Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira | Politecnico di Milano (original) (raw)

Papers by Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira

The project investigated how the definition of frameworks for the design and delivery custom buil... more The project investigated how the definition of frameworks for the design and delivery custom build housing could be interrelated with urban design codes in order to achieve recognised qualities of place and organisational coherence. The work was a partnership between Portsmouth School of Architecture and Radian Housing. The key research questions were: What are the benefits and drawbacks of promoting custom build in the UK context? How to ensure that on promoting custom build the resultant development is more than a collection of adhoc building projects with no regard for each other or for the quality of the spaces created by the collective whole? What are the combined roles of architectural and urban design codes in ensuring both cohesiveness and diversity? What is the economic return to the different stakeholders involved in the custom build process (i.e. government, developers and home owners)?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Urban agriculture (UA) can be used as an action to promote sustainability in cities and inform pu... more Urban agriculture (UA) can be used as an action to promote sustainability in cities and inform public health policies for urban populations. Despite this growing recognition, its implementation still presents challenges in countries in the Global North and Global South. Background: In this context, this systematic review aims to identify the development of frameworks for the implementation of UA as a sustainable action and its main opportunities and shortcomings in meeting urban socio-environmental demands. Methods: In this review, using the PRISMA protocol, we evaluated 26 studies on the interplay between UA and sustainability surveyed on the Web of Science to provide an overview of the state of the art. Conclusions: In summary, it was possible to identify many key challenges in UA adoption, which regard air and soil contamination, availability of green areas, layout of urban infrastructure, food distribution, among others. Due to numerous socio-economic and environmental contextua...

AESOP Conference, 2019

Using advanced parametric computational tools – and considering variables such as the size of urb... more Using advanced parametric computational tools – and considering variables such as the size of urban areas, their population and recommended indicators of amount of green space and its proximity to residents – this paper proposes an approach to simulate optimum urban morphologies based on the application of defined large-scale green planning models such as the green belt, green wedges and hybrid approaches. Parallel patterns of growth and shrinkage have marked cities in the last decades. Furthermore, planning cities for climate-change related events and social transitions is a pressing action. Yet, while there has been an upsurge of research on the beneficial effects of green spaces and their efficient planning and implementation in cities, explorations regarding standard-based spatial simulation and modelling of future green scenarios need further research. This paper first contextualises current processes of urban and landscape transformations. Secondly, it defines the parameters used in the model and assesses the performance of selected green planning models. Finally, it shows how the proposed computational approach could become an effective quantitative tool for improving the processes of envisioning future sustainable and re-natured urban environments.

27th World Congress of Architects - UIA 2020 RIO, 2021

Contemporary Urban Design Thinking, 2022

In recent decades, many city authorities have been implementing strategies for the development of... more In recent decades, many city authorities have been implementing strategies for the development of urban regeneration in their central areas. Most of these processes aim to improve the use of public space, and are often to be found in historic areas and waterfronts. The aim of this text is to put forward an alternative urban regeneration plan which focuses on the peripheral areas of cities, areas which were often built as neighbourhoods of social housing, and which now face environmental challenges as well as social and economic ones. To this end, the URBiNAT H2020 project is promoting inclusive urban regeneration that engages citizens and stakeholders in all the stages of the co-creation process. The overall objective is to implement a cluster of human-centred, nature-based solutions (NBS) in order to create Healthy Corridors that bring together both material and immaterial solutions that will impact the environment and the wellbeing of the community. The activation of Living Labs i...

Sustainability

A seemingly unresolved debate in urban planning is the call for compactness and the provision of ... more A seemingly unresolved debate in urban planning is the call for compactness and the provision of intra-urban green spaces. This article defines a multi-scalar spatial planning model for peri-urban areas and urban voids able to reconcile medium to high building densities with the provision of ecosystem services. The research is framed within design science research, and the theoretical definition of the model was followed by its application to the International Hub for Sustainable Development (HIDS) proposed by the University of Campinas, Brazil. The model’s parameters and indicators derive from a literature review, case studies, and GIS spatial analyses. A series of expert workshops and a survey were carried out to test and validate the model. The results show that the model can support knowledge-based development in peri-urban areas with high levels of population density while ensuring good accessibility to green spaces and productive landscapes. The model can serve as a planning a...

