City Of Volos Research Articles

A new anthropocentric approach in accessibility analysis: the activity space and the accessibility measures

Abstract This study aims to examine individual accessibility experiences in space and time, through developing a new composite accessibility measure using spatial, temporal and travel data. According to time-geography, all the activities have spatial extent and temporal dimensions and they are unseparated. So, the proposed measure is influenced not only by usual factors such as the places of activities and the travel time, but also by the factors of individual activity space and the temporal constraints. Activity space represents the spatial movement as part of a human daily experience. The suggested accessibility measure lays the foundations of this relationship of accessibility measures and the activity space. Both the proposed individual composite accessibility measure and the factor of activity space are applied in the city of Volos, using the university students’ daily diaries. The GIS functions contribute significantly to the application and the evaluation of the relationship of the accessibility measures and the activity space. To sum up, the creation of a composite accessibility measure in individual level is very important in the field of spatial mobility planning, because it is an indicator of quality of life, and it is a useful measure of the social and spatial equity to urban services.

Pedestrian road safety in relation to urban road type and traffic flow

Abstract The paper presents an analysis of the relationship between pedestrian road safety, urban road type and motorists’ traffic flow. A suitable index for the evaluation of the walkability level of an urban street is the pedestrian traffic flow and the walking behavior. The researchers examined six urban streets of various types in the city of Volos (a medium-sized Greek city, 130,000 inhabitants). They collected data of the pedestrian traffic flow and their legal or illegal walking behavior for each road segment of the examined streets. Furthermore, they collected data of motorists’ traffic flow in the same road segments of the streets in the study area. The combination of those data with the administrative ranking of each road can indicate a walkability level of an examined street or a specific route and reveal pedestrians’ mobility and safety issues. This study supports that walking behavior differs for various road types. Pedestrians with the highest rate of legal behavior were presented in main arterials (91.8%) and the lowest one in local streets (53.7%). Low level of motorized traffic flow in combination with maintenance and mobility problems in pedestrian infrastructure incites pedestrians to walk in the street thus underestimating their safety issues. Promotion of pedestrian mobility emphasizing in safety issues can change the modal split in favor of vulnerable road users, increase the sustainability index of an urban area and improve the citizens’ quality of life.

Investigation of the user’s acceptance concerning a Low Emission Zone in the center of Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract The paper deals with the investigation of the user’s acceptance concerning the possible implementation of a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the center of the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. A face-to-face questionnaire-based survey took place in the central area of the city, between July and September 2014 in order to investigate the opinions and the intentions of the residents of the city concerning a possible implementation of a LEZ in this area. The questionnaire included 17 questions and it was addressed to driving license holders only. The total number of the questionnaires which were collected was 201. More than half of the respondents are in favor of the LEZ scheme. It is interesting to notice that 34% of the residents who live in the central area do not accept the idea of paying for their entrance to the LEZ while the respective percentage of the residents who live outside the city center is 46.8%. As far as the respondents’ intention to buy a hybrid car is concerned, 45.8% have stated that they agree with this idea. A binary logistic model was developed, so that the parameters that have a statistical power to influencing the respondents’ intention to replace their conventional cars with hybrid cars could be identified. After the parameters had been examined, it was found out that the respondents’ perception of the air quality conditions in the city, their willingness to pay for the introduction of the LEZ scheme in the city, as well as their intention to change their mobility behavior in the city center, are statistical important parameters that affect the residents’ intention to replace their conventional cars with hybrid ones. Finally a comparative analysis of the study outcomes concerning a similar study that was conducted in another Greek city, the city of Volos, is also presented and commented.

