This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Dr. Rosanna Salvia
University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Rural Development
0 Socio-economic Analysis
0 Sustainability
0 Resilience Research
0 Socio-Ecological Systems

Fingerprints

Rural Development
Sustainability
Socio-Ecological Systems

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Case report
Published: 10 June 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The long-term impact of demographic transitions on the spatial distribution of human settlements was occasionally evaluated in Europe. Assuming the distinctive role of urban–rural divides, our study investigates local-scale population trends (1861–2017) in Southern Italy, a disadvantaged region of Mediterranean Europe, as a result of long-term socioeconomic transformations. A quantitative analysis of municipal-scale population data based on descriptive and exploratory multivariate statistics, mapping, inferential approaches, and regression models identified four time intervals with distinctive demographic dynamics: (i) a spatially homogeneous population growth between 1861 and 1911, (ii) a moderate population increase rebalancing a traditional divide in coastal and internal areas (1911–1951), (iii) accelerated population growth enlarging spatial divides in urban and rural districts (1951–1981), and (iv) population stability (or slight decline) leading to heterogeneous demographic patterns since the early 1980s. The first three stages reflect a prolonged transition from high fertility and mortality to high fertility and low mortality, with accelerated population growth typical of the latest stage of the first demographic transition. Outcomes of time interval (iv) reflect the early stages of the second demographic transition, with lowest-low fertility and rising life expectancy. While the first transition reflected spatially homogeneous population trends along a considerable time spam, the second transition has been associated with heterogeneous (leapfrog) demographic patterns as a result of socially mixed (and spatially) fragmented dynamics of growth and change.

ACS Style

Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta. Beyond the Transition: Long-Term Population Trends in a Disadvantaged Region of Southern Europe, 1861–2017. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6636 .

AMA Style

Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati, Giovanni Quaranta. Beyond the Transition: Long-Term Population Trends in a Disadvantaged Region of Southern Europe, 1861–2017. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6636.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta. 2021. "Beyond the Transition: Long-Term Population Trends in a Disadvantaged Region of Southern Europe, 1861–2017." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6636.

Journal article
Published: 12 April 2021 in Climate
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Climate change leverages landscape transformations and exerts variable pressure on natural environments and rural systems. Earlier studies outlined how Mediterranean Europe has become a global hotspot of climate warming and land use change. The present work assumes the olive tree, a typical Mediterranean crop, as a candidate bioclimatic indicator, delineating the latent impact of climate aridity on traditional cropping systems at the northern range of the biogeographical distribution of the olive tree. Since the olive tree follows a well-defined latitude gradient with a progressive decline in both frequency and density moving toward the north, we considered Italy as an appropriate case to investigate how climate change may (directly or indirectly) influence the spatial distribution of this crop. By adopting an exploratory approach grounded in the quali-quantitative analysis of official statistics, the present study investigates long-term changes over time in the spatial distribution of the olive tree surface area in Northern Italy, a region traditionally considered outside the ecological range of the species because of unsuitable climate conditions. Olive tree cultivated areas increased in Northern Italy, especially in flat districts and upland areas, while they decreased in Central and Southern Italy under optimal climate conditions, mostly because of land abandonment. The most intense expansion of the olive tree surface area in Italy was observed in the northern region between 1992 and 2000 and corresponded with the intensification of winter droughts during the late 1980s and the early 1990s and local warming since the mid-1980s. Assuming the intrinsic role of farmers in the expansion of the olive tree into the suboptimal land of Northern Italy, the empirical results of our study suggest how climate aridity and local warming may underlie the shift toward the north in the geographical range of the olive tree in the Mediterranean Basin. We finally discussed the implications of the olive range shift as a part of a possible landscape scenario for a more arid future.

ACS Style

Jesús Rodrigo-Comino; Rosanna Salvia; Giovanni Quaranta; Pavel Cudlín; Luca Salvati; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. Climate Aridity and the Geographical Shift of Olive Trees in a Mediterranean Northern Region. Climate 2021, 9, 64 .

AMA Style

Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Rosanna Salvia, Giovanni Quaranta, Pavel Cudlín, Luca Salvati, Antonio Gimenez-Morera. Climate Aridity and the Geographical Shift of Olive Trees in a Mediterranean Northern Region. Climate. 2021; 9 (4):64.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jesús Rodrigo-Comino; Rosanna Salvia; Giovanni Quaranta; Pavel Cudlín; Luca Salvati; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. 2021. "Climate Aridity and the Geographical Shift of Olive Trees in a Mediterranean Northern Region." Climate 9, no. 4: 64.

