Relationship between objective and subjective indicators in urban soundscape analysis. The case of Cordoba - Argentina

This paper presents the main results of a comparative evaluation of some acoustical parameters with the user��s perception of urban sounds. The study was carried out in three open spaces integrated with different environmental characteristics but similar objective conditions of urban noise. The subjective evaluation was done by means of a survey simultaneously with the objective measurements. The results of the crossed analysis confirmed that in environments with similar noise levels not always exists direct correlation between the objetive indicators and the acoustic comfort of the people. To predict the acustical quality of the soundscape it is necessary to consider aspects such as the background noise and the perception of natural or technological sounds as complements of the general sound level.

Indicators and Estimators in P-Adaptive Boundary Elements

The paper presents the possibility of implementing a p-adaptive process with the B.E.M. Although the exemples show that good results can be obtained with a limited amount of storage and with the simple ideas explained above, more research is needed in order to improve the two main problems of the method, i.e.: the criteria of where to refine and until what degree. Mathematically based reasoning is still lacking and will be useful to simplify the decission making. Nevertheless the method seems promising and, we hope, opens a path for a series of research lines of maximum interest. Although the paper has dealt only with plane potential problem the extension to plane elasticity as well as to 3-D potential problem is straight-forward.

The influence of economic incentives linked to road safety indicators on accidents: The case of toll concessions in Spain

The goal of this paper is to evaluate whether the incentives incorporated in toll highway concession contracts in order to encourage private operators to adopt measures to reduce accidents are actually effective at improving safety. To this end, we implemented negative binomial regression models using information about highway characteristics and accident data from toll highway concessions in Spain from 2007 to 2009. Our results show that even though road safety is highly influenced by variables that are not managed by the contractor, such as the annual average daily traffic (AADT), the percentage of heavy vehicles on the highway, number of lanes, number of intersections and average speed; the implementation of these incentives has a positive influence on the reduction of accidents and injuries. Consequently, this measure seems to be an effective way of improving safety performance in road networks.

TEACHING STRATEGIES IN THE MSc PROGRAME IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESTORATION ON DEGRADED LAND

UPM is a leader on landslide assessment and environmental restoration, as well as in waste management. The study of climate change and degraded land requires innovative techniques in teaching that will be analyzed and discussed in the following paper.

Indicators of sustainability of agriculture and livestock in Spain - Indicadores de sostenibilidad de la agricultura y ganader��a espa��ola

Sustainability is an adjective used to characterize agriculture according to the degree of fulfillment of goals. Those goals are related to agro-ecological, environmental and socio-economic dimensions. Sustainability is a dynamic and temporal character. In absolute terms there is not an ending value because it changes as its dimensions make it. Spain is one of the main agricultural countries of the European Union both in terms of crop land and value of productions. The object of this study is to present a methodology of sustainability account to be incorporated into national statistical and to assess their performance in the course of the years. For that reason the data sources used have been the statistics of the Department of Agriculture and from others database. We presented a set of indicators of sustainability and its evaluation in a time series of at least 30 years. The trend analysis offers the evolution of the numerical values of the indicators in terms of efficiency, physical units used for a unit of product or its value in euros. The analyzed crops have been: wheat, barley, maize, sunflower, sugar beet, wine grape, olive oil, citrus, melon and tomato. Physical indicators were: land, water, energy, erosion, soil organic matter, and carbon balance; socio-economic indicators were: agricultural final production, prices, income, employment and use of fertilizers. In general, all crops increased their productive efficiency, higher in irrigated than on dry land. Spanish agricultural carbon sequestration capacity has multiplied by five in the last seventy years, as a result of the increase in the productivity of crops, in terms of total biomass and the modification of the soil management techniques. Livestock sector presents data of pork, broilers and laying hen. Those showed an improvement in efficiency and economic indicators. Overall we can say that Spanish agriculture and livestock subsector have a tendency towards sustainability, being its main threats extreme meteorological factors and the instability of todays markets.

Modelling the relationship between urban environment and travel behaviour: policy and indicators

Due to the necessity to undertake activities, every year people increase their standards of travelling (distance and time). Urban sprawl development plays an important role in these "enlargements". Thus, governments invest money in an exhaustiva search for solutions to high levels of congestion and car-trips. The complex relationship between urban environment and travel behaviour has been studied in a number of cases. Thus, the objective of this paper is to answer the important question of which land-use attributes influence which dimensions of travel behaviour, and to verify to what extent specific urban planning measures affect the individual decision process, by exhaustiva statistical and systematic tests. This paper found that a crucial issue in the analysis of the relationship between the built environment and travel behaviour is the definition of indicators. As such, we recommend a feasible list of indicators to analyze this relationship.

Surveillance of habitats and plant diversity indicators across a regional gradient in the Iberian Peninsula

Dentro del Proyecto EBONE (Red de Observaci��n de la Biodiversidad Europea) se analizan diferentes tipos de paisaje en varias zonas de Madrid y norte de Portugal. Se realiza un estudio de los habitats y la diversidad de especies con el objetivo principal de preservarlos y conservalos.

Study and Restoration Proposal for the Maison en Bord de Mer: E.1027 by Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici

This study constitutes an establishment of the main guidelines for the restoration of modern architecture, considering the E.1027 Maison en Bord de Meras a prototype for theortical and technical features. E.1027 Maison en Bord de Mer is a small villa built by Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici between 1926 and 1929 in Roquebrune Cap-Martin, France. Later on, the original project was modified because of successive interventions, altering the spatial qualities until being eventually abandoned in 2008. As a consequence of these variations, a meticulous documentation of the building turns essential in order to undertake its restoration. For that purpose, a description of the house and its historical evolution has been made, comparing plans of its different transformations and ending with a detailed survey of the current state. After presenting the particular pathologies of Cray's villa, the research concludes with the restoration proposal for E.1027 itself

Climate Change and Restoration of Degraded Land

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Durban 2011, delivered a breakthrough on the international community's response to climate change. In the second largest meeting of its kind, the negotiations advanced, in a balanced fashion, the implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, the Bali Action Plan, and the Cancun Agreements. The outcomes included a decision by Parties to adopt a universal legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible, and no later than 2015. One of the decisions adopted by COP 17 and CMP 7 regard to the land use, land-use change and forestry, and invites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to review and, if necessary, update supplementary methodologies for estimating anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks resulting from land use, land-use change and forestry activities under Article 3, paragraphs 3 and 4, of the Kyoto Protocol. Land degradation is a human-induced or natural process which negatively affects the productivity of land within an ecosystem. The direct causes of land degradation are geographically specific. Climate change, including changes in short-term variation, as well as long-term gradual changes in temperature and precipitation, is expected to be an additional stress on rates of land degradation. Book Topics: ��� Introduction to Climate Change and Land Degradation ��� Change Mitigation ��� Climate Change and Waste Land Restoration ��� Water Management and Planning ��� Erosion and Hydrological Restoration ��� Forest Fire Land Restoration ��� Polluted Soils Restoration ��� Combating Climate Change by Restoration of Degraded Land ��� Research Matters ��� Climate Change Governance ��� Advanced Statistics Climate Change and Restoration of Degraded Land is of interests to academics, engineers, consultans, designers and professionals involved in restoration of degraded lands projects.

Concesi��n de explotaci��n de granitos derivada del permiso de investigaci��n ���Honor de Miengo���

Este proyecto tiene por objeto el estudio de la viabilidad, tanto econ��mica como t��cnica, de la apertura y explotaci��n de una cantera de granito para su uso como roca ornamental. Para ello se ha seleccionado una zona de potencial inter��s en Santa Olalla del Cala (Huelva) debido a los afloramientos y la tonalidad de los mismos. En esta zona se ha realizado un estudio del medio f��sico y una investigaci��n sobre los tipos de roca existentes en la superficie que comprende el Permiso de Investigaci��n de la compa����a minera Canteras Extreme��as S.L. Con todo ello, se han determinado varias ��reas de inter��s en las que se podr��a realizar el emplazamiento de la cantera. Desde el punto de vista t��cnico, se ha definido el dise��o de la cantera optando por un m��todo de explotaci��n combinando el M��todo Finland��s con el corte con hilo diamantado, proyectando a su vez una zona de emplazamiento para la futura escombrera temporal, teniendo en cuenta la realizaci��n de un estudio de impacto ambiental, plan de restauraci��n, plan de vigilancia ambiental, explosivos y previsi��n de ejecuci��n de las labores. El estudio realizado de los indicadores econ��micos nos muestra que el proyecto es rentable, con todo ello se concluye que, tanto t��cnica como econ��micamente, la explotaci��n del recurso minero es viable. ABSTRACT This project aims to study the feasibility, both economic and technical, to the opening and operation of a granite quarry for use as an ornamental stone. For this we have selected an area of potential interest in Santa Olalla del Cala (Huelva) due to upwelling and tonality of these. In this area, it has made a study of the physical environment and an investigation into the types of rock on the surface comprising the Research Permit of the mining company Canteras Extreme��as SL. With all this, we have identified several areas of interest in which they could make the location of the quarry. From the technical point of view, we have defined the design of the quarry opting for a mining method combining the Finnish Method with the diamond wire cutting, projecting turn an area of the site for future temporal tip, taking into account the completion of an environmental impact, restoration plan, environmental monitoring plan, explosives and forecasting operations execution. The study of economic indicators shows that the project is profitable, yet it can be concluded that, both technically and economically, exploitation of mineral resources is viable.