Bioclimatic Reformation of Urban Area – A CFD Study

Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis with the method of finite volume is used in order to study the improvement of microclimate in an urban agglomeration in the city of Volos, in the frame of bioclimatic reformations. For the modeling of the thermal buoyancy the Boussinesq approximation is used, while for the radiation is used the Discrete Ordinate (DO) model with two wave length bands. The ground temperature is determined, solving an energy balance model according to the covering materials’ properties, while it is considered infrared diffusive radiation emitter. The planted surfaces are assumed as finite thickness heat sinks. Roofs and buildings walls are also assumed as finite thickness isothermal walls and sources of heat corresponding to the heat pumps and electrical devices’ operation as well as to the users’ occupancy. Trees are porous volumes adding source and sink terms to the momentum, turbulence and energy equations and causing shading while the surfaces of water elements are considered isothermal walls and heat sink, at the same time. The local microclimate before and after the bioclimatic interventions are presented in terms of temperature and wind speed distribution. The effect of the examined reformation is assessed through parametric studies in terms of thermal comfort indices. Parametric studies concerns cool ground covering materials, green cover, shading layout, and buildings’ thermal emissions.

Study on particulate matter air pollution, source origin, and human health risk based of PM10 metal content in Volos City, Greece

ABSTRACTInvestigations on the fluctuation in PM10 air pollution in Volos, a medium-sized industrialized port city in the Mediterranean, are presented for the 5-year period between 2009 and 2014. The levels detected have been examined in relation to legislatively set limits, sampling year, and day of the week. A PM10 spring sampling campaign has been performed in 2014 and metals and other elements in the PM10 mass have been quantified. Source origin has been attempted for the latter sampling campaign and human health risk has been assessed. Results show compliance with the mean annual value of 40 μg m−3 of 2008/50/EC for the city; however, exceedances of the daily quality standard of 50 μg m−3 were frequently recorded. Shifts in PM10 concentrations and in contributing sources have been recorded; nevertheless, longer duration data series are needed for safe deductions. Element measurements have enabled source identification for early summer of 2014, with Earth's crust minerals and anthropogenic sources being the main factors. Cumulative non-carcinogenic risk may exceed the threshold value of 1. Possible involvement of sea salt aerosol and desert dust long-range transport has also been assessed. These results may furnish databases on PM pollution of Greek cities as well as other Mediterranean urban centers with similar characteristics.

Implementation of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System to a Dairy Industry: Evaluation of Benefits and Barriers

Milk and dairy products are essential components to human diet, but it is also well known to be potentially hazardous food items due to several contamination sources (equipment, personnel, additives and packaging material) during their manufacturing process in nonconforming conditions. The implementation of the Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system from production to consumption of dairy products promotes food safety and prevention of food-borne diseases. The present study discusses the implementation of the HACCP principles (focusing on the microbiological hazards) throughout the production chain of mizithra, one of the dairy products manufactured by a middle-sized dairy industry, named Cooperative Dairy industry “EVOL”, sited nearby the city of Volos (central Greece). The main benefits and barriers after the application of the HACCP system in the above industry are also identified and discussed.

From the Tobacco Shop to the Cigarette Factory: Technological Changes, Gender and Surveillance in a Greek Cigarette Firm in the Early 20th Century

How did the technology and the mechanization of production affect the organization and division of labor in Matsagos cigarette industry in the city of Volos? Who worked in the machinery and in the new labor departments and what was their role? Did the technological equipment play a role in the formation of professional specialties which existed in the factory? How are the technical and gender labor division interweaved? These specific changes of the field of cigarette-makers are going to be traced through our case.

Health impacts due to particulate air pollution in Volos City, Greece

ABSTRACTThere is great consensus among the scientific community that suspended particulate matter is considered as one of the most harmful pollutants, particularly the inhalable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM10) causing respiratory health problems and heart disorders. Average daily concentrations exceeding established standard values appear, among other cases, to be the main cause of such episodes, especially during Saharan dust episodes, a natural phenomenon that degrades air quality in the urban area of Volos. In this study the AirQ2.2.3 model, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) European Center for Environment and Health, was used to evaluate adverse health effects by PM10 pollution in the city of Volos during a 5-year period (2007–2011). Volos is a coastal medium size city in the Thessaly region. The city is located on the northern side of the Gulf of Pagassitikos, on the east coast of Central Greece. Air pollution data were obtained by a fully automated monitoring station, which was established by the Municipal Water Supply and Sewage Department in the Greater Area of Volos, located in the centre of the city. The results of the current study indicate that when the mean annual PM10 concentration exceeds the corresponding European Union (EU) threshold value, the number of hospital admissions for respiratory disease (HARD) is increased by 25% on average. There is also an estimated increase of about 2.5% in HARD compared to the expected annual HARD cases for Volos. Finally, a strong correlation was found between the number of days exceeding the EU daily threshold concentration ([PM10] ≥ 50 μg m−3) and the annual HARD cases.

Bikeability Audit in Urban Road Environment

Promotion of cycling can improve the sustainability level of a city or an urban area. This study presents a methodology that audits the bikeability level of the urban road environment across three selected routes in the city of Volos, Greece. This methodology is a useful toolkit in order to evaluate and improve the bikeability level of the urban road environment and also evaluate existing bikeways. Four suitably trained auditors rode their bikes and evaluated the bikeability level using an audit tool in order to audit specific features that influence bicycling suitability across the road segments and intersections of the selected routes. Furthermore, the auditors graded specific features of the road environment in order to set a bikeability score for each tested route. Finally, this study concludes that the bikeability level of the selected routes was moderate and certain actions are necessary in order to be improved.

Full cost recovery in the urban residential sector according to the Water Framework Directive

Full cost recovery is a major and complex issue that has gained high recognition in recent years. The Water Framework Directive promotes the idea that water charging should act as an incentive for the sustainable use of water resources. Thus, all Member States should take into consideration the principle of recovery of the total cost of water services, which includes environmental and resource costs as well. In order to evaluate various aspects of current water policy, to investigate the perspectives of water saving, to explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water supply sector and to evaluate water price elasticity, a survey has been performed recently in the city of Volos, concerning the residential sector. The influence of some selected variables is examined, residential water demand curve and water price elasticity are calculated. Estimations of future water demand under different pricing policies are also performed. Finally, the full water cost for the city of Volos is estimated and essential conclusions concerning water pricing and public participation are drawn.

Development and Implementation of an Audit Tool for the Pedestrian Built Environment

This study presents the development and implementation of an audit tool for the pedestrian built environment in the framework of walkability and sustainable mobility. The audit tool was implemented across eight main, collector and local streets in the city of Volos, Greece. The audit tool consists of two checklists: one for the road segments and one for the crosswalks. Four suitably trained auditors formed the auditor's team. In the first step of the study the auditors charted the pedestrian infrastructure, took photos of the built environment and created a drawing where they noticed the photos with their identification codes. In the second step, they implemented separately the audit tool for each road segment and crosswalk for both sides of the streets during normal traffic flow and under good weather conditions. In the third step, the auditors formed a join checklist, wrote the audit report and noticed on the drawing the pedestrian mobility problems according to the join checklist codes. The final step of the study was the proposition of remedial actions in order to improve the pedestrian mobility and walkability across the examined streets. This audit tool can help engineers and decision makers not only audit the pedestrian built environment but also design and construct one. Especially in municipalities with low budget available in sustainable mobility projects, this low cost audit tool can upgrade the walkability level of their city.

Water price elasticity and public acceptability on conservation options in the city of Volos, Greece