Journal article
Published: 06 April 2021 in ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This study investigates long-term landscape transformations (1949–2016) in urban Rome, Central Italy, through a spatial distribution of seven metrics (core, islet, perforation, edge, loop, bridge, branch) derived from a Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) analyzed separately for seven land-use classes (built-up areas, arable land, crop mosaic, vineyards, olive groves, forests, pastures). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been finally adopted to characterize landscape structure at 1949 and 2016. Results of the MSPA demonstrate how both natural and agricultural land-uses have decreased following urban expansion. Moreover, the percent ‘core’ area of each class declined substantially, although with different intensity. These results clearly indicate ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ after long-term landscape transformations: urban settlements and forests belong to the former category, the remaining land-use classes (mostly agricultural) belong to the latter category. Descriptive statistics and multivariate exploratory techniques finally documented the intrinsic complexity characteristic of actual landscapes. The findings of this study also demonstrate how settlements have expanded chaotically over the study area, reflecting a progressive ‘fractalization’ and inhomogeneity of fringe landscapes, with negative implications for metropolitan sustainability at large. These transformations were unable to leverage processes of settlement and economic re-agglomeration around sub-centers typical of polycentric development in the most advanced socioeconomic contexts.

ACS Style

Samaneh Nickayin; Luca Salvati; Rosa Coluzzi; Maria Lanfredi; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Rosanna Salvia; Giovanni Quaranta; Ahmed Alhuseen; Luisa Gaburova. What Happens in the City When Long-Term Urban Expansion and (Un)Sustainable Fringe Development Occur: The Case Study of Rome. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 2021, 10, 231 .

AMA Style

Samaneh Nickayin, Luca Salvati, Rosa Coluzzi, Maria Lanfredi, Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Rosanna Salvia, Giovanni Quaranta, Ahmed Alhuseen, Luisa Gaburova. What Happens in the City When Long-Term Urban Expansion and (Un)Sustainable Fringe Development Occur: The Case Study of Rome. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 2021; 10 (4):231.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samaneh Nickayin; Luca Salvati; Rosa Coluzzi; Maria Lanfredi; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Rosanna Salvia; Giovanni Quaranta; Ahmed Alhuseen; Luisa Gaburova. 2021. "What Happens in the City When Long-Term Urban Expansion and (Un)Sustainable Fringe Development Occur: The Case Study of Rome." ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 10, no. 4: 231.

Short communication
Published: 20 March 2021 in Ecological Indicators
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This work provides a multi-scale, multi-temporal assessment of the robustness of 6 indicators of land degradation aggregated at various spatial domains relevant to environmental reporting. Based on the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) approach – widely used for environmental reporting of land degradation in Europe – we tested six indicators including (i) the average ESA score, (ii) the maximum ESA score, (iii) the coefficient of variation in the ESA scores, (iv) the normalized range in the ESA scores, as well as the extent of (v) ‘fragile’ and (vi) ‘critical’ areas based on a standard land classification developed on behalf of the ESA framework. Statistical robustness and intrinsic stability of these indicators were verified at six spatial domains (administrative regions, provinces, elevation belts, homogeneous economic districts, rural districts, municipalities) separately for three time points (early-1960s, early-1990s, and early-2010s). Results of a mixed parametric/non-parametric correlation analysis indicate that pair-wise relationships between indicators were mostly linear. A Principal Component Analysis identified two non-redundant dimensions associated with the average level of land degradation sensitivity and its intrinsic variability over space; indicators resulted to be associated exclusively with one of these two dimensions for all study years. Average level of sensitivity and variability over space provide, together, a comprehensive and statistically robust assessment of land degradation at vastly different planning levels, irrespective of the territorial domain adopted for environmental reporting.

ACS Style

Samaneh Sadat Nickayin; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Sirio Cividino; Pavel Cudlin; Luca Salvati. Reporting land degradation sensitivity through multiple indicators: Does scale matter? Ecological Indicators 2021, 125, 107560 .

AMA Style

Samaneh Sadat Nickayin, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Sirio Cividino, Pavel Cudlin, Luca Salvati. Reporting land degradation sensitivity through multiple indicators: Does scale matter? Ecological Indicators. 2021; 125 ():107560.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samaneh Sadat Nickayin; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Sirio Cividino; Pavel Cudlin; Luca Salvati. 2021. "Reporting land degradation sensitivity through multiple indicators: Does scale matter?" Ecological Indicators 125, no. : 107560.

Journal article
Published: 16 February 2021 in Data
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Diachronic variations in demographic rates have frequently reflected social transformations and a (more or less evident) impact of sequential economic downturns. By assessing changes over time in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) at the regional scale in Italy, our study investigates the long-term transition (1952–2019) characteristic of Mediterranean fertility, showing a continuous decline of births since the late 1970s and marked disparities between high- and low-fertility regions along the latitude gradient. Together with a rapid decline in the country TFR, the spatiotemporal evolution of regional fertility in Italy—illustrated through an exploratory time series statistical approach—outlines the marked divide between (wealthier) Northern regions and (economically disadvantaged) Southern regions. Non-linear fertility trends and increasing spatial heterogeneity in more recent times indicate the role of individual behaviors leveraging a generalized decline in marriage and childbearing propensity. Assuming differential responses of regional fertility to changing socioeconomic contexts, these trends are more evident in Southern Italy than in Northern Italy. Reasons at the base of such fertility patterns were extensively discussed focusing—among others—on the distinctive contribution of internal and international migrations to regional fertility rates. Based on these findings, Southern Italy, an economically disadvantaged, peripheral region in Mediterranean Europe, is taken as a paradigmatic case of demographic shrinkage—whose causes and consequences can be generalized to wider contexts in (and outside) Europe.