Cities and Nature, 2019

Cities and Nature fosters high-quality multidisciplinary research addressing the interface betwee... more Cities and Nature fosters high-quality multidisciplinary research addressing the interface between cities and the natural environment. It provides a valuable source of relevant knowledge for researchers, planners and policy-makers. The series welcomes empirically based, cutting-edge and theoretical research in urban geography, urban planning, environmental planning, urban ecology, regional science and economics. It publishes peer-reviewed edited and authored volumes on topics dealing with the urban and the environment nexus, including: spatial dynamics of urban built areas, urban and peri-urban agriculture, urban greening and green infrastructure, environmental planning, urban forests, urban ecology, regional dynamics and landscape fragmentation, among others.

Planning Cities with Nature, 2019

With the understanding of nature in terms of ecosystem services and the recognition of the vital ... more With the understanding of nature in terms of ecosystem services and the recognition of the vital role these play for human wellbeing (Millennium Assessment, 2005), the value of the natural realm is scientifically and socially defined while at the same time institutionalised. Within this frame of interpretation, nature is a supplier of provision-ing, regulating, supporting welfare and cultural services, thus becoming not only a life-enabling factor for humanity but also a conceptual construct comparable to cornerstones of democracy, such as equality, freedom and citizenship. The idea of green infrastructure is another recently coined term envisioning nature in cities in the form of a net-work and enabling a broad life-furthering vision of society. Standards for green open spaces embedded in some planning frameworks further state the right for all to a common good. Yet, evidence shows that this common right is not always met. Within the current context of advanced and neoliberal capit...

Cities and Nature, 2019

Cities need nature. They thrive on riparian corridors, urban forestry and public spaces. Without ... more Cities need nature. They thrive on riparian corridors, urban forestry and public spaces. Without urban nature, our cities would overheat, flood and become quickly unpleasant to live in. Therefore, a basic principle of urban planning is nature, and an understanding of the capacity and functionality of the natural environment is critical to our creation and management of sustainable cities. How we achieve this is, however, more variable and subject to a range of political, socio-economic and ecological factors, many of which have been explored within this book.

Cities and Nature, 2019

This chapter presents a framework for the spatial planning of re-naturing cities. There is today ... more This chapter presents a framework for the spatial planning of re-naturing cities. There is today a lively debate about re-naturing cities, since it can address multiple societal challenges and generate benefits such as the enhancement of health and wellbeing, sustainable urbanisation, ecosystems and their services and resilience to climate change. Yet, further consideration of the roles that positive spatial planning and planning models in particular have to play in fostering the integration of urbanisation with nature is needed. This chapter, thus, focuses on representative models with such potential, including the grid, the linear, the concentric and the radial. Initially, it identifies major principles for the spatial re-naturing of cities. Secondly, it analyses the main characteristics of each of the four models, concentrating in particular on their suitability to deliver on the re-naturing principles discussed previously. The chapter then centres on how a hybrid approach can maximise the systemic integration of natural and urban systems. Finally, the conclusions offer insights into the potentialities of planning models in bridging the city–nature dichotomy and potential future directions of development.

Cities & Health, 2019

Urban populations are increasing at a rate that challenges existing public health infrastructures... more Urban populations are increasing at a rate that challenges existing public health infrastructures, while contemporary literature proliferates in the attempt to identify links between city neighbourhoods and health and well-being. Despite this, there have been few attempts to synthesise research into neighbourhood features perceived by elderly residents to affect their health and well-being. The primary objective of this review is to establish whether and, if so, how the perception of urban environment features acts as health and well-being determinants in an ageing population. Data extracted from 49 eligible articles into five key neighbourhood domains and thematic analysis show that poor health and reduced activity are associated with negatively perceived environments. In addition, urban social cohesion, crime and safety influences activity choices. Higher activity is associated with more compact and varied land-use mix with appealing aesthetics. Isolating individual perceived neighbourhood features as directly associated health determinants among the elderly is complex due to interrelations and overlap between domains. Identification of perceived environment health and well-being barriers or facilitators by the elderly are under-represented and warrants further investigation. Participatory objective and subjective research will contribute towards a more robust evidence base for public health professionals and policymakers by identifying knowledge gaps.

