico de la arquitectura del paisaje-. Derivado de este principal objetivo y discernido por el proceso de análisis de la identidad del paisaje, la tesis expuesta también revelará, debido a la condición actual de la identidad de los paisajes (tanto en los excepcionales como en los comunes), la necesaria reorientación del proyecto del paisaje. Así, este viaje hacia una nueva identidad del paisaje se hace de una forma creciente en complejidad de su condición: La tesis arranca con sendos capítulos introductorios de glosario de los términos IDENTIDAD y PAISAJE por separado, donde se acota y limita la extensión de ambos conceptos, para explicarlos desde el campo de la arquitectura del paisaje -como proceso pensado, dibujado y construido- para el término PAISAJE y desde la necesidad humana de diferenciación y desde su relación con el entorno para el de IDENTIDAD. Seguidamente se define la IDENTIDAD DEL PAISAJE, de un lugar, desde los factores que la componen y la hacen factible y analizable. Algunos son de lugar y atemporales, como los topográficos, geológicos, climáticos, de agua o vegetales, mientras otros son ambientales o temporales, como los agrícolas, artísticos, ecológicos, arquitectónicos o ingenieriles. Una vez establecidas las definiciones se analiza y estudia el estado actual de la identidad del paisaje, para descubrir que si bien se está banalizando el territorio con homogeneizaciones, transformaciones excesivas y utilizaciones indebidas, en esta NUEVA IDENTIDAD DEL PAISAJE también se están generando nuevos escenarios y posibilitando campos de investigación para un cambio en la relación con el entorno. Reutilizaciones y reconversiones, el carácter urbano extendido, la periferia, nuevos usos y un renovado retorno a la naturaleza serán su máximo exponente. Por último, el capítulo HACIA UNA NUEVA IDENTIDAD DEL PAISAJE, presenta, a través de distintos proyectos ejemplares de paisajismo premiados y reconocidos, desde el novedoso uso de tipo de clasificación y análisis de la identidad del paisaje, cómo sí es posible sobre esos escenarios generados en la presente era, crear paisajes con identidad. Demostrando la máxima de que si bien no todos los paisajes tienen identidad, todos ellos pueden llegar a tenerla. / [CAT] La tesi pretén establir que la identitat pot resultar essencial com a eina del projecte del paisatge -des de l'estadi pràctic de la professió-, i esdevenir en tipus de qualificació i classificació dels projectes -des del grau teòric de l'arquitectura del paisatge-. Derivat d'aquest principal objectiu i destriat pel procés d'anàlisi de la identitat del paisatge, la tesi exposada també revelarà, a causa de la condició actual de la identitat dels paisatges (tant als excepcionals com als comuns), la necessària reorientació del projecte del paisatge. Així, aquest viatge cap a una nova identitat del paisatge es fa d'una forma creixent en complexitat de la seva condició: La tesi arrenca amb sengles capítols introductoris de glossari dels termes IDENTITAT i PAISATGE per separat, on es fita i limita l'extensió de tots dos conceptes, per explicar-los des del camp de l'arquitectura del paisatge -com a procés pensat, dibuixat i construït- per al terme PAISATGE i des de la necessitat humana de diferenciació i des de la seva relació amb l'entorn pel de IDENTITAT. Seguidament es defineix la IDENTITAT DEL PAISATGE, d'un lloc, des dels factors que la composen i la fan factible i analitzable. Alguns són de lloc i atemporals, com els topogràfics, geològics, climàtics, d'aigua o vegetals, mentre uns altres són ambientals i temporals, com els agrícoles, artístics, ecològics, arquitectònics o d'enginyeria. Una vegada establertes les definicions s'analitza i estudia l'estat actual de la identitat del paisatge, per descobrir que si bé s'està banalitzant el territori amb homogeneïtzacions, transformacions excessives i utilitzacions indegudes, en aquesta NOVA IDENTITAT DEL PAISATGE també s'estan generant nous escenaris i possibilitant camps de recerca per a un canvi en la relació amb l'entorn. Reutilitzacions i reconversions, el caràcter urbà estès, la perifèria, nous usos i una renovada tornada a la natura seran el seu màxim exponent. Finalment, el capítol CAP A UNA NOVA IDENTITAT DEL PAISATGE, presenta, a través de diferents projectes exemplars de paisatgisme premiats i reconeguts, des del nou ús de tipus de classificació i anàlisi de la identitat del paisatge, com sí és possible sobre aquests escenaris generats en la present era, crear paisatges amb identitat. Demostrant la màxima que si ben no tots els paisatges tenen identitat, tots ells ben poden arribar a tenir-la. / Rivera Linares, J. (2015). Hacia una nueva identidad del paisaje [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/59232 / TESIS

