Metropolitan Region Of São Paulo Research Articles

Evaluation of Nine Planetary Boundary Layer Turbulence Parameterization Schemes of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to Simulate Planetary Boundary Layer Surface Properties in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Megacity, Brazil

This study evaluates nine Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) turbulence parameterization schemes from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model, comparing hourly values of meteorological variables observed and simulated at the surface of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). The numerical results were objectively compared with high-quality observations carried out on three micrometeorological platforms representing typical urban, suburban, and rural land use areas of the MRSP, during the 2013 summer and winter field campaigns as part of the MCITY BRAZIL project. The main objective is to identify which PBL scheme best represents the diurnal evolution of conventional meteorological variables (temperature, relative and specific humidity, wind speed, and direction) and unconventional (sensible and latent heat fluxes, net radiation, and incoming downward solar radiation) on the surface. During the summer field campaign and over the suburban area of the MRSP, most PBL scheme simulations exhibited a cold and dry bias and overestimated wind speed. They also overestimated sensible heat flux, with high agreement index and correlation values. In general, the PBL scheme simulations performed well for latent heat flux, displaying low mean bias error and root square mean error values. Both incoming downward solar radiation and net radiation were also accurately simulated by most of them. The comparison of the nine PBL schemes indicated the local Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) scheme performed best during the summer period, particularly for conventional meteorological variables for the land use suburban in the MRSP. During the winter field campaign, simulation outcomes varied significantly based on the site’s land use and the meteorological variable analyzed. The MYJ, Bougeault-Lacarrère (BouLac), and Mellor-Yamada Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN) schemes effectively simulated temperature and humidity, especially in the urban land use area. The MYNN scheme also simulated net radiation accurately. There was a tendency to overestimate sensible and latent heat fluxes, except for the rural land use area where they were consistently underestimated. However, the rural area exhibited superior correlations compared to the urban area. Overall, the MYJ scheme was deemed the most suitable for representing the convectional and nonconventional meteorological variables on the surface in all urban, suburban, and rural land use areas of the MRSP.

Transport macro accessibility at the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP)

This study aims to analyze the macro accessibility of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in 2017. Based on data from the Metro Origin and Destination Survey (2017), a descriptive analysis was carried out and a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was developed. The sample received treatment for the selection of trips departