Marco Zitti - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Marco Zitti

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 1981

... urbanization strongly supports industrial de-velopment through the realization of scale andag... more ... urbanization strongly supports industrial de-velopment through the realization of scale andagglomeration econ-omies ... research on economic development and income in-equality.3 Williamson demonstrates that, as economic growth begins, inequality initially increases ...

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, 2014

Review of applied socio-economic research, 2017

Going beyond traditionalist discourses on economic backwardness, uneven demographic growth and cu... more Going beyond traditionalist discourses on economic backwardness, uneven demographic growth and cultural secularism, this article proposes an interpretation of Mediterranean urbanities based on place-specific settlement morphology and characteristic socioeconomic traits, including unregulated regional planning, poorly-participated local governance and typical socio-spatial structures. By questioning the (supposedly weak) strategies containing regional disparities and the failed opportunities to promote scenic landscapes and cultural heritage of peri-urban areas, a framework investigating long-term urban dynamics in the Mediterranean was illustrated here and can be generalized to other metropolitan regions with similar morphological and functional traits. The proposed framework is based on the analysis of ecologically-fragile and socially-unstable contexts in view of the persistence of a structural crisis affecting the economic base, the institutions and the governance system. In this...

By reviewing long-term dynamics of urban expansion in a representative southern European city, th... more By reviewing long-term dynamics of urban expansion in a representative southern European city, this study proposes a long-term interpretation of Mediterranean urbanization as a result of a structural socioeconomic 'crisis' related to ineffective local governance, weak regional planning and peculiar demographic structures. Athens' expansion exemplifies the difficult transition of many southern European cities into a new and more convoluted urban arrangement depending on the intimate relationship between urban structure, urban planning, social attributes, cultural aspects and economic factors. The article concludes with a discussion on future development paths of the Mediterranean cities, identifying informality, non-linearity and unpredictability of expansion path as important traits for reconversion of 'crisis' cities towards more sustainable and competitive growth models

Recent economic dynamics in southern Europe have been influenced by multifaceted processes with i... more Recent economic dynamics in southern Europe have been influenced by multifaceted processes with important spatial outcomes. Construction industry has been one of the productive sectors with the most relevant crisis-driven changes in Greece, probably the most affected country in Europe. With the aim to provide a quantitative analysis offering a comprehensive knowledge of regional-scale dynamics in construction industry during expansion and recession times, the present study investigates spatial variations over 2003-2015 in the value of new dwellings, supplemented with other indicators of building activity (number of permits, average building surface, number of floors), at the scale of Greek prefectures. A data mining framework based on principal component analysis and non-parametric correlations with background socioeconomic indicators was developed to identify spatial patterns in building activity during economic expansion (2003-2009) and crisis (2009-2015). According to building pe...

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2013

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2016

ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE, 2016

L’evoluzione tecnologica ha modificato radicalmente il rapporto tra l’uomo e la natura. L’artific... more L’evoluzione tecnologica ha modificato radicalmente il rapporto tra l’uomo e la natura. L’artificialita e l’artificiosita degli interventi antropici hanno fatto venir meno l’integrazione con i luoghi; a fenomeni di conurbazione si aggiungono fenomeni di disurbanizzazione. Si delinea un territorio di transizione tra l’urbano e il rurale, in cui gli elementi caratterizzanti si intrecciano e si trasformano sotto la pressione dei processi di urbanizzazione, ruralizzazione e naturalizzazione, perdendo il loro valore identitario. L’analisi - condotta attraverso l’individuazione di indicatori quali-quantitativi relativi agli attori che operano nella frangia urbana di una citta mediterranea rappresentativa di contesti in crisi identitaria, prima ancora che finanziaria - consente di delineare un quadro ragionato degli effetti economici, sociali e ambientali provocati dalla pressione antropica. Nello stesso tempo si vuole valutare la permanenza o la trasformazione dei paesaggi tradizionali, in territori in cui le attivita agricole, economiche, archeologiche e speculative si intrecciano e insistono su un unico tessuto urbano-rurale che ha acquisito caratteri di entropia e caoticita.

International Forestry Review, 2014

ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the vulnerability to soil degradation of four land-use class... more ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the vulnerability to soil degradation of four land-use classes (urban areas, cropland, forests and non-forest natural land) during 1960–2010 using the Environmental Sensitive Area Index (ESAI) to verify if forests mitigate the increase of desertification risk in Italy. Results indicate that forests was the class with the lowest level of vulnerability during the whole investigated period and with the growth rate (1960–2010) in the ESAI always below the one observed on a landscape scale. Non-forest natural land showed a moderate increase in the ESAI coupled with a relatively high vulnerability level. The temporal pattern of four indicators (climate, soil, vegetation and land management) composing the ESAI was analyzed to identify the variables which affect the level of vulnerability for each land-use class. Results contributes to the understanding of complex landscape-forest interactions in Mediterranean fragile ecosystems. Spanish Este estudio evalúa la vulnerabilidad a la degradación del suelo de cuatro clases de uso del suelo (zonas urbanas, tierras de cultivo, bosques, y áreas naturales no forestales) durante 1960–2010 por medio del Índice de Áreas Medioambientalmente Sensibles (ESAI, por sus siglas en inglés) para verificar si los bosques mitigan el aumento del riesgo de desertificación en Italia. Los resultados indican que los bosques fueron la clase con un menor nivel de vulnerabilidad durante la totalidad del período de estudio y cuya tasa de crecimiento (1960–2010) en el ESAI estuvo siempre por debajo de la observada a escala de paisaje. Las clase de áreas naturales no forestales mostró un aumento moderado en el ESAI, junto con un nivel de vulnerabilidad relativamente alto. Se analizó el patrón temporal de los cuatro indicadores que componen el ESAI (clima, suelo, vegetación y gestión del suelo) para identificar las variables que afectan el nivel de vulnerabilidad para cada clase de uso del suelo. Los resultados contribuyen a la comprensión de las complejas interacciones paisaje-bosque en los frágiles ecosistemas mediterráneos. French Cette étude évalue la vulnérabilité à la dégradation du sol de quatre classes d'utilisation de la terre (zones urbaines, terres de culture, terres naturelles boisées et non-boisées) dans la période 1960–2010 en utilisant l'Index des zones à environnement sensible (ESAI) pour vérifier si leurs forêts atténuent le risque croissant de désertification en Italie. Les résultats indiquent que les forêts sont la classe de plus faible vulnérabilité pendant cette période d'investigation et qu'elles connaissent un taux de croissance (1960–2010) dans l'ESAI constamment inférieur à celui observé à l'échelle du paysage. Les terres naturelles non boisées connaissaient un accroissement modéré dans l'ESAI couplé avec une niveau de vulnérabilité relativement élevé. Le modèle temporel de quatre indicateurs (climat, terre, végétation et gestion de la terre) composites de l'ESAI a été analysé pour identifier les variables affectant le degré de vulnérabilité pour chaque classe d'utilisation de la terre. Les résultats contribuent à la compréhension des interactions complexes entre le paysage et la forêt dans les fragiles écosystèmes méditerranéens.

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 1981

... urbanization strongly supports industrial de-velopment through the realization of scale andag... more ... urbanization strongly supports industrial de-velopment through the realization of scale andagglomeration econ-omies ... research on economic development and income in-equality.3 Williamson demonstrates that, as economic growth begins, inequality initially increases ...

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, 2014

Review of applied socio-economic research, 2017

Going beyond traditionalist discourses on economic backwardness, uneven demographic growth and cu... more Going beyond traditionalist discourses on economic backwardness, uneven demographic growth and cultural secularism, this article proposes an interpretation of Mediterranean urbanities based on place-specific settlement morphology and characteristic socioeconomic traits, including unregulated regional planning, poorly-participated local governance and typical socio-spatial structures. By questioning the (supposedly weak) strategies containing regional disparities and the failed opportunities to promote scenic landscapes and cultural heritage of peri-urban areas, a framework investigating long-term urban dynamics in the Mediterranean was illustrated here and can be generalized to other metropolitan regions with similar morphological and functional traits. The proposed framework is based on the analysis of ecologically-fragile and socially-unstable contexts in view of the persistence of a structural crisis affecting the economic base, the institutions and the governance system. In this...

By reviewing long-term dynamics of urban expansion in a representative southern European city, th... more By reviewing long-term dynamics of urban expansion in a representative southern European city, this study proposes a long-term interpretation of Mediterranean urbanization as a result of a structural socioeconomic 'crisis' related to ineffective local governance, weak regional planning and peculiar demographic structures. Athens' expansion exemplifies the difficult transition of many southern European cities into a new and more convoluted urban arrangement depending on the intimate relationship between urban structure, urban planning, social attributes, cultural aspects and economic factors. The article concludes with a discussion on future development paths of the Mediterranean cities, identifying informality, non-linearity and unpredictability of expansion path as important traits for reconversion of 'crisis' cities towards more sustainable and competitive growth models

Recent economic dynamics in southern Europe have been influenced by multifaceted processes with i... more Recent economic dynamics in southern Europe have been influenced by multifaceted processes with important spatial outcomes. Construction industry has been one of the productive sectors with the most relevant crisis-driven changes in Greece, probably the most affected country in Europe. With the aim to provide a quantitative analysis offering a comprehensive knowledge of regional-scale dynamics in construction industry during expansion and recession times, the present study investigates spatial variations over 2003-2015 in the value of new dwellings, supplemented with other indicators of building activity (number of permits, average building surface, number of floors), at the scale of Greek prefectures. A data mining framework based on principal component analysis and non-parametric correlations with background socioeconomic indicators was developed to identify spatial patterns in building activity during economic expansion (2003-2009) and crisis (2009-2015). According to building pe...

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 2013

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2016

ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE, 2016

L’evoluzione tecnologica ha modificato radicalmente il rapporto tra l’uomo e la natura. L’artific... more L’evoluzione tecnologica ha modificato radicalmente il rapporto tra l’uomo e la natura. L’artificialita e l’artificiosita degli interventi antropici hanno fatto venir meno l’integrazione con i luoghi; a fenomeni di conurbazione si aggiungono fenomeni di disurbanizzazione. Si delinea un territorio di transizione tra l’urbano e il rurale, in cui gli elementi caratterizzanti si intrecciano e si trasformano sotto la pressione dei processi di urbanizzazione, ruralizzazione e naturalizzazione, perdendo il loro valore identitario. L’analisi - condotta attraverso l’individuazione di indicatori quali-quantitativi relativi agli attori che operano nella frangia urbana di una citta mediterranea rappresentativa di contesti in crisi identitaria, prima ancora che finanziaria - consente di delineare un quadro ragionato degli effetti economici, sociali e ambientali provocati dalla pressione antropica. Nello stesso tempo si vuole valutare la permanenza o la trasformazione dei paesaggi tradizionali, in territori in cui le attivita agricole, economiche, archeologiche e speculative si intrecciano e insistono su un unico tessuto urbano-rurale che ha acquisito caratteri di entropia e caoticita.

International Forestry Review, 2014

ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the vulnerability to soil degradation of four land-use class... more ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the vulnerability to soil degradation of four land-use classes (urban areas, cropland, forests and non-forest natural land) during 1960–2010 using the Environmental Sensitive Area Index (ESAI) to verify if forests mitigate the increase of desertification risk in Italy. Results indicate that forests was the class with the lowest level of vulnerability during the whole investigated period and with the growth rate (1960–2010) in the ESAI always below the one observed on a landscape scale. Non-forest natural land showed a moderate increase in the ESAI coupled with a relatively high vulnerability level. The temporal pattern of four indicators (climate, soil, vegetation and land management) composing the ESAI was analyzed to identify the variables which affect the level of vulnerability for each land-use class. Results contributes to the understanding of complex landscape-forest interactions in Mediterranean fragile ecosystems. Spanish Este estudio evalúa la vulnerabilidad a la degradación del suelo de cuatro clases de uso del suelo (zonas urbanas, tierras de cultivo, bosques, y áreas naturales no forestales) durante 1960–2010 por medio del Índice de Áreas Medioambientalmente Sensibles (ESAI, por sus siglas en inglés) para verificar si los bosques mitigan el aumento del riesgo de desertificación en Italia. Los resultados indican que los bosques fueron la clase con un menor nivel de vulnerabilidad durante la totalidad del período de estudio y cuya tasa de crecimiento (1960–2010) en el ESAI estuvo siempre por debajo de la observada a escala de paisaje. Las clase de áreas naturales no forestales mostró un aumento moderado en el ESAI, junto con un nivel de vulnerabilidad relativamente alto. Se analizó el patrón temporal de los cuatro indicadores que componen el ESAI (clima, suelo, vegetación y gestión del suelo) para identificar las variables que afectan el nivel de vulnerabilidad para cada clase de uso del suelo. Los resultados contribuyen a la comprensión de las complejas interacciones paisaje-bosque en los frágiles ecosistemas mediterráneos. French Cette étude évalue la vulnérabilité à la dégradation du sol de quatre classes d'utilisation de la terre (zones urbaines, terres de culture, terres naturelles boisées et non-boisées) dans la période 1960–2010 en utilisant l'Index des zones à environnement sensible (ESAI) pour vérifier si leurs forêts atténuent le risque croissant de désertification en Italie. Les résultats indiquent que les forêts sont la classe de plus faible vulnérabilité pendant cette période d'investigation et qu'elles connaissent un taux de croissance (1960–2010) dans l'ESAI constamment inférieur à celui observé à l'échelle du paysage. Les terres naturelles non boisées connaissaient un accroissement modéré dans l'ESAI couplé avec une niveau de vulnérabilité relativement élevé. Le modèle temporel de quatre indicateurs (climat, terre, végétation et gestion de la terre) composites de l'ESAI a été analysé pour identifier les variables affectant le degré de vulnérabilité pour chaque classe d'utilisation de la terre. Les résultats contribuent à la compréhension des interactions complexes entre le paysage et la forêt dans les fragiles écosystèmes méditerranéens.