[EN] The purpose of this thesis is to argue that the effectiveness of programs of integral development in neighborhoods relies on the diversification of all levels of intervention¿including physical, social, economic, organizational, and environmental factors. This study focuses on three of these interrelated components: a public works component, a social development component, and an institutional strengthening component. Diverse stakeholders in each territory should define the lines of action within each component; institutional strengthening should ensure continuity of the processes over time. To this end, such a component should include one or more elements that undertake the management and intervention of all diverse stakeholders instead of the execution of the projects and activities. The main focus should be on organizing and involving the community. The content of this thesis is organized as follows: introduction; two chapters; summary and conclusions; bibliography and annexes. The first chapter is divided into three periods of time. The first of these addresses the international, national, and local antecedents of the First United Nations Conference on Human Settlements celebrated in Vancouver, Canada in 1976. A second period centers itself on the guidelines established during the First United Nations Conference on Human Settlements celebrated in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996. The third time period reviews the commitments acquired after the second Conference of United Nations until today. In all three of these periods the international guidelines -- as well as the commitments acquired there -- have impacted National Development Plans and the interventions at a local level. This paper includes commentary about one such local level intervention, made in the city of Bogotá. Chapter two, studies the SUR Neighborhood Integral Project of Improvement with Bogotá. This project sought the institutionalization of a replicable model of integral development in zones in the city of Bogota. Even though there have been many interventions of integral improvements undertaken in Bogotá, there has not been any research done to date that demonstrates specifically the relationship among the different components of intervention in the programs of integral improvement of neighborhoods. This academic work seeks to fulfill this emptiness. / [ES] Esta tesis busca demostrar que la eficacia de los programas de mejoramiento integral de barrios depende de la diversificación en los niveles de intervención (físico, social, económico, organizacional y ambiental). Entre los componentes por trabajar se deben incluir tres: uno de obras, un componente de desarrollo social y un componente de fortalecimiento institucional. Las líneas de acción en cada componente serán definidas por los diversos actores de cada territorio. El componente de fortalecimiento institucional es el que debe garantizar la continuidad de los procesos a lo largo del tiempo; para tal fin se debe crear una instancia que se encargue de la gestión de los procesos e intervenciones de los diversos actores y no en la ejecución de proyectos y actividades; debe ocuparse de la organización y participación de la comunidad. El contenido de la tesis está ordenado de la siguiente manera: Introducción, dos capítulos, Recopilaciones y Conclusiones, Bibliografía y Anexos. El primer capítulo se desarrolla a partir del análisis de tres períodos de tiempo. Una primera parte aborda los antecedentes internacionales, nacionales y locales de la primera Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Asentamientos Humanos celebrada en Vancouver, Canadá en 1976. Un segundo período revisa los lineamientos que se siguieron entre la primera y la segunda Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Asentamientos Humanos celebrada en Estambul, Turquía en 1996; y finalmente se revisarán los compromisos que se han venido adquiriendo a partir de la segunda Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas hasta hoy. En estos tres momentos se mirarán, por una parte, los lineamientos internacionales; y por otra, cómo estos compromisos han marcado tanto los Planes de Desarrollo Nacional como las intervenciones a escala local. En la escala local se revisarán específicamente las intervenciones realizadas en la ciudad de Bogotá. El segundo capítulo se desarrolla a partir del estudio del Proyecto de Mejoramiento Integral de Barrios SUR con Bogotá. Su selección obedece a que este buscó institucionalizar un modelo replicable de mejoramiento integral de zonas para la ciudad de Bogotá. Si bien en Bogotá son muchas las intervenciones de mejoramiento integral adelantadas, no existe un trabajo que muestre de manera específica la relación entre los diferentes componentes de intervención en los programas de mejoramiento integral de barrios. Este trabajo académico busca llenar este vacío. / [CAT] Esta tesi busca demostrar que l'eficàcia dels programes de millora integral de barris depèn de la diversificació dels nivells d'intervenció (físic, social, econòmic, organitzacional et ambiental). Entre els components a treballar s'han d'incloure tres components: un component de obres, un component de desenvolupament social i un component d'enfortiment institucional. Les línees d'acció