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Historic centre of Lucignano. On the left, map of the land uses for emergency; on the right, map of the specific vulnerabilities of the built environment.
Source publication
Italy is located in one of the most earthquake prone areas in Europe with one of the richest cultural legacy in the world. In the last decades, a series of seismic events caused considerable casualties and damage to the built environment in Italy, highlighting the need of undertaking proactive measures to limit the impact of any potential earthquak...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... historic centre of Lucignano ( figure 3) presents four accesses, three of them coincide with the historic gates, while the north-east passage has been realised with the demolition of a portion of the city walls. It is characterized by the location of several emergency services within the boundaries of the historic centre. ...
Citations
... Different branches of the scientific literature deal with sectoral emergency management by type of risk: seismic [8,9], flood, hydrogeological and landslide, and fire [10]. However, emergency management should consider more risk typologies, be contextual to urban planning, and be part of a wider cyclical process, including mitigation and normality restoration. ...
Urban space’s physical and environmental characteristics impact urban public safety. Specifically, many areas in the older urban core are morphologically unsafe. The historic city’s resilience to natural disasters and emergency phenomena often surpasses expectations thanks to settlement principles, post-disaster transformations, and redundancies that enhance the performance of the historic built environment. Yet, the necessity to introduce new qualities to reclaim urban heritages scattered throughout the territory, often abandoned or sparsely populated, underscores the need for maintenance and management measures to boost safety and resilience. This study aims to identify technological components in urban space that influence the safety of places and define a design method for safety planning in historic urban settings. Urban safety interventions encompass various technological aspects in conjunction with the widespread distribution of equipment, adaptation of public and private facilities, and networked infrastructure and services. This paper delineates the elements that converge in the technological design of an appropriate historic town center to address potential emergencies. It presents the initial findings of studies conducted on a minor center with a strong historical value. This document aims to be useful for administrations of smaller municipalities, as the proposed method can be replicated in similar contexts.
... In the last 10 years, its models were applied in several pre-and post-disaster risk analysis to outline issues related to confi urational effects of road-circulation networks' collapses and emergency infrastructure posi-article, these directives are followed to analyse and distioning tendencies in urban and regional areas, themes cuss the results of the PAMR proposed cut-out. Neverthat were explored in-depth by a plethora of authors theless, this approach resumes a preliminary evaluation such as ; Fakhrurrazi and of the phenomena through ASA to instruct the risk-Van Nes (2012); Cutini (2013); Esposito and Di Pinto based analysis according to major changes tendencies in (2014,2015); Cutini, de Falco, and Giuliani (2019); Gui-accessibility patterns (Cutini, de Falco, and Giuliani liani and others (2021); Rusci, Altafini, and Di Pinto 2019). (2021); Cutini and Pezzica (2020) and de Souza (2019, 2021). ...
Historically, the main cause of urban disasters in Brazil is flooding events, which are becoming more recurrent due to climate changes and intensive urbanization, causing extensive infrastructure, economic and life losses. The formation of Brazilian Metropolitan Areas goes back to the early twentieth century, with urban expansion following river basins, as regional transportation relied on inland navigation. The transition to road-based transport structured further urban sprawl from the mid-twentieth century onward, as road-circulation axes expanded across flood-prone areas. Mapping those hydrogeological risks is important to understand their effect on the existent road-circulation network structure cohesiveness. From the hydrogeological risk assessment data, this article evaluates potential changes imposed by extreme flood events on the road infrastructure at municipal and metropolitan scales. Space Syntax methods applied to an empirical case – the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region – allow for comparative analyses between the urban network of current and flooding-event simulations and depict (a) the urban grids’ structural transformations under flooding, (b) the road elements at risk, and (c) the system’s spatial integrity and circulation disruptions. The resulting cartography can subside governance and urban planning strategies to cope with floodings at different territorial scales, addressing changes on local–regional circulation patterns, system breaking points and tendencies of urban land parcelling on vulnerable areas.