ACS Style

Jesus Rodrigo-Comino; Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. High-to-Low (Regional) Fertility Transitions in a Peripheral European Country: The Contribution of Exploratory Time Series Analysis. Data 2021, 6, 19 .

AMA Style

Jesus Rodrigo-Comino, Gianluca Egidi, Luca Salvati, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Antonio Gimenez-Morera. High-to-Low (Regional) Fertility Transitions in a Peripheral European Country: The Contribution of Exploratory Time Series Analysis. Data. 2021; 6 (2):19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jesus Rodrigo-Comino; Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. 2021. "High-to-Low (Regional) Fertility Transitions in a Peripheral European Country: The Contribution of Exploratory Time Series Analysis." Data 6, no. 2: 19.

Communication
Published: 14 February 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Soil loss and peri-urban settlement expansion are key issues in urban sustainability, with multi-disciplinary implications that go beyond individual ecological and socioeconomic dimensions. Our study illustrates an assessment framework diachronically evaluating urbanization-driven soil quality loss in a Southern European metropolitan region (Athens, Greece). We tested the assumption that urban growth is a process consuming high-quality soils in a selective way analyzing two spatial layers, a map illustrating the diachronic expansion of settlements at five time points (1948, 1975, 1990, 2000, and 2018), and a geo-database reporting basic soil properties. The empirical results showed that the urban expansion in the Athens region took place by consuming higher- quality soil in fertile, mostly flat, districts. It entailed a persistent soil quality decrease over time. This trend globally accelerated in recent years, but in a heterogeneous way. Actually, newly built, more compact areas expanded on soils with lower erosion risk than in the past. Besides, low-density land take is likely to be observed in soils with moderate-high or very-high qualities. These evidences reflect the need for a comprehensive evaluation of complex processes of land take informing spatial planning for metropolitan sustainability.

ACS Style

Samaneh Nickayin; Francesca Perrone; Barbara Ermini; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Filippo Gambella; Gianluca Egidi. Soil Quality and Peri-Urban Expansion of Cities: A Mediterranean Experience (Athens, Greece). Sustainability 2021, 13, 2042 .

AMA Style

Samaneh Nickayin, Francesca Perrone, Barbara Ermini, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Filippo Gambella, Gianluca Egidi. Soil Quality and Peri-Urban Expansion of Cities: A Mediterranean Experience (Athens, Greece). Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2042.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samaneh Nickayin; Francesca Perrone; Barbara Ermini; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Filippo Gambella; Gianluca Egidi. 2021. "Soil Quality and Peri-Urban Expansion of Cities: A Mediterranean Experience (Athens, Greece)." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2042.

Commentary
Published: 28 January 2021 in Land
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Urban growth is a largely debated issue in social science. Specific forms of metropolitan expansion—including sprawl—involve multiple and fascinating research dimensions, making mixed (quali-quantitative) analysis of this phenomenon particularly complex and challenging at the same time. Urban sprawl has attracting the attention of multidisciplinary studies defining nature, dynamics, and consequences that dispersed low-density settlements are having on biophysical and socioeconomic contexts worldwide. The present commentary provides a brief overview on nature and implications of the latent relationship between sprawl, demographic dynamics, and background socio-environmental contexts with special focus on Europe. Empirical evidence supports the idea that spatial planning should cope more effectively with the increasing environmental and socioeconomic exposure of European regions to sprawl and demographic transitions, being progressively far away from a traditional urban cycle with sequential waves of urbanization, suburbanization, counter-urbanization, and re-urbanization. Growing socio-ecological vulnerability of metropolitan regions was evaluated based on a literature review demonstrating how a better comprehension of the intimate linkage between long-term demographic dynamics and urban cycles is necessary to inform fine-tuned policies controlling sprawl and promoting a sustainable management of peri-urban land.

ACS Style

Daniela Smiraglia; Luca Salvati; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Antonio Giménez-Morera; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir. Toward a New Urban Cycle? A Closer Look to Sprawl, Demographic Transitions and the Environment in Europe. Land 2021, 10, 127 .

AMA Style

Daniela Smiraglia, Luca Salvati, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Antonio Giménez-Morera, Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir. Toward a New Urban Cycle? A Closer Look to Sprawl, Demographic Transitions and the Environment in Europe. Land. 2021; 10 (2):127.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniela Smiraglia; Luca Salvati; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Antonio Giménez-Morera; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir. 2021. "Toward a New Urban Cycle? A Closer Look to Sprawl, Demographic Transitions and the Environment in Europe." Land 10, no. 2: 127.