en cada component seran definides pels diversos actors de cada territori. El component d'enfortiment institucional es el que ha de garantir la continuïtat dels processos al llarg del temps; per tal fi, s'ha de crear una instancia que s'encarregue de la gestió dels processos i intervencions dels diversos actors i no en l'execució de projectes i activitats; ha d'ocupar-se de l'organització i participació de la comunitat. El contingut de la tesi està ordenat de la següent manera: Introducció, dos capítols, recopilacions i conclusions, bibliografia i annexos. El primer capítol es desenvolupa a partir de l'anàlisi de tres períodes de temps. Una primera part aborda els antecedents internacionals, nacionals i locals de la primera Conferència de les Nacions Unides celebrada a Vancouver, Canadà en 1976. Un segon període revisa els lineaments que es van seguir entre la primera et la segona Conferència de les Nacions Unides celebrada a Istanbul, Turquia en 1996; i finalment es revisaran els compromisos que s'han adquirit gradualment a partir de la segona Conferència de les Nacions Unides fins els nostres dies. En estos tres moments es miraran, d'una banda, els lineaments internacionals; i d'un altra banda, la manera en que estos compromisos han marcat tant els Plans de desenvolupament com les intervencions a escala local. A escala local es revisaran específicament les intervencions realitzades en la ciutat de Bogotà. El segon capítol es desenvolupa a partir de l'estudi del Projecte de millora integral de barris SUD amb Bogotà. La seua selecció obeix al fet que aquest va buscar l'institucionalització d'un model replicable de millora integral de zones per a la ciutat de Bogotà. Encara que en Bogotà son moltes les intervencions de millora integral avançades, no existix un treball que mostre de manera específica la relació entre els diferents components d'intervenció en els programes de millora integral de barris. Este treball acadèmic busca omplir este buit. / Romero Roncancio, C. (2016). Evaluación del mejoramiento integral de barrios: el caso Proyecto Sur con Bogotá [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61778 / TESIS

En esta tesis doctoral se analiza el impacto ambiental que tiene la urbanización marginal en una ciudad colombiana. Para ello, se aborda el estudio del fenómeno a partir de un enfoque multidisciplinar, que permite, por un lado, identificar las múltiples causas que estimulan este tipo de ocupación, y por el otro, presentar explicaciones lógicas acerca de su conformación, evolución, consolidación e impacto. El contexto geográfico de estudio es la ciudad de Montería; la investigación se realiza en ocho años, y el periodo analizado transcurre entre 1952 y 2010. La tesis muestra, a partir de diferentes enfoques disciplinares, el efecto negativo que la ocupación irregular causa a los subsistemas ecológico, social, económico y urbanístico, y los respectivos fenómenos que dicho efecto genera en cada uno de ellos, o colectivamente; es decir, la alteración de los ecosistemas locales, los riesgos sanitarios, la insalubridad, los desequilibrios económicos y las deficiencias urbanísticas que inciden negativamente en la calidad ambiental urbana de la ciudad de Montería. Además, se establecen diferentes categorías de asentamientos, asociadas esencialmente, a elementos de tipo constructivo, origen del dominio, tiempo de conformación y percepción de sus ocupantes. El enfoque multidisciplinar con que se aborda esta investigación exigió recurrir a una diversidad de elementos teóricos que provienen no sólo del urbanismo, sino de otras disciplinas como la arquitectura, la economía, la ecología, el derecho y la sociología, y dentro de los cuales destacamos los conceptos tradicionales de urbanización, o ciudad, �informal�, �marginal, �espontánea�, �irregular� �subnormal�, �asentamiento de desarrollo progresivo�, y �vivienda de autoconstrucción�. Igualmente se aportan nuevos elementos teóricos, que posibilitan una mejor comprensión y explicación del fenómeno, y la ampliación de un glosario, hasta ahora un tanto polémico. Estos conceptos son: �vivienda subnorma�, �vivienda de transición� .. / Pinedo López, JW. (2012). Urbanización marginal e impacto ambiental en la ciudad de Montería [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/16468 / Palancia

