This dissertation takes the reader around different Collective Food Procurement networks in Turin (Italy). Building on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork between 2019 and 2020, I discuss the case... Show moreThis dissertation takes the reader around different Collective Food Procurement networks in Turin (Italy). Building on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork between 2019 and 2020, I discuss the case of urban gardens (part one), open-air food markets (part two) and food aid initiatives (part three). I analyse related sites, people, practices and narratives and I call for diversifying our outlooks on urban peripheral areas and moving away from incautious optimism around widespread understandings of urban renewal and sustainability. To critically engage with these themes, I focus on civic engagement and morality, which represent red threads throughout the text. In particular, I argue that citizens’ engagement is increasingly mediated by the non-profit sector. This should be problematised in relation to silenced discontent, the exclusion of marginalised practices and limited citizens’ possibilities to be part of actual decision-making. I use morality as a common denominator to investigate the similarities and differences between the various cases - and examine their linkages with broader processes such as welfare reconfiguration, precarious labour and gentrification. I highlight how, through morality, certain working cultures, such as low remuneration as part of the non-profit sector, became interrelated with contemporary understandings of urban sustainability. Show less
What are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangible and intangible values as well as their potential to achieve urban inclusivity, sustainability,... Show moreWhat are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangible and intangible values as well as their potential to achieve urban inclusivity, sustainability, circularity as well as public engagement? The present book is one of the outcomes of the inaugural program of NIT Urban Heritage Lab. Following an introduction on the course, its scope and aims, it showcases the four proposals that the participants of the Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities Course developed for the transformation of the Unkapanı Flour Mill. The proposals are original, thought-provoking and inspirational, while at the same time based on solid multi-disciplinary, collaborative work. So, they are perfect demonstrations of what NIT Urban Heritage Lab tries to achieve. Show less
Bernstein, M.J.; Franssen, T.P.; Smith, R.D.J.; Wilde, M. de 2022
The European Union’s Green Deal and associated policies, aspiring to long-term environmental sustainability, now require economic activities to ‘do no significant harm’ to EU environmental... Show moreThe European Union’s Green Deal and associated policies, aspiring to long-term environmental sustainability, now require economic activities to ‘do no significant harm’ to EU environmental objectives. The way the European Commission is enacting the do no significant harm principle relies on quantitative tools that try to identify harm and adjudicate its significance. A reliance on established technical approaches to assessing such questions ignores the high levels of imprecision, ambiguity, and uncertainty—levels often in flux—characterizing the social contexts in which harms emerge. Indeed, harm, and its significance, are relational, not absolute. A better approach would thus be to acknowledge the relational nature of harm and develop broad capabilities to engage and ‘stay with’ the harm. We use the case of European research and innovation activities to expose the relational nature of harm, and explore an alternative and potentially more productive approach that departs from attempts to unilaterally or uniformly claim to know or adjudicate what is or is not significantly harmful. In closing, we outline three ways research and innovation policy-makers might experiment with reconfiguring scientific and technological systems and practices to better address the significant harms borne by people, other-than-human beings, and ecosystems. Show less
Physical activity is effective in preventing and treating many of these age-related diseases. However, two thirds of Dutch older adults do not reach the recommended level of physical activity.... Show morePhysical activity is effective in preventing and treating many of these age-related diseases. However, two thirds of Dutch older adults do not reach the recommended level of physical activity. Current efforts to increase physical activity with professional led physical activity interventions are effective during the intervention period, but do not manage to have a sustainable effect. In this thesis we studied the possibility of peer coaching to sustainably increase physical activity in older adults. We do this by studying the effectiveness, implementation and organization of peer coach physical activity intervention. The conclusion of this thesis is that older adults can effectively and sustainably increase physical activity of older adults through peer coach physical activity interventions. After a small investment for implementation, a sustainable self-organising exercise intervention can be created which exist for years. The reach of the groups can be increased through an exercise referral scheme in primary care, but the effectivity needs to be improved through research. Nationwide implementation of exercise groups for older adults is possible, but it requires effort from a large (governmental) party. Show less
Co-production includes diverse aims, terminologies and practices. This study explores such diversity by mapping differences in how 32 initiatives from 6 continents co-produce diverse outcomes for... Show moreCo-production includes diverse aims, terminologies and practices. This study explores such diversity by mapping differences in how 32 initiatives from 6 continents co-produce diverse outcomes for the sustainable development of ecosystems at local to global scales.The promise of co-production to address complex sustainability challenges is compelling. Yet, co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice, encompasses diverse aims, terminologies and practices, with poor clarity over their implications. To explore this diversity, we systematically mapped differences in how 32 initiatives from 6 continents co-produce diverse outcomes for the sustainable development of ecosystems at local to global scales. We found variation in their purpose for utilizing co-production, understanding of power, approach to politics and pathways to impact. A cluster analysis identified six modes of co-production: (1) researching solutions; (2) empowering voices; (3) brokering power; (4) reframing power; (5) navigating differences and (6) reframing agency. No mode is ideal; each holds unique potential to achieve particular outcomes, but also poses unique challenges and risks. Our analysis provides a heuristic tool for researchers and societal actors to critically explore this diversity and effectively navigate trade-offs when co-producing sustainability. Show less
The present study explores the role of water in the ancient Roman city of Ostia.In antiquity, Ostia was situated at the intersection of the Tiber River and the Mediterranean Sea, and acted as one... Show moreThe present study explores the role of water in the ancient Roman city of Ostia.In antiquity, Ostia was situated at the intersection of the Tiber River and the Mediterranean Sea, and acted as one of the harbour cities of Rome for several centuries.This study investigates how water was acquired, used, and drained away in Ostia, and how these systems changed over time. To achieve a high level of resolution, three city blocks (insulae), were selected as case studies: III, i; IV, ii; and V, ii.to contextualize these hydraulic systems, the present study developed a new methodology, the Roman Water Footprint. The method was inspired by 21st century ways of understanding how and why water is used in modern cities. These modern insights have indicated that sustainable water usage is based not only on advanced hydraulic technology, but also includes environmental factors, and a strong cultural factor.The results of the study indicate that Roman water usage was much more diverse and flexible than has been previously appreciated.By placing Roman water systems into dialogue with the methodologies of modern sustainable water research, this study forms an initial bridge between modern and ancient approaches to water and urbanism. Show less