Journal article
Published: 20 January 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Fertility is a spatially non-stationary property of regional demographic systems. Despite the wealth of quantitative (micro–macro) information delineating short-term population dynamics in advanced economies, the contribution of economic downturns to local fertility has still been under-investigated along urban–rural gradients, especially in low-fertility contexts. Recent studies have assumed suburban fertility rates as systematically higher than urban and rural fertility rates. This assumption (hereafter known as the “suburban fertility hypothesis”) has been grounded on stylized facts and spatial regularities in advanced economies that reflect a significant role of both macro (contextual) and micro (behavioral) factors that positively influence fertility in suburban locations. To test the suburban fertility hypothesis at the macro-scale, the present study compares gross fertility rates from seven regional units of the Athens metropolitan area between 1991 and 2018. A refined spatial analysis of gross fertility rates during an economic expansion (1999–2008) and recession (2009–2018) was carried out in 115 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities of the same area. Experiencing sequential waves of economic expansion and recession, Athens’ socio-demographic dynamics were considered a sort of “quasi-experiment” for Southern Europe, linking late suburbanization with the multiple impacts of (rapid) economic downturns. Compared with both urban and rural locations, a higher fertility rate in suburban municipalities (15–20 km away from downtown Athens) was observed during the study period. However, a subtle distinction was observed during the economic expansion versus the recession. In the first period, the highest birth rates were recorded in industrial locations west of Athens, hosting economically disadvantaged communities with a relatively young population structure. With the recession, the highest fertility was associated with residential and service-specialized (wealthier) locations east of Athens, attracting resident population from neighboring areas, and better responding to crisis. The results of our study document how recent urban expansion and economic downturns have intrinsically shaped fertility dynamics, with implications for urban sustainability and social cohesion of metropolitan regions.

ACS Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Adele Sateriano; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1052 .

AMA Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati, Adele Sateriano, Antonio Gimenez-Morera. Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1052.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Adele Sateriano; Antonio Gimenez-Morera. 2021. "Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1052.

Commentary
Published: 08 January 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The linkage between land-use change and demographic transitions in advanced countries has becoming increasingly complex because of the mutual interplay of environmental and socioeconomic spheres influencing the degree of sustainability of both regional and local developmental processes. The relationship between urbanization and economic development has been relatively well investigated by clarifying the consequent impacts on population dynamics. In the early phases of urbanization and economic development, population grew at a particularly high rate, declining (more or less rapidly) in the subsequent time interval. Improving income and education opportunities in urban settings resulted in further urbanization, leading to progressively lower fertility. At the same time, a more general view on the relationship between land-use change and demographic transition focusing on a broader spectrum of landscape processes (including farmland abandonment and forest expansion) at larger spatial scales (from regional to country and continental scale) is increasingly required. The present study provides an integrated view of the relationship between land-use change, urbanization, and demographic transitions with specific focus on Europe. Considering divergent processes of landscape transformations in a unified socioeconomic view may evidence the intimate linkage with recent population trends in both urban and rural areas.

ACS Style

Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Andrea Falcone; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Renata Vcelakova; Antonio Giménez-Morera. Re-Framing the Latent Nexus between Land-Use Change, Urbanization and Demographic Transitions in Advanced Economies. Sustainability 2021, 13, 533 .

AMA Style

Gianluca Egidi, Luca Salvati, Andrea Falcone, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Renata Vcelakova, Antonio Giménez-Morera. Re-Framing the Latent Nexus between Land-Use Change, Urbanization and Demographic Transitions in Advanced Economies. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):533.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Andrea Falcone; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Renata Vcelakova; Antonio Giménez-Morera. 2021. "Re-Framing the Latent Nexus between Land-Use Change, Urbanization and Demographic Transitions in Advanced Economies." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 533.

Original paper
Published: 02 January 2021 in Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Density-dependent population growth is a powerful engine of metropolitan expansion. However, spatial heterogeneity in demographic dynamics of advanced economies makes identification of density-dependent mechanisms of population growth a particularly hard task. The intrinsic linkage between long-term population increase, settlement expansion, and economic growth was investigated in Southern Italy, a peripheral European region, with use of Geographically Weighted Regressions verifying (global and local) mechanisms of density-dependent population growth in 2500 municipalities between 1861 and 2019. At the global scale, results demonstrate that population growth rates increased with population density since 1951. At the local scale, this relationship was particularly evident in the largest metropolitan regions (Naples, Bari, Palermo, Cagliari) between 1951 and 1981, becoming more intense in coastal, rural districts between 1991 and 2019. These findings delineate the predominance of density-independent mechanisms of population growth up to World War II, in a context of high fertility and accelerated emigration rates from Southern Italy. A density-dependent population growth was observed since 1951, enlarging socioeconomic disparities and consolidating the urban hierarchy centred on few large cities. Taken together, these results evidence the intrinsic nexus between demographic dynamics and agglomeration/scale factors fuelling urban expansion and state-driven industrialization in Italy.