El presente trabajo de investigación, al que se ha nominado Paisajes fluviales: La ciudad de Valencia y el río Turia. Metodología de intervención en cauces urbanos, tiene como misión específica abordar un estudio completo de la evolución histórica, morfológica y social del río Turia a su paso por la ciudad de Valencia, y su directa implicación actual en lo que podríamos llamar genéricamente sus nuevos paisajes urbanos, considerando los jardines construidos recientemente en el viejo lecho del río Turia como origen y expresión de dichos paisajes. El objetivo principal del mismo consiste en la obtención de unos resultados cuantificados y verificados, que tras ser expresados en diversos documentos, permitan en un futuro inmediato orientar futuras actuaciones urbanísticas especialmente dirigidas a la intervención en potenciales espacios abiertos, tanto urbanos como periurbanos, a su valoración específica y a su impacto medioambiental. Un exhaustivo estudio, expresado inicialmente en una recopilación integral de datos, alusivos tanto a la historia y morfología del viejo cauce del Turia como al entorno urbano actual vinculado con el mismo, sus interacciones sociales, su valoración por los ciudadanos expresada mediante la formulación de encuestas y su relación con otros espacios verdes de reconocido interés, permitirá conocer en profundidad la implicación real del viejo cauce del Turia en la expresión de la ciudad actual, desvelando sus auténticas posibilidades de cara a su utilización, bajo diversas consideraciones, en el desarrollo de la ciudad futura. / Vigil De Insausti, A. (2012). Paisajes fluviales. La ciudad de Valencia y el río Turia. Metodología de intervención en cauces urbanos [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/17452 / Palancia

Forest management involves dealing with conflicts between the protection of nature and the use of natural resources. Bad management practices have led to significant forest degradation worldwide. It is estimated that globally about 13 million hectares of forest are lost every year, leading to a massive loss of biodiversity and other forest-related ecosystem services, such as soil stabilisation and watershed protection. This is particularly dangerous in poor regions, where livelihoods are strongly based on locally available natural resources. In 2000, IUCN and WWF have introduced a new restoration approach called Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) that aims to regain ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded forest landscapes. FLR goes well beyond planting trees: it is about re-designing the landscape mosaic in a way that both nature and people are benefited. To this purpose, different actions should be taken at different locations across the landscape. From a planning perspective, this calls for proper methods and tools that help identifying where to act and what to do. The present research aimed to contribute to this problem by developing and testing spatial decision tools to support the design of landscape mosaics. More specifically, the study had three main objectives. The first objective was the identification of criteria and indicators (C&I) for the prioritisation of forest restoration interventions. Knowing which areas are ecologically more suitable to host a restoration intervention is a prerequisite of any FLR-based plan. There can be areas where restoration is more urgent, areas where it is more likely to succeed and areas where it is expected to bring the highest ecological benefits. Unfortunately, a widely accepted framework for the prioritisation of forest restoration areas is lacking. This problem was addressed by conducting an expert survey to define a set of readily applicable C&I. This was based on a two round Delphi involving 37 people, aimed at defining the key criteria and a broad set of indicators, and a final face-to-face meeting with a smaller group of experts, aimed at refining the list of indicators and making them operational. Finally, 8 criteria and 22 indicators were obtained, whose main advantage is their spatial character, which makes them suitable for spatial analysis and mapping. The second objective was the development of a GIS-based multicriteria methodology to identify reforestation priorities, to design a number of landscape-scale reforestation options and to assess them according to their socio-ecological performance. The prioritisation was based on two main non-compensatory factors: the need for biodiversity conservation and the ecological feasibility of reforestation. Suitability maps were generated for both factors through spatial multicriteria analysis and threshold pairs used to extract priority areas. The minimum suitability levels and the total area to be reforested were used as input parameters to generate a finite number of resulting reforestation options. These were assessed for their ability to conserve biodiversity and improve living conditions of local communities by introducing additional ecological and socioeconomic indicators. The methodology was tested in an area of Chiapas (Mexico), where forest degradation is significant and poverty widespread. The tool proved to be effective in shaping compact reforestation areas and easy to use. Nevertheless, it does not allow the user to a priori define targets on both conservation and livelihood standards. Also, the forest-poverty link was little explored and the issue of access to forest resources totally neglected. This leads to the third objective of the thesis: the definition of a spatial optimization model to re-design the landscape mosaic through reforestation in a way that nature protection is enhanced, the provision of ecosystem services is ensured and livelihoods are sustained. Either one of two possible uses was assigned to forest: protection, if forest is primarily devoted to biodiversity conservation, and harvest, if forest is available for the collection of timber. The model, which is an Integer Programming-based one, identifies land to be reforested and assigns this to the two uses such that all environmental classes over the landscape are adequately covered by protected forest, each village has a sufficient amount of harvestable forest at short distance and a given amount of erosion-prone land is reforested. The model also accounts for opportunity costs, by limiting the amount of economically strategic lands (e.g. agriculture) to be converted to forest. The model is the first of its kind to account for local peopleâ€TMs livelihoods by ensuring the accessibility to natural resources. The application to a case study in central Chiapas (Mexico) showed that increasing the demand for the provision of an ecosystem service does not significantly affect the ecological benefits up to a given threshold. Although some assumptions had to be made, the model provided a demonstration that the principles of the FLR can be put in practice and ad hoc planning tools can be designed to support decision-makers in their activity. Most of all, the model provided a solution to the problem of conserving biodiversity in poor regions where maintaining the access to local natural resources is vital to people. Redesigning forest landscapes for nature conservation and livelihood improvement is a difficult task. But one of dramatic importance as well. This study provided tools that can be of practical help to decision-makers and planners willing to undertake the challenge. Nevertheless, the problem is complex and intrinsically affected by uncertainty: further research effort is needed to test indicators, include the time dimension into the model and involve stakeholders in the decision process.

Rivers provide to society many important goods and benefits. Some of these ecosystem services depend on the river flow regime, which has been deeply modified by human structures and activities. These alterations have a direct influence on biodiversity, natural habitat and on the supply of river ecosystem services. The release of water from storage hydropower plants generates rapid flow and stage fluctuations (hydropeaking) in the receiving water bodies at a variety of sub-daily time-scales. In this thesis, we describe an approach to quantify such variations, which is easy to apply, requires stream flow data at a readily available resolution, and allows for the comparison of hydropeaking flow alteration amongst several gauged stations. Hydropeaking flow alteration is quantified by adopting a rigorous statistical approach and using two indicators related to flow magnitude and rate of change. We utilised a comprehensive stream-flow dataset of 105 gauging stations from Italy, Switzerland and Norway to develop and test our method. Next, we introduce a modelling approach to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations of a discharge-related ecosystem service, the rafting. The application of hydraulic and habitat models allowed to define spatially thresholds of suitability in each river reach and the application of an hydrological model allowed to assess temporally the suitability for the rafting navigability in different discharge conditions. We applied the method to the Noce River, an Alpine River in Northern Italy affected by hydropeaking. Our analysis showed that in this river, the water releases are fundamental to maintain high flow conditions required for rafting, which can be granted only by hydropower production especially in summer months. Together with present discharge conditions, our approach allows to analyse also the effects of an additional withdrawal which locally has a negative impact on river suitability. Finally, the application of the methodology was extended to include in the analysis the fish habitat and the small hydropower production, along with the rafting. The effects of hydropeaking on these ecosystem services were assessed in space and time. Hydropeaking has a strong influence on rafting navigability and less obvious consequences on the other services. Different management scenarios of the water releases from the hydropower plants were produce, with the aim to evaluate spatially the reciprocal effects of optimizing each ecosystem services. Only the scenario of rafting optimization will significantly increase rafting navigability, while the effects of other scenarios are less evident. Moreover, two additional increasing withdrawals have been simulated to evaluate their impacts on the services. The small hydropower withdrawals will have a negative impact on rafting and fish habitat, while the preservation of requirements for rafting will greatly affect the small hydropower production. This ecosystems-services based approach can be integrated in the decision-making process to evaluate river management alternatives.