STSM Report by João Bigotte

STSM REPORT
Reference code: COST-STSM-C27-02536
Beneficiary: João Bigotte, University of Coimbra
Introduction
This report describes the major results and achievements of the short term scientific
mission COST-STSM-C27-02536. This short term scientific mission (STSM) was
carried out within the framework of the COST C27 Action – Sustainable Development
Policies for Minor Deprived Urban Communities. The STSM allowed João Fonseca
Bigotte (grantee) to go to the University of Brescia (host institution), in Italy, from the
14th to the 22nd of December, 2006. For the sake of simplicity, in the remainder of the
report the COST C27 Action will be referred to as Action.
The mission
The main purpose of the STSM was to discuss possible approaches and criteria for the
selection of case studies to be addressed by the Action. The researchers directly
involved in this STSM were: the grantee, Professor Paolo Ventura (University of
Parma), Professor Michela Tiboni (University of Brescia), Ilaria Fumagalli (Ph.D.
student at the University of Brescia) and Filippo Garlanda (Ph.D. student at the
University of Brescia).
The STSM was very fruitful in a wide variety of ways. First, it allowed the Portuguese
and Italian researchers to get to know each other research activities better. Second, it
made possible to exchange knowledge about best policies and practices regarding
sustainable development in the researchers’ countries of origin. Last, and the most
important, the STSM contributed to the fulfilment of the Action objectives.
The underlying objective of the STSM was to try to get to a unified approach for the
selection of the case studies to be addressed by the Action. The STSM made it possible
for researchers from both countries to discuss their ideas. Despite the differences
between the two countries (related to size, social and economic background, etc) it was
possible to come up with an approach and a range of indicators that may be applicable
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in both countries in order to select the case studies. This approach consists of the
following stages:
i) Analyse municipalities with regard to indicators such as population growth,
population age structure, educational attainment growth, labour force
occupation, population density, and housing growth, in order to select some that
have improved or declined considerably when compared with neighbouring
municipalities in the last 10-20 years.
ii) Assess the selected municipalities in detail, from the point of view of their social
and environmental achievement, to select good and bad examples for analysis
within the Action. For this, indicators such as purchase power growth, land-use
change, and level of services provided to population should be used.
During the STSM it was also possible to apply the first stage of the approach described
above to the case of Portugal. The municipalities that observed both a population
decrease between 1991 and 2001, high proportion of population with low education and
low purchase power were selected as less developed municipalities. Different values for
these indicators led to the definition of three criteria (Table 1 and Figure 1). Two criteria
were also considered in order to select municipalities under pressure for unsustainable
development – housing growth between 1991 and 2001, and seasonal housing growth
between 1991 and 2001 (Table 2 and Figure 2). The intersection of the criteria of less
developed municipalities and the criteria of municipalities under pressure for
unsustainable development led to the selection of possible case studies to be addressed
by the Action (Figure 3 and Figure 4).
The STSM also contributed to the preparation of a brochure for the COST C27 Action.
Table 1: Criteria for the selection of less developed municipalities
Criteria
Population with elementary
education or less
Purchase Power
1
2
3
> 62%
> 70%
> 70%
< 71
< 71
< 46
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Criteria 1
Criteria 2
Criteria 3
Figure 1: Less developed municipalities
Table 2: Criteria for the selection of municipalities under pressure for unsustainable development
Criteria
Housing growth
Seasonal housing growth
A
B
> 16%
-
> 41%
Criteria A
Criteria B
Figure 2: Municipalities under pressure for unsustainable development
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Melgaço
Vila Nova de Cerveira
Celorico de Basto
Vila Nova de Cerveira
#
Mondim de Basto
#
Ponte da Barca
Terras de Bouro
Vieira do Minho
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Armamar
Tarouca
#
#
Castro Daire
Sátão
Sertã
#
#
#
#
Paredes de Coura
#
Vinhais
#
#
#
Ponte da Barca
Terras de Bouro
Vieira do Minho
Mesão Frio
Peso da Régua
Cinfães
Tarouca
Castro Daire
Vouzela
Penela
Mogadouro
Cinfães
#
Montalegre
Celorico de Basto
Mondim de Basto
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Sertã
Proença-a-Nova
#
#
#
#
#
Arronches
#
#
Alter do Chão
Coruche
Arraiolos
Montemor-o-Novo
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Mértola
Odemira
#
#
Almodôvar
#
Viana do Alentejo
Cuba
Ferreira do Alentejo
Aljustrel
Ourique
Odemira
#
#
#
Portel
#
#
#
#
#
#
Vidigueira
Serpa
#
Mértola
#
Monchique
#
Almodôvar
Selection 1A
#
#
Alfândega da Fé
Mogadouro
Freixo de Espada à Cinta
Alijó
Sabrosa
Tabuaço
Armamar
Moimenta da Beira
Trancoso
Manteigas
Oleiros
Vila Velha de Ródão
Nisa
Marvão
Crato
Arronches
Fronteira
Borba
Redondo
Alandroal
Reguengos de Monsaraz
#
#
#
#
#
Alcoutim
Selection 1B
Figure 3: Selection of possible case studies (1A and 1B)
Melgaço Montalegre
Vinhais
#
#
#
#
#
Freixo de Espada à Cinta
#
Armamar
Armamar
#
Trancoso
#
Oleiros
#
Vila Velha de Ródão
Nisa
#
#
#
Selection 2B
Alandroal
Alcoutim
Selection 2A, 3A and 3B
Figure 4: Selection of possible case studies (2A, 2B, 3A and 3B)
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Conclusion
The STSM was successful at achieving the proposed objectives. The discussion led to
the definition of a possible approach and a range of indicators to be used in both
countries for the selection of case studies. The application of the approach to the case of
Portugal led to the selection of possible case studies to be addressed by the Action. This
STSM also allowed researchers to present their research activities to each other and to
exchange knowledge about best policies and practices regarding sustainable
development in their countries of origin.
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