This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Lately, the model of circular economy has gained worldwide interest. Within its concept, waste is viewed as a beneficial resource that needs to be re-introduced in the supply chains, which also requires the use of raw materials, energy, and water to be minimized. Undeniably, a strong link exists between the bioeconomy, circular economy, bioproducts, and bioenergy. In this light, in order to promote a circular economy, a range of alternative options and technologies for biowaste exploitation are currently available. In this paper, we propose a generic methodological scheme for the development of small, medium, or large-scale units of alternative biowaste treatment, with an emphasis on the production of bioenergy and other bioproducts. With the use of multi-criteria decision analysis, the model simultaneously considers environmental, economic, and social criteria to support robust decision-making. In order to validate the methodology, the latter was demonstrated in a real-world case study for the development of a facility in the region of Serres, Greece. Based on the proposed methodological scheme, the optimal location of the facility was selected, based on its excellent assessment in criteria related to environmental performance, financial considerations, and local acceptance. Moreover, anaerobic digestion of agricultural residues, together with farming and livestock wastes, was recommended in order to produce bioenergy and bioproducts.
Christos Vlachokostas; Charisios Achillas; Ioannis Agnantiaris; Alexandra V. Michailidou; Christos Pallas; Eleni Feleki; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Decision Support System to Implement Units of Alternative Biowaste Treatment for Producing Bioenergy and Boosting Local Bioeconomy. Energies 2020, 13, 2306 .
AMA StyleChristos Vlachokostas, Charisios Achillas, Ioannis Agnantiaris, Alexandra V. Michailidou, Christos Pallas, Eleni Feleki, Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Decision Support System to Implement Units of Alternative Biowaste Treatment for Producing Bioenergy and Boosting Local Bioeconomy. Energies. 2020; 13 (9):2306.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristos Vlachokostas; Charisios Achillas; Ioannis Agnantiaris; Alexandra V. Michailidou; Christos Pallas; Eleni Feleki; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. 2020. "Decision Support System to Implement Units of Alternative Biowaste Treatment for Producing Bioenergy and Boosting Local Bioeconomy." Energies 13, no. 9: 2306.
In the past decades several attempts were made for the ad-hoc application of systems of indicators as decision-support tools towards sustainable urban development. The selected systems’ results are often questioned, either for the suitability of the selected system per se, or for its ability to characterize effectively urban sustainability. In the attempt to satisfy the demanding needs of indicators’ systems, the primar reason for which such tools were introduced is often neglected and we enter into an endless, time consuming process of arithmetic calculations, forgetting about the need to link results to strategies and applicable measures. Citizens’ perception and social maturity to accept decisions, as well as the multiplying effect of decisions to the environment, applicability and funding availability, are criteria that need to be considered, before the uptake of decisions. The current study introduces an ‘‘Indicator System for Characterization of Urban Sustainability’’ (ICARUS). ICARUS is a system for the elaboration of sustainability profile of a city. It addresses the Euro-Mediterranean urban contexts that from an eco-systemic approach point of view interact in a unique way with sustainability pillars. It is designed for aiding the delivery of the sustainability agenda as well. The methodological framework leads to a prioritized list of sustainability measures that takes into consideration not only stand-alone data but also citizens’ perception and assessment against other important criteria. The methodology is applied for the case of Municipality of Thessaloniki, in Greece. Proximity to basic services, green element and space for pedestrians are the most highly hierarchized measures.
Eleni Feleki; Christos Vlachokostas; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Holistic methodological framework for the characterization of urban sustainability and strategic planning. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 243, 118432 .
AMA StyleEleni Feleki, Christos Vlachokostas, Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Holistic methodological framework for the characterization of urban sustainability and strategic planning. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 243 ():118432.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEleni Feleki; Christos Vlachokostas; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. 2019. "Holistic methodological framework for the characterization of urban sustainability and strategic planning." Journal of Cleaner Production 243, no. : 118432.