Efforts to satisfy increasing demand have often been concentrated principally on constructing new water systems, thus increasing the supply of water. The relationship between water abstraction and water availability has turned into a major stress factor in the exploitation of water resources. There is a wide recognition nowadays that there is a need for strategies for the sustainable use of water resources and water demand management. In the city of Volos, Greece, the number of water meters has been tripled from 1979 to 2006 while yearly water production has increased 2.62 times these 27 years. The fact that water sources have remained stable has created a disruption of water balance. In order to explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water supply sector, evaluate various aspects of current water policy, investigate the perspectives of water saving and evaluate water price elasticity in the city of Volos, Greece, a survey concerning the residential sector has been performed recently. All qualitative data were gathered through questionnaire with the method of personal interview. The questionnaire examines social features of consumers, water use patterns, water conservation methods, water pricing issues and the level of water services. Water quality, water demand and water availability issues, waterrelated problems, as well as public information concerning water and environmental issues, public reactions to price changes and public willingness to pay in the residential sector are the main aspects examined and analyzed. The influence of some selected variables in water conservation, such as the price of water, the size of the dwelling, the indoor and outdoor uses, the educational level, the income of consumers as well as rainfall and temperature levels, is examined, hierarchically set and residential water demand curve is calculated using the fixed effects and random effects model.

Application of PM10′s Statistical Distribution to Air Quality Management—A Case Study in Central Greece

Ambient aerosol concentrations have been implicated in human health effects, in visibility reduction in urban and regional areas, in acid deposition and in perturbing the Earth’s radiation balance. The main concern of the air quality managers is to achieve compliance to the established air quality standards (AQS). As AQS are exceeded in numerous sites worldwide, it is essential to reduce the emissions. Having decided which statistical distribution fits well to the PM10 parent distribution, it is feasible to estimate the reduction in emissions that is required in order to meet AQS. In this study, it is verified that the PM10 concentration distribution can be adequately simulated by lognormal distribution, a conclusion drawn by the calculation of several statistical indexes. The study area is the city of Volos in central Greece, which is experiencing an unpleasant situation concerning the levels of PM10 pollution. The probability density function of lognormal distribution is capable to predict the number of days when the European Union (EU) AQS for PM10 concentration are exceeded in Volos area. Furthermore, the minimum reduction in current emission sources of PM10 required in order to meet the air quality regulations that are established by the EU is calculated for the study area and is found to be ~33%. The results could be utilized as reference for air pollution control strategy.

Temporal evolution of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the city of Volos, Greece

The goal of this work is the analysis of air quality levels in the area of Volos, a city of average size on the eastern seaboard of Central Greece. For this purpose, concentration measurements of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen dioxide, for a 4-year period (2001-2004) are analyzed. Air pollution data were obtained by a monitoring station, fully automated, which was established by the Hellenic Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning, and Public Works, in order to measure air pollution levels in Volos, a medium-sized city, which faces the effects of industrialization. The main conclusions from the statistical analysis of the 4-year measurements of hourly SO(2), NO(2), and NO concentrations in the city of Volos, showed that the mean seasonal variation of the examined air pollutant concentration presents a minimum during the warm period of the year and a maximum during the cold period. Although the local geomorphology and meteorology encourage particularly the accumulation of air pollutants, the analysis shows that the SO(2) and NO(2) concentration levels remain lower than corresponding thresholds for human health protection set by the European Union, in this urban measuring site, during the examined period. The application of harmonic analysis revealed the difference between the annual variation of the SO(2) and NO(x) concentrations. Regarding NO(x), the variation is mainly due to the first harmonic term (anthropogenic factor), while the SO(2) variation is interpreted by the two harmonic terms, which represent the anthropogenic and meteorological factors, respectively.

Intraspecific differentiation of social behavior and shelter selection in Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

We compared seasonal shelter selection and social behavior of Mesobuthus gibbosus from autumn to mid-summer in two similar phryganic ecosystems, in continental Greece (near Volos city) and in insular Greece (eastern Crete), and in the laboratory under simulated abiotic conditions. Our results showed that shelter selection is a critical indicator of the seasonal social behavior of the species. The abrupt climatic changes in spring caused a differentiation in shelter selection between the cold period (November–February) and the warm period (March–June) at both sites. Sociality was exhibited only during winter in the field and was more extensive under cold conditions in the laboratory. Co-occurrence of scorpions proved to be age-specific, facilitated by population density and by harsh abiotic conditions during winter, and negatively influenced by intraspecific competition, which was higher in continental Greece. The response of scorpions to changes of abiotic factors reveals synchronization of seasonal shelter selection with climatic changes.