ACS Style

Gianluca Egidi; Giovanni Quaranta; Luca Salvati; Rosanna Salvia; Gimenez Morera Antonio. Investigating density-dependent patterns of population growth in Southern Italy, 1861–2019. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences 2021, 14, 11 -30.

AMA Style

Gianluca Egidi, Giovanni Quaranta, Luca Salvati, Rosanna Salvia, Gimenez Morera Antonio. Investigating density-dependent patterns of population growth in Southern Italy, 1861–2019. Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences. 2021; 14 (1):11-30.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianluca Egidi; Giovanni Quaranta; Luca Salvati; Rosanna Salvia; Gimenez Morera Antonio. 2021. "Investigating density-dependent patterns of population growth in Southern Italy, 1861–2019." Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences 14, no. 1: 11-30.

Commentary
Published: 09 October 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Land degradation is more evident where conditions of environmental vulnerability already exist because of arid climate and unsustainable forms of land exploitation. Consequently, semi-arid and dry areas have been identified as vulnerable land, requiring attention from both science and policy perspectives. In some regions, such as the Mediterranean region, land degradation is particularly intense, although there are no extreme ecological conditions. In these contexts, a wide range of formal and informal responses is necessary to face particularly complex and spatially differentiated territorial processes. However, the fit of responses has been demonstrated to be different over time and space according to the underlying socioeconomic context and the specific ecological conditions. The present commentary discusses this sort of “entropy” in the policy response to land degradation in Southern Europe, outlining the intrinsic complexity of human–nature dynamics at the base of such processes. Reflecting the need of differentiated regional strategies and more specific national measures to combat desertification, three policy frameworks (agro-environmental, economic, social) with an indirect impact on fighting land degradation have been considered, delineating the importance of policy assemblages. Finally, the importance of policy impact assessment methodologies was highlighted, focusing on the possible responses reinforcing a continental strategy against land degradation. By evidencing the role of participatory planning, developmental policies indirectly addressing land degradation reveal to be an important vector of more specific measures abating desertification risk, creating, in turn, a favorable context for direct interventions of mitigation or adaptation to climate change.

ACS Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Daniela Smiraglia; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Antonio Giménez-Morera. Land Degradation and Mitigation Policies in the Mediterranean Region: A Brief Commentary. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8313 .

AMA Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Daniela Smiraglia, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati, Antonio Giménez-Morera. Land Degradation and Mitigation Policies in the Mediterranean Region: A Brief Commentary. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8313.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Daniela Smiraglia; Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Antonio Giménez-Morera. 2020. "Land Degradation and Mitigation Policies in the Mediterranean Region: A Brief Commentary." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8313.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Multifaceted demographic dynamics have shaped population growth in Mediterranean Europe, reflecting a metropolitan cycle from urbanization to re-urbanization. To assess the distinctive impact of economic downturns on population dynamics, the present study illustrates the results of an exploratory analysis that assesses urban expansion and rural decline at various temporal scales in Greece, a peripheral country in southeastern Europe. Statistical analysis based on multivariate exploratory techniques outlined the persistent increase of regional populations, evidencing the distinctive role of agglomeration/scale with urbanization and early suburbanization phases (1940–1980) and accessibility/amenities with late suburbanization and re-urbanization phases (1981–2019). Recession accompanied (and, in some way, consolidated) the decline of agglomeration economies, leading to counter-urbanization in some cases. As an indirect result of counter-urbanization, the population increased more rapidly in low-density coastal areas with moderate accessibility and tourism specialization. Consistently, settlement expansion has altered the persistent gap in central and peripheral locations. A polarized urban hierarchy centered on the capital city, Athens, was replaced with a more diffused growth of medium-sized cities and attractive rural locations, depicting a new development path for lagging countries in the European Union and other socioeconomic contexts worldwide.

ACS Style

Rosanna Salvia; Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Jesús Rodrigo Comino; Giovanni Quaranta. In-Between ‘Smart’ Urban Growth and ‘Sluggish’ Rural Development? Reframing Population Dynamics in Greece, 1940–2019. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6165 .

AMA Style

Rosanna Salvia, Gianluca Egidi, Luca Salvati, Jesús Rodrigo Comino, Giovanni Quaranta. In-Between ‘Smart’ Urban Growth and ‘Sluggish’ Rural Development? Reframing Population Dynamics in Greece, 1940–2019. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (15):6165.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosanna Salvia; Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Jesús Rodrigo Comino; Giovanni Quaranta. 2020. "In-Between ‘Smart’ Urban Growth and ‘Sluggish’ Rural Development? Reframing Population Dynamics in Greece, 1940–2019." Sustainability 12, no. 15: 6165.

Journal article
Published: 17 June 2020 in Land
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Considering settlement characteristics and population dynamics together over multiple spatio-temporal scales, the present study analyzes the spatial distribution of sparse settlements and population surrounding a large city in Southern Europe (Athens, Greece), in relation with long-term metropolitan growth and recent economic downturns. Results of the analysis identify regional-scale processes of urban compaction during economic expansion (2000s) with incorporation of scattered settlements in a high-density urban fabric, and moderate urban dispersion affecting low-density, peripheral areas in the subsequent period of recession (2010s). However, more heterogeneous dynamics were observed at the local scale. With economic expansion, a slight increase in the number of settlements was observed in local districts experiencing intense sprawl in earlier decades. With recession, a slight decrease in the number of settlements was, in turn, recorded in some rural districts surrounding compact urban centers, likely acting as local hotspots of urban re-densification. Given the multiplicity of socioeconomic factors involved, our findings highlight how urban development follows sequential phases of compaction and dispersion, based on locally differentiated spatial regimes characterizing settlement expansion and population growth. Sustainable urban management should face more actively with increasingly fragmented settlement dynamics at the fringe, prefiguring an appropriate spatial balance between urban centers and sparse settlements in light of recent demographic trends.

ACS Style

Rosanna Salvia; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Sirio Cividino; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta. From Rural Spaces to Peri-Urban Districts: Metropolitan Growth, Sparse Settlements and Demographic Dynamics in a Mediterranean Region. Land 2020, 9, 200 .

AMA Style

Rosanna Salvia, Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Sirio Cividino, Luca Salvati, Giovanni Quaranta. From Rural Spaces to Peri-Urban Districts: Metropolitan Growth, Sparse Settlements and Demographic Dynamics in a Mediterranean Region. Land. 2020; 9 (6):200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosanna Salvia; Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Sirio Cividino; Luca Salvati; Giovanni Quaranta. 2020. "From Rural Spaces to Peri-Urban Districts: Metropolitan Growth, Sparse Settlements and Demographic Dynamics in a Mediterranean Region." Land 9, no. 6: 200.

Commentary
Published: 23 May 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Land degradation is perceived worldwide as a key process of resource depletion, representing a paradigmatic issue in national and supra-national political agendas for the 21st century in both advanced and emerging economies. Trying to delineate a ‘new lexicon of land degradation’, the present study contributes to a holistic thinking of driving forces in local communities and regional contexts through a refined analysis and discussion of (apparent and latent) factors of land degradation. Rethinking the importance of five notions (time, space, scale, systems, and response) having an intimate linkage with land degradation allows a refined understanding of socio-environmental dynamics and the most appropriate actions to combat (or mitigate) land resource depletion. The conclusions summarize the rationale proposed in this work, and provide a brief outlook on future research addressing land degradation, its drivers and consequences.

ACS Style

Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Pavel Cudlin; Rosanna Salvia; Manuela Romagnoli. A New ‘Lexicon’ of Land Degradation: Toward a Holistic Thinking for Complex Socioeconomic Issues. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4285 .

AMA Style

Gianluca Egidi, Luca Salvati, Pavel Cudlin, Rosanna Salvia, Manuela Romagnoli. A New ‘Lexicon’ of Land Degradation: Toward a Holistic Thinking for Complex Socioeconomic Issues. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4285.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianluca Egidi; Luca Salvati; Pavel Cudlin; Rosanna Salvia; Manuela Romagnoli. 2020. "A New ‘Lexicon’ of Land Degradation: Toward a Holistic Thinking for Complex Socioeconomic Issues." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4285.

Journal article
Published: 02 April 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In the light of complex adaptive system thinking, population age structures in Europe have increasingly reflected the interplay between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ socioeconomic dynamics driven by natural population growth and migration. Assuming the importance of demographic dynamics shaping regional growth in recent times, a diachronic analysis of local-scale population age structures was developed for 156 districts of Greece between 1971 and 2011. By using appropriate indicators, the analysis was aimed at demonstrating how ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ transitions contribute to socioeconomic change in both urban and rural areas. A comprehensive analysis of change in population age structures between 1971 and 2011 allows identification of latent spatial structures as a result of population re-distribution from urban cores to broader rural regions. Following residential mobility, the empirical results of this study indicate (i) a late phase of urbanization (1971–1981) with population densification and settlement compactness, (i) a rapid suburbanization (1981–1991) consolidating distinctive demographic structures in urban and rural areas, (ii) a mild counter-urbanization (1991–2001) with moderate aging of suburban populations and (iii) a latent re-urbanization (2001–2011) reducing the suburban-urban divide in population age structures. Residential mobility contributed to a more balanced age structure during suburbanization and an increased demographic divide in the subsequent urban waves. A refined analysis of long-term population dynamics in metropolitan regions reflects spatial outcomes and latent aspects of demographic transitions shedding light on the debate over the future development of urban and rural societies in advanced economies.

ACS Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Sirio Cividino; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati. Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2828 .

AMA Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Sirio Cividino, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati. Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):2828.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir; Sirio Cividino; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati. 2020. "Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2828.