Energy and Buildings, 2019

Improving microclimate can be a critical consideration when designing urban places, especially in... more Improving microclimate can be a critical consideration when designing urban places, especially in hot arid climates, due to its relation to improving human comfort in outdoor places, mitigating urban heat island effect and reducing indoors air conditioning demand. This study set out to investigate the impact of urban design strategies on microclimate, specifically canyon ratio, orientation, vegetation shading and wind speed using the case study of Al Ain City in the UAE. Simulations using Grasshopper with OpenStudio, EnergyPlus and Radiance plugins were carried out, and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was employed. Larger canyon ratios (1 to 2) and North-South street orientation were found to produce more comfortable urban places. While shading surfaces were found to have the potential to reduce UTCI by 5 o C. Moreover, creating wind passages on the ground floor of the urban area was found to significantly enhance wind circulation in the scheme, reducing UTCI. This study can serve as an input for urban planning decision-making as well as provide guidance for urban designers in hot arid climates.

Town Planning Review, 2015

This paper analyses the role that the green wedges idea played in the main official reconstructio... more This paper analyses the role that the green wedges idea played in the main official reconstruction plans for London, namely the County of London Plan 1943 and the Greater London Plan 1944. Green wedges were theorised in the first decade of the twentieth century and discussed in multifaceted ways up to the end of the Second World War. Despite having been prominent in many plans for London, they have been largely overlooked in planning history. This paper argues that green wedges were instrumental in these plans to the formulation of a more modern, sociable, healthier and greener peacetime London.

from soil, volcanic emissions, lightning, windblown seawater and emissions from vegetation. Never... more from soil, volcanic emissions, lightning, windblown seawater and emissions from vegetation. Nevertheless, effective use of vegetation can offer substantial benefits to urban air quality; this is not a new concept, but it has risen to prominence again in recent years. This chapter begins with a brief look at the historical legacy of using greening for urban air quality improvement. The chapter then looks at the current state of knowledge concerning:

Planning Perspectives, 2013

#.U KCWBBYXNZU Green Wedges: Origins and Development in Britain Introduction The origins of park ... more #.U KCWBBYXNZU Green Wedges: Origins and Development in Britain Introduction The origins of park system planning in the second half of the nineteenth century and its subsequent development have been widely debated within the literature. Dal Co 1 pointed out that since their inception park systems were essential instruments of planning and Dümpelmann 2 elaborated on how they soon became central to planning debates across the Western world. Out of the myriad of types of green spaces emerging then, the greenbelt has received abundant attention. But while its importance has been thoroughly examined, 3 a review of the literature shows that relatively little is known about the 'green wedge'-even though planners widely discussed the idea in the first half of the twentieth century. Aiming at contributing to fill this gap, this paper focuses on the history of the green wedge in Britain. Central to our argument is the fact that the green wedge played a fundamental role as a new element of park system proposals, since it emerged from the idea of radial parks, in the late 1900s, to gain widespread recognition as a valid alternative or complement to the greenbelt in interwar Britain. Green wedges were proposed as ducts of green space from the countryside right into the centre of a city or town. The wedge form would funnel air, sunlight and greenery inside the urban fabric regardless of urban sprawl, as the wedge could likewise expand. If the greenbelt was physically a peripheral element around a town thought, among other things, to control urban growth and to separate urban and rural areas, the green wedge aimed to provide salubrious intra-urban green space and a through connection to the countryside. The paper sets out to contextualise the precedents of the green wedge idea in relation to the history of park systems and their integration with traffic systems. Secondly, it focuses on how the concept became recognised as a distinct typology of radial green space in Britain in the first decade of the twentieth century. It emphasises the role of the 1910 RIBA Town Planning Conference in the dissemination of the concept and its immediate reception. Subsequently, the paper considers how green wedges permeated British planning debates up to the Second World War, including how individual actors-such as T. H. Mawson, H. V. Lanchester, P. Abercrombie and R. Unwin-attempted to implement them. The paper considers both texts and plans, and focuses on early twentieth-century proposals for London. Origins of the green wedges idea According to Giedion, 4 the task of bringing air, sunlight and greenery to the urban environment was a priority for the first modern planners. Overcrowding, poor housing, urban sprawl, pollution, unsanitary conditions, lack of green spaces and congestion were common aspects of industrial cities, particularly across England and Germany. 5