... However, for the study, its quantification considers the product between the commercial extension of the building (A CommBuild ) and the ratio between the maximum density capacity of people in the buildings (C b ) [pp/m 2 ], as defined by the Italian decree D.M. 03/08/2015, and the maximum density of people when public activities are conducted outside (C out ), as considered for public buildings in the defines the relation between the maximum extension of the external area that can host people when special activities are supposed to be outside the building. Thus, in this second case, the space of influence is geometrically developed along the building facades with access/es and it completes the map of terroristic vulnerability in OAs [vulnerability map of T OA ].As well as the spatial vulnerability of the districts during single ROD concerns, open spaces and streets are examined through the space syntax (SS) analysis to define probability distributions of moving pedestrians inside the historic centre during emergencies[62]. This approach is proposed as a proxy to represent the pattern of human behaviours in space considering [R.H.4], [R.H.5], and [R.H.9] factors though in a derived way. ...
Recent critical events brought attention to the increasing exposure of urban environments to both slow and rapid onset disasters, which arise from both anthropogenic and natural causes. These events have particularly severe effects on historic centres, which are characterized by high levels of vulnerability and valuable assets exposed to risk. To minimize the impact on tangible and intangible cultural heritage values, especially in outdoor public areas such as squares and streets, it is crucial to establish coherent mitigative and adaptive solutions for different types of hazards. This research presents a methodology aimed at defining levels of multi-vulnerabilities in historic districts in the Apulia Region (Italy), considering the recurrent hazards to which the latter is prone. It uses a multi-step process based on structured and non-structured methodologies and tools for single risks, examined in combination, to determine the main properties characterizing the vulnerability assessment. The dataset was analyzed in a GIS environment to evaluate the selected Apulian case study (Molfetta) in Multi-Asynchronous Hazard scenarios, showing the compounded levels of criticalities for open areas and streets. This information is intended to support authority and emergency managers in identifying priority interventions and increasing the resilience of the outdoor public places.
... As emerged from the several post-earthquake damage analyses [55][56][57] , historic centres undergo specific damage patterns during earthquakes with debris falling and formation that determines critical situations due to the widespread presence of narrow open spaces. Indeed, common approaches neglect to consider the impact of earthquakes on open spaces and to guarantee the safety of the facing buildings for evacuation purposes [58] . A recent review of the literature and practices regarding seismic risk in Italian historic centres [59] discussed several gaps and challenges in the national DRR strategy. ...
... The safety of open spaces is still neglected even though they contribute to the functioning of the system, both in ordinary conditions and during emergencies [58] . In the LCE, strategic routes are implicitly the ones in safer conditions, corresponding to wide wellpaved roads facing less vulnerable constructions. ...
Earthquakes pose a looming threat to human life and habitats, as well as the large-scale preservation of urban cultural heritage assets located in historic centres. These areas, worldwide perceived as cultural, social and economic resources for communities, are experiencing a progressive decline and deterioration. In the last decades, a series of seismic events caused considerable casualties and irreversible damage to historic centres in Italy, with permanent loss of many severely damaged cultural assets that could not be fully recovered or replaced. This problem underlines the need of undertaking further proactive measures to limit the impact of any potential earthquake on urban cultural heritage in historic centres. The characterisation of vulnerability in its multiple dimensions is a key issue for the effective im plementation of vulnerability reduction and mitigation actions. This paper contests the enacting of seismic risk reduction programmes that are mainly based on the estimation of physical vulnerabilities and do not account for non-physical ones. The discussion is based on the Pressure and Release model that represents the progression of vulnerability in terms of unsafe conditions, dynamic pressures and root causes. The study refers to the historic centres in the Region of Tuscany (Italy) and considers a wider perspective on physical , socioeconomic and institutional vulnerabilities. The results allows for outlining the agenda for action for risk reduction and establishing a set of mitigation strategies on the basis of the expected impacts of seismic events on historic centres. Intervention measures are integrated into the current framework for disaster risk reduction and aim to overcome the building-focused approach towards a large-scale systematic one.
... In our study, we analyzed configurational properties (Cutini 2019;Cutini et al. 2019) of the potential bicycle route network which, in particular, includes not only the arches of the urban street network but also the mechanized pedestrian infrastructures that characterize the case study of Potenza. ...
Cycling is a climate-friendly, cost-effective, and greenhouse gas-efficient transport mode that produces relevant positive aspects to: urban innovation (new technology and services, that is, e-mobility and public bike-sharing systems), environment (reducing emissions, traffic congestion easing, increasing energy efficiency), public health (road safety, psycho-physical wellbeing, noise reduction), urban economy (infrastructure cost saving, low service and vehicle expenditures, energy saving, creation of sustainable green jobs), and inclusive society (improving inclusion of the local population, quality of life, wellbeing). Considering the 2014 Paris Declaration of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) for “the development of a pan-European Master Plan for cycling promotion,” it is necessary to implement support tools for urban planners and designers, who, simultaneously, provide a cognitive framework able to direct urban policymaking toward active mobility models/options and sustainable urban development processes. After highlighting the good practices of European cities related to the promotion of soft active mobility and modal split that contrast the use of private cars, this study presents a “morpho-syntactic” approach-based methodology apt at analyzing the city of Potenza (county seat of the Basilicata region, southern Italy) with the intention of producing a design scenario to develop urban cycling as an alternative urban development strategy. Geomorphological analysis-based techniques have been integrated with graph theory-based space–morphological analyses using the Space Syntax Analysis and the Place Syntax Analysis. The results obtained are useful to support a decision-making process for the development of an urban cycling infrastructure scheme that integrates Potenza's active transport infrastructures (mechanized pedestrian mobility) according to a multimodal approach. With the current national cycling supportive policy framework, local authorities are in a position to adopt strategies and actions aimed at promoting cycle-tourism and urban cycling, thus improving sustainable mobility policies as a component of urban planning.
... SSA developed by Bill Hillier since the 1980 [56] is based on the use of graph theory's techniques that are able to measure the effects of the spatial configuration on physical properties of the street network [57,58]. SSA is based on three assumptions: urban space structure influences phenomena that take place on it, perceptual appreciation of space influences behavioural choices in it and the grid of urban paths is considered as a constitutive structure of urban space. ...
The work is focused on the integration of space syntax analysis (SSA) in a process of participatory planning focused on a neighbourhood scale where the challenge of promoting pedestrian-friendly regeneration process is a bottom-up priority. The promotion of active mobility is one of the main themes of the urban regeneration project CAST operating on the western part of the city of Potenza (capital of the Basilicata region, Italy). Both the state of the art of the case study area and the potential effects of the intervention proposed on the basis of the participatory process have been assessed by SSA as a walkability assessment method. By measuring a street network’s syntactic parameters, it was possible to further enrich the cognitive framework relating to the current situation and to simultaneously evaluate the effects (in terms of potential movement and social usage) deriving from design interventions. The paper presents a methodology to evaluate the urban pedestrian environment and to provide an insight for walking-related intervention and improvements in neighbourhood-scale planning, according to a participatory approach. The research, based on specific local characteristics, represents a transferable approach to supporting and informing policy-makers and designers engaged in inclusive and participative urban regeneration projects.
... Hence, the repository is useful to collect initial large-scale data, but it is not specifically targeted on CH assets. Despite the large number of actions promoted in the past years, only a limited number of research initiatives regarding historic centres have attempted to combine risk analysis, risk management, heritage studies and urban planning Cutini et al., 2019;De Paoli, 2010). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and validate a large-scale methodology for risk assessment and management in cultural heritage sites, taking into account their specific tangible or intangible values. Emphasis is given to historic centres that are key resources in building resilience to disasters but are also highly vulnerable due to several factors, such as the characteristics of the built environment, the community and social life, the lack of risk awareness and maintenance and finally the poor regulatory framework for their management and valorisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The multi-step procedure starts from the assessment of the attributes of cultural heritage in order to identify priorities and address the analysis. Then, it evaluates the primary and secondary hazards in the area, the vulnerabilities and threats of the site and the impacts of the chain of events. Finally, it allows for calibrating a site-specific set of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery measures.
Findings
The application to two case studies in the Italian peninsula, the historic centres of San Gimignano and Reggio Calabria, allows for identifying research gaps and practical opportunities towards the adoption of common guidelines for the selection of safety measures.
Originality/value
By providing a qualitative assessment of risks, the research points out the potentialities of the methodology in the disaster risk management of cultural heritage due to its capacity to be comprehensive and inclusive towards disciplines and professionals.
... "Space syntax … is a set of techniques for the representation, quantification, and interpretation of spatial configuration in buildings and settlements" [22]. The built environment and the mutual relationship between spatial units are analyzed according to a quantitative and configurational method, representing the use of space from a cognitive point of view [23][24][25][26]. ...
... Angular distance (measured in degrees) takes into account accumulated angular turns needed to get from origin-point to destination-point in the network. The angular distance of all possible paths between origin-point and destination-point are calculated and the one with the least angular distance is selected as the shortest path [26]. So, paths' angular minimization is a morphological-geometric feature which makes walking and cycling more attractive. ...
This study analyzes urban street network of the city of Potenza in Basilicata region to provide input for a sustainable urban mobility-based strategy enabling students to reach schools through the use of low-carbon transport modes’ share. The analyses have been carried out by using Place Syntax Analysis in order to identify a network of paths which guarantees pedestrian and bicycle access to schools located in the urban area of Potenza. Within urban space morphology research, combining Space Syntax and GIS-methods, Place Syntax allows to perform analyses of the spatial configuration of streets taking into account both street network layout and the location of spatial opportunities. Urban form (in our analysis, in terms of configurational characteristics) and accessibility to destinations (schools in this study) are essential to increase the share of walking and bicycling as the preferred modes of people’s daily travel. The paper shows the potential integration between active transport modes and public transport in the city of Potenza. Ensuring an easy transition between walking, cycling and public transport (e.g. by designing a widespread and direct network of cycle-pedestrian paths to and from the stations) contributes to create a “Hybrid Oriented Sustainable Urban Development” towards low-carbon settlements characterized by a significant reduction in congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.
Among the most recent directions of urban morphology research is its integration with disaster studies, in support of disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts at the urban scale. Yet, the built and unbuilt components of urban form are still disproportionately investigated for DRR purposes, with predominant approaches centred on buildings leaving the DRR potential of the urban spatial network relatively under-investigated. This paper, at the intersection of urban morphology and disaster studies, is the first of a series looking at the spatial component of urban form through the lens of risk, with a focus on urban vulnerability to earthquakes. After discussing how the interplay of configuration, governance, and use of space impact urban disaster risk in earthquake-prone settlements, the paper introduces a method for the exposure assessment of urban spatial layout. The method, applied on the configurational analysis of four settlements hit by the 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes, associates disaster risk variables to the urban spatial network's core elements. It develops (i) a theoretical re-definition of the significant disaster risk variables in relation to configurational measures; and (ii) an integrated spatial analysis workflow for visualisation and classification of street segments and routes based on their degree of exposure, to inform both ordinary and emergency planning. In (i), the spatial-configurational dimensions of disaster concepts (hazard, exposure) are identified to unfold the spatial potential in DRR. In (ii), the spatial analysis workflow builds upon the recently developed applications of space syntax angular segment analysis on the OSM RCL network, by combining Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) with land use and disaster-related datasets, to generate hybrid exposure segment maps within the ArcGIS environment. The paper provides a twofold contribution: recontextualization and incorporation of space syntax theoretical knowledge into DRR, and innovative employ of existing applications for a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to urban vulnerability assessment.
Purpose: Worldwide, natural hazards are affecting urban cultural heritage and World Heritage Sites, exacerbating other environmental and human-induced threats deriving from deterioration, uncontrolled urbanization and unsustainable tourism. This paper aims to develop a disaster risk analysis in Italian historic centers because they are complex large-scale systems that are cultural and economic resources for the country, as well as fragile areas.
Design/methodology/approach: A heritage-oriented qualitative methodology for risk assessment is proposed based upon the formalization of risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability and exposure, taking into account the values of cultural heritage assets.
Findings: This work provides a contribution to the body of knowledge in the Italian context of disaster risk mitigation on World Heritage Sites, opening for further research on the monitoring and maintenance of the tangible heritage assets. The application to the site of San Gimignano proves the effectiveness of the methodology for proposing preventive measures and actions that ensure the preservation of cultural values and a safer built environment.
Originality/value: The application of a value-based simplified approach to risk analysis is a novelty for historic centers that are listed as World Heritage Sites.