Safety assessment and protection of monuments located in caves - a case study from the city of Volos, Greece

The holy shrine ofPanagia (Saint Maria) Goritsis is located in a cave on the outer limits of the city of Volos, on the coastline. The stability problems caused by the loosening of the rockmass and the expansion of the joints generated issues about the safety of the numerous worshippers visiting the church every day. The cave is located into the Middle Triassic - Upper Jurassic marbles of the Pelagonian zone. The fragmentation of the rockmass along the two faults intersecting the slope until the coastline, combined with the weathering action of waves led to the formation of the cave. Although the action of the waves was cut of by the construction of the narthex and the surrounding buildings, the stability problems of the cave are intensified by the dynamic loading of the roof. The ceiling of cave is located 1 to 3 metres under the national road and the railway line connecting Volos with Agia. The selection of the proper support measures was complicated. The limited space, the small depth and most of all the religious and the historical value of the cave led to the selection of light support measures combined with the imposition of restriction for the reduction of the dynamic and the static loading

The effect of insularity on the seasonal population structure of Mesobuthus gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

We compared the population structure of Mesobuthus gibbosus from autumn to mid-summer at two similar phryganic ecosystems, one in continental Greece (Thessalia, near Volos city) and one in insular Greece (eastern Crete). Data were collected monthly using the capture-recapture method. At both sites, density was low during the cold period and increased towards summer. During the samplings, only a small percentage of each population was present. Population density and co-occurrence of scorpions with scorpions or other animals was higher in Crete than in Volos, probably due to the higher inter- and intraspecific competition in Volos. The population structure of the studied species depends on the interspecific competition, the seasonal fluctuations of which influence the intraspecific relations of scorpions, which is reflected in the higher degree of sociality of the insular population.

A sustainable framework for water resources management in an urban watershed: the case of Volos, Greece

The implementation of sustainable development principles in water resources management refers to an integrated management and coordination of the entirety of the actions and interventions that concern the water ecosystem, or parts of it, within a watershed. This procedure is accomplished through the development and application of an overall management plan at a hydrological basin level. This concept was followed by the water resources management plan of the city of Volos' watershed, which is presented in this paper. The main objective is the choice of the best set, among others, of hydraulic projects, which will be able to re-establish the balance in the basin's deficient water budget, satisfying at the same time future urban water demand. Decision making was carried out using a GIS tool and involved traditional water capture hydraulic projects on the one hand and sustainable water saving measures on the other. The whole procedure is being developed in an area with serious environmental problems, concerning mainly the groundwater resources. The particularity here is that the alternative solutions strongly depend on administrative agreement and consensus between relevant authorities.

Evaluating Demand Management Aspects of Urban Water Policy. The City of Volos Case, Greece

This paper examines the perspectives of the implementation of a demand-oriented policy concerning residential water use, which covers almost 70% of urban water. Water demand, water pricing policy, as well as building capacity are examined and evaluated in order to investigate the current situation in urban water management in the city of Volos with reference to residential water use. The application of IWR-MAIN model in order to estimate future water needs and form different scenarios for sustainable water resources management together with a field survey in various water issues conducted in 966 citizens of the city of Volos justify the urgent need for the adoption of a demand driven policy.

The 2002 Congress of the European Schools of Planning

In the month of July 2002, the city of Volos in Greece was the stage for the XVI European Congress of the European Schools of Planning. Several attendees from all over the world presented 360 papers, grouped in 11 sessions. The keynote speakers of the opening sessions were Professor Andreas Faludi and Professor Peter Marcuse. The closing sessions were shared by Professor Rachel Alterman and Professor Alessandro Balducci (the new AESOP president). There was still time to present an overview of the next Olympic Games, at Athens, in 2004. This note also mentions briefly the next conjoint congress of AESOP and ACSP in Brussels, Belgium, 8-11 July 2003.