Globalisation combined with high urbanisation trends affects not only the traditional pillars of sustainability (environment, society, and economy), but also local identity. Customs and traditions are fading away and alienation is the result of new lifestyles deriving mainly from high interaction between locals and foreigners (focus on tourism). Facing the challenge of characterising urban sustainability, reflection on special characteristics of the urban fabric that are affected (spatial dimension of sustainability) is not always considered. Even though a lot of research is dedicated to the characterisation of urban areas’ sustainability, the element of local, regional, and macro-regional identity seems not to be systematically incorporated. This work attempts to develop and test a methodological framework to identify and prioritise the common symbolic elements that constitute the identity of a group of cities and that need to be sustained. The study focuses on the Euro-Mediterranean region. A survey is addressed to 64 scientists from five cities: Dubrovnik, Genoa, Rhodes, Valencia, and Venice. “Urban structure” is revealed as the most important element that constitutes the “Mediterranean identity”. Moreover, the level of threat deriving from mass tourism on the “Mediterranean identity” is estimated. The survey provides insight into the definition of the spatial dimension of sustainability and the determination/weighting of the case-specific component of an integrated urban sustainability assessment tool.
Eleni Feleki; Charisios Achillas; Christos Vlachokostas; Alexandra V. Michailidou; Leticia Ortega; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Preservation of the Mediterranean Identity: An Intra-City Analysis Towards a Macro-Regional Approach for the Characterisation of Urban Sustainability. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3551 .
AMA StyleEleni Feleki, Charisios Achillas, Christos Vlachokostas, Alexandra V. Michailidou, Leticia Ortega, Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Preservation of the Mediterranean Identity: An Intra-City Analysis Towards a Macro-Regional Approach for the Characterisation of Urban Sustainability. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (10):3551.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEleni Feleki; Charisios Achillas; Christos Vlachokostas; Alexandra V. Michailidou; Leticia Ortega; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. 2018. "Preservation of the Mediterranean Identity: An Intra-City Analysis Towards a Macro-Regional Approach for the Characterisation of Urban Sustainability." Sustainability 10, no. 10: 3551.
A great number of tools that assess sustainability exist. The analysis of 18 urban sustainability indices and 7 urban sustainability systems of indicators that satisfy the research criteria, reveals a great variation in terms of variables used to express the level of sustainability and an unbalanced reflection on the ‘’traditional’’ dimensions of sustainability. Tools are often applied at any scale, not respecting the initial level of design, disabling the introduction of thresholds. The paper, attempts a cross-cutting research in the area of urban design and planning, through the reinforcement of continuous monitoring and mainstreaming of sustainability policies, based on real data. It compiles variables composing the tools. Indicators are aggregated and reflection to the ‘’traditional’’ dimensions of sustainability, is revealed. The aim is to propose a set of commonly accepted indicators, through the implementation of an innovative ‘’meet in the middle approach’’ that leads to the characterisation of sustainability in European urban areas. This is attempted through a top-down approach that leads to a set of indicators that meet certain criteria and the integration of experts’ viewpoint (bottom-up). The paper prepares the ground for an index that will bridge the gap between sustainability assessment tools and holistic characterisation of cities.
Eleni Feleki; Christos Vlachokostas; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Characterisation of sustainability in urban areas: An analysis of assessment tools with emphasis on European cities. Sustainable Cities and Society 2018, 43, 563 -577.
AMA StyleEleni Feleki, Christos Vlachokostas, Nicolas Moussiopoulos. Characterisation of sustainability in urban areas: An analysis of assessment tools with emphasis on European cities. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2018; 43 ():563-577.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEleni Feleki; Christos Vlachokostas; Nicolas Moussiopoulos. 2018. "Characterisation of sustainability in urban areas: An analysis of assessment tools with emphasis on European cities." Sustainable Cities and Society 43, no. : 563-577.