Assessment of innovative measures implemented in European bus systems using key performance indicators

This paper reports the results of the assessment of a range of measures implemented in bus systems in five European cities to improve the use of public transport by increasing its attractiveness and enhancing its image in urban areas. This research was conducted as part of the EBSF project (European Bus System of the Future) from 2008 to 2012. New buses (prototypes), new vehicle and infrastructure technologies, and operational best practices were introduced, all of which were combined in a system approach. The measures were assessed using multicriteria analysis to simultaneously evaluate a certain number of criteria that need to be aggregated. Each criterion is measured by one or more key performance indicators (KPI) calculated in two scenarios (reference scenario, with no measure implemented; and project scenario, with the implementation of some measures), in order to evaluate the difference in the KPI performance between the reference and project scenario. The results indicate that the measures produce a greater benefit in issues related to bus system productivity and customer satisfaction, with the greatest impact on aspects of perceptions of comfort, cleanliness and quality of service, information to passengers and environmental issues. The study also reveals that the implementation of several measures has greater social utility than very specific and isolated measures.

A landscape architectural design approach:the restoration of the Angel Tower and the Cloister of the Cathedral of Cuenca.

Este art��culo trata de analizar la reciente evoluci��n de los conceptos sobre intervenci��n en el Patrimonio Cultural. Para ello utiliza como modelo el proyecto metodol��gico aplicado sobre las dos ��ltimas actuaciones efectuadas en la Catedral de Cuenca. La Carta de Atenas, 1931, que estableci�� las bases de la modernidad sobre las dos trayectorias de espacio y tiempo, concuerdan hoy despu��s de casi un siglo, recuperando su punto de encuentro. El art��culo b��sicamente valora el potencial que los proyectos contempor��neos de intervenci��n en el patrimonio pueden ofrecer cuando estudias su trayectoria en el paisaje. En orden a certificar sus transformaciones desde la actualidad, el singular monumento de la Catedral de Cuenca, utilizado como modelo, nos aporta a trav��s de sus materiales y morfolog��a la memoria secular que nos informa de sus t��cnicas constructivas y valores sociales. Este modelo abre un di��logo entre teor��a y pr��ctica reflejado a trav��s de los trabajos de restauraci��n aplicados. Despu��s de treinta a��os de experiencia restauradora llevada a cabo por los autores, las dos ��ltimas intervenciones que son minuciosamente expuestas, revelan algunas nuevas estrategias de aplicaci��n en el proyecto de intervenci��n.

Urban sprawl and city compactness. A proposal for regional sustainability indicators. Case study of the towns of Alcorcon and Majadahonda (Comunidad de Madrid, Spain)

The main contribution of this research paper is to display a range of figures and values which could help urban planners to quantify the urban phenomenon of sprawl. In this way, after a rigorous analysis and comparison between a scattered urban fabric (Majadahonda) and a compact urban fabric (Alcorc��n), several possible indexes are established and characterized in order to verify the main hypothesis: in what extent land consumption and exploitation of energy resources are higher in a scattered urban fabric than in a compact one.

Environmental impact indicators estimation in European rural devlopment programs. Limitations of evaluators and financial institutions? Expectatios

The European Commission established Mid-term evaluation for the period 2007-2013 on Rural Development Programs as part of a continuous evaluation system. Mid-term evaluations are important for the Commission because they help measuring the success of a program, as well as giving advice and pointing out good practices for the current and consecutive programming periods. One of the main elements used to achieve these objectives is the impact indicators estimation of the program. This paper will focus on how impact indicators estimation is done for just the environmental indicators. To do this the 88 Mid-term evaluations of Rural Development Programs for 2007-2013 period, were analyzed. This study shows how far the actual methodologies to obtain impact indicators? values are from what the European Commission expects when demanding this task to be done.

Comparison of Airborne Laser Scanning Methods for Estimating Forest Structure Indicators Based on Lorenz Curves

The purpose of this study was to compare a number of state-of-the-art methods in airborne laser scan- ning (ALS) remote sensing with regards to their capacity to describe tree size inequality and other indi- cators related to forest structure. The indicators chosen were based on the analysis of the Lorenz curve: Gini coefficient ( GC ), Lorenz asymmetry ( LA ), the proportions of basal area ( BALM ) and stem density ( NSLM ) stocked above the mean quadratic diameter. Each method belonged to one of these estimation strategies: (A) estimating indicators directly; (B) estimating the whole Lorenz curve; or (C) estimating a complete tree list. Across these strategies, the most popular statistical methods for area-based approach (ABA) were used: regression, random forest (RF), and nearest neighbour imputation. The latter included distance metrics based on either RF (NN���RF) or most similar neighbour (MSN). In the case of tree list esti- mation, methods based on individual tree detection (ITD) and semi-ITD, both combined with MSN impu- tation, were also studied. The most accurate method was direct estimation by best subset regression, which obtained the lowest cross-validated coefficients of variation of their root mean squared error CV(RMSE) for most indicators: GC (16.80%), LA (8.76%), BALM (8.80%) and NSLM (14.60%). Similar figures [CV(RMSE) 16.09%, 10.49%, 10.93% and 14.07%, respectively] were obtained by MSN imputation of tree lists by ABA, a method that also showed a number of additional advantages, such as better distributing the residual variance along the predictive range. In light of our results, ITD approaches may be clearly inferior to ABA with regards to describing the structural properties related to tree size inequality in for- ested areas.