Journal article
Published: 13 March 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Although Southern Europe is relatively homogeneous in terms of settlement characteristics and urban dynamics, spatial heterogeneity in its population distribution is still high, and differences across regions outline specific demographic patterns that require in-depth investigation. In such contexts, density-dependent mechanisms of population growth are a key factor regulating socio-demographic dynamics at various spatial levels. Results of a spatio-temporal analysis of the distribution of the resident population in Greece contributes to identifying latent (density-dependent) processes of metropolitan growth over a sufficiently long time interval (1961-2011). Identification of density-dependent patterns of population growth contributes to the analysis of socioeconomic factors underlying demographic divides, possibly distinguishing between the effects of population concentration and dispersion. Population growth rates were non-linearly correlated with population density, highlighting a positive (or negative) impact of urban concentration on demographic growth when population is lower (or higher) than a fixed threshold (2800 and 1300 inhabitants/km2 in 1961 and 2011, respectively). In a context of low population density (less than 20 inhabitants/km2), the relationship between density and growth was again negative, contrasting with the positive and linear relationship observed in denser contexts. This result evidences a sort of ‘depopulation’ trap that leads to accelerated population decline under a defined density threshold. An improved understanding of density-dependent mechanisms of population growth and decline contributes to rethinking strategies of sustainable development and social policies more adapted to heterogeneous regional contexts.

ACS Style

Mariateresa Ciommi; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Sirio Cividino; Kostas Rontos; Luca Salvati. Population Dynamics and Agglomeration Factors: A Non-Linear Threshold Estimation of Density Effects. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2257 .

AMA Style

Mariateresa Ciommi, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Sirio Cividino, Kostas Rontos, Luca Salvati. Population Dynamics and Agglomeration Factors: A Non-Linear Threshold Estimation of Density Effects. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (6):2257.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariateresa Ciommi; Gianluca Egidi; Rosanna Salvia; Sirio Cividino; Kostas Rontos; Luca Salvati. 2020. "Population Dynamics and Agglomeration Factors: A Non-Linear Threshold Estimation of Density Effects." Sustainability 12, no. 6: 2257.

Research article
Published: 24 February 2020 in Land Degradation & Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Depopulation and economic marginalization of rural districts have induced a progressive land abandonment in agricultural and pastoral districts. In Europe, areas at higher risk of farmland abandonment are characterized by low‐intensity pasture systems whose fate is strongly dependent on state incentives or subsidies to rural development promoting more sustainable land‐use trajectories. Especially in Southern Europe, undergrazing is the main driver of pasture degradation. In such a context, a land management preserving pasture resilience requires a wider knowledge about the impact of practices on the ecological characteristics of pastures and an improved understanding of complex socio‐environmental interactions underlying the adoption of such practices. Based on these premises, this study investigates the extent to which the past land management reflects the current state of agro‐pastoral systems in a local community of Southern Apennine (Basilicata, Italy). Based on a multi‐scale analysis integrating multiple sources of data and exploratory techniques, three land‐use trajectories with different implications for land degradation were identified: (i) areas completely abandoned, (ii) areas with a decrease in grazing where the management system is remained unchanged and, (iii) areas characterized by a decrease in grazing with changes in the management system. Results outline the importance of landscape history shaping (optimal and sub‐optimal) land management and the influence of landscape structure on livestock performances within different farm management types. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Velia De Paola; Rosa Coluzzi; Vito Imbrenda; Tiziana Simoniello. Long‐term impacts of grazing management on land degradation in a rural community of Southern Italy: Depopulation matters. Land Degradation & Development 2020, 31, 1 .

AMA Style

Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati, Velia De Paola, Rosa Coluzzi, Vito Imbrenda, Tiziana Simoniello. Long‐term impacts of grazing management on land degradation in a rural community of Southern Italy: Depopulation matters. Land Degradation & Development. 2020; 31 (16):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanni Quaranta; Rosanna Salvia; Luca Salvati; Velia De Paola; Rosa Coluzzi; Vito Imbrenda; Tiziana Simoniello. 2020. "Long‐term impacts of grazing management on land degradation in a rural community of Southern Italy: Depopulation matters." Land Degradation & Development 31, no. 16: 1.

Commentary
Published: 13 January 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive reflection on the most significant patterns and underlying processes. While the “sprawl” notion parallels hegemonic concepts such as economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and polycentric development, an integrated analysis of sprawl patterns and processes in paradigmatic socioeconomic contexts is increasingly required to reconcile different disciplinary visions, contributing to a holistic interpretation of metropolitan change. At the same time, sprawl is an increasingly evident product of local socioeconomic contexts all over the world. A comprehensive investigation of multifaceted, form–function relationships underlying sprawl—based on a quali-quantitative analysis of representative cases—is a crucial pre-requisite of both monitoring and policy actions at multiple spatial scales, from urban/regional to national/continental levels. The present contribution proposes a contextualization of the sprawl notion in Southern Europe—a socioeconomic context characterized by compact and continuous urbanization for a long time. An integrated approach based on a visual analysis of urban and peri-urban landscapes—integrated with an extended literature survey—allows for a definition of a specific sprawl model in Southern Europe, sharing some features with the United States ideal type of sprawl and showing peculiarities with respect to common models of urban dispersion typical of Northern and Western Europe. Policies aimed at containing urban dispersion may definitely benefit from a local-based definition of sprawl, considering the specificity of form–function relationships and the underlying socioeconomic context.