This paper analyses the urban regeneration in Portsmouth, a naval city on the south coast of UK, ... more This paper analyses the urban regeneration in Portsmouth, a naval city on the south coast of UK, focusing on the roles of private and public sectors in the development of a complex mixed-use site. Gunwharf Quays was a brownfield, disused naval storage area, on the sea edge, previously inaccessible, which has been transformed with the creation of housing, shopping office, leisure equipments and public space. This scheme has had enormous impact regionally, transforming the identity of Portsmouth, and encouraging development in adjacent areas. Urban regeneration is specifically about responding to the context of the site city and region, importantly to identify key local cultural and socio-economic issues that can contribute towards a sustainable scheme that has further regenerative aspects and encourages the region to become economically sustainable. However, apart from investigating it in its own context; this paper will also consider this project in a broader scenario relating it to...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

AESOP Conference, 2019

27th World Congress of Architects - UIA 2020 RIO, 2021

Contemporary Urban Design Thinking, 2022

Sustainability

Cities and Nature, 2019

Planning Cities with Nature, 2019

Cities and Nature, 2019

Cities & Health, 2019

Energy and Buildings, 2019

Town Planning Review, 2015

Planning Perspectives, 2013

Springer, 2019

This book explores novel theories, strategies and methods for re-naturing cities. It enables read... more This book explores novel theories, strategies and methods for re-naturing cities. It enables readers to learn from best practice and advances the current theoretical and empirical understanding in the field. The book also offers valuable insights into how planners and policymakers can apply this knowledge to their own cities and regions, exploring top-down, bottom-up and mixed mechanisms for the systemic re-naturing of planned and existing cities.

There is considerable interest in ‘naturalising’ cities, since it can help address multiple global societal challenges and generate various benefits, such as the enhancement of health and well-being, sustainable urbanisation, ecosystems and their services, and resilience to climate change. This can also translate into tangible economic benefits in terms of preventing health hazards, positively affecting health-related expenditure, new job opportunities (i.e. urban farming) and the regeneration of urban areas.
There is, thus, a compelling case to investigate integrative approaches to urban and natural systems that can help cities address the social, economic and environmental needs of a growing population. How can we plan with nature? What are the models and approaches that can be used to develop more sustainable cities that provide high-quality urban green spaces?

Bloomsbury, 2017

As towns and cities worldwide deal with fast-increasing land pressures, while also trying to prom... more As towns and cities worldwide deal with fast-increasing land pressures, while also trying to promote more sustainable, connected communities, the creation of green spaces within urban areas is receiving greater attention than ever before.

At the same time, the value of the 'green belt' as the most prominent model of green space planning is being widely questioned, and an array of alternative models are being proposed. This book explores one of those alternative models – the 'green wedge', showing how this offers a successful model for integrating urban development and nature in existing and new towns and cities around the world.

Green wedges, considered here as ducts of green space running from the countryside into the centre of a city or town, are not only making a comeback in urban planning, but they have a deeper history in the twentieth century than many expect – a history that provides valuable insight and lessons in the employment of networked green spaces in city design and regional planning today.

Part history, and part contemporary argument, this book first examines the emergence and global diffusion of the green wedge in town planning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, placing it in the broader historic context of debates and ideas for urban planning with nature, before going on to explore its use in contemporary urban practice. Examining their relation to green infrastructures, landscape ecology and landscape urbanism and their potential for sustainable cities, it highlights the continued relevance of a historic idea in an era of rapid climate change.