ACS Style

Gianluca Egidi; Sirio Cividino; Sabato Vinci; Adele Sateriano; Rosanna Salvia. Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization. Sustainability 2020, 12, 582 .

AMA Style

Gianluca Egidi, Sirio Cividino, Sabato Vinci, Adele Sateriano, Rosanna Salvia. Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (2):582.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianluca Egidi; Sirio Cividino; Sabato Vinci; Adele Sateriano; Rosanna Salvia. 2020. "Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization." Sustainability 12, no. 2: 582.

Case report
Published: 14 December 2019 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Resilience thinking is an appropriate framework when assessing the transitional potential of complex urban systems. The transformation of abandoned spaces into local hubs attracting new and innovative activities and events promotes a socioeconomic renaissance in urban communities, by stimulating adaptation to change, enhancing local resilience and strengthening urban–rural links. Under the conceptual umbrella of resilience thinking, the present study illustrates the outcomes of an integrated program of research-action aimed at urban regeneration in a medium-sized, economically disadvantaged city in Southern Italy (Battipaglia, Campania). The transformation of an abandoned building into an ‘Art–Food Hub’—a multi-purpose and creative cultural space—based on resilience thinking was the specific case analyzed in our study. Appropriate stakeholders were identified and involved in a series of field activities and workshops, with the final objective of informing a comprehensive strategy strengthening awareness to change and capacity building. More specifically, stakeholder involvement was carried out with two aims: first, to make stakeholders active participants in co-designing a Strategic Urban Planning Document for Battipaglia and, second, to evaluate to what extent the proposed initiative contributes to building local resilience. By explicitly considering cross-scale drivers of community resilience, the results of this study show how the concept of resilience can be practically applied to policy formulation and implementation.

ACS Style

Giovanni Quaranta; Cristina Dalia; Luca Salvati; Rosanna Salvia. Building Resilience: An Art–Food Hub to Connect Local Communities. Sustainability 2019, 11, 7169 .

AMA Style

Giovanni Quaranta, Cristina Dalia, Luca Salvati, Rosanna Salvia. Building Resilience: An Art–Food Hub to Connect Local Communities. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (24):7169.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanni Quaranta; Cristina Dalia; Luca Salvati; Rosanna Salvia. 2019. "Building Resilience: An Art–Food Hub to Connect Local Communities." Sustainability 11, no. 24: 7169.

Commentary
Published: 11 December 2019 in Land
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification defines ‘land degradation’ as a reduction or loss of the biological and economic productivity resulting from land-use mismanagement, or a combination of processes, such as soil erosion, deterioration of soil properties, and loss of natural vegetation and biodiversity. Land degradation is hence an interactive process involving multiple factors, among which climate, land-use, economic dynamics and socio-demographic forces play a key role. Especially in the Mediterranean basin, joint biophysical and socioeconomic factors shape the intrinsic level of vulnerability of both natural and agricultural land to degradation. The interplay between biophysical and socioeconomic factors may become extremely complex over time and space, resulting in specific patterns of landscape deterioration. This paper summarizes theoretical expectations and empirical knowledge in the field of soil and landscape degradation in Mediterranean Europe, evidencing the intimate relationship between agriculture and socio-demographic factors of growth (or decline) of rural areas. Understanding spatio-temporal trends of each factor underlying land degradation and the related background context is a key tool in the assessment of the spatial distribution of vulnerable and critical land to degradation. Empirical results of a permanent monitoring of land degradation contributes to delineate more effective conservation policies through identification of target areas requiring specific actions for biodiversity and landscape protection. With increasing human pressure on rural environments, a diachronic evaluation of patterns and processes of land degradation reveals particularly appropriate in a both positive and normative perspective, prefiguring new actions for soil conservation and landscape valorization under global change.

ACS Style

Rosanna Salvia; Gianluca Egidi; Sabato Vinci; Luca Salvati. Desertification Risk and Rural Development in Southern Europe: Permanent Assessment and Implications for Sustainable Land Management and Mitigation Policies. Land 2019, 8, 191 .

AMA Style

Rosanna Salvia, Gianluca Egidi, Sabato Vinci, Luca Salvati. Desertification Risk and Rural Development in Southern Europe: Permanent Assessment and Implications for Sustainable Land Management and Mitigation Policies. Land. 2019; 8 (12):191.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosanna Salvia; Gianluca Egidi; Sabato Vinci; Luca Salvati. 2019. "Desertification Risk and Rural Development in Southern Europe: Permanent Assessment and Implications for Sustainable Land Management and Mitigation Policies." Land 8, no. 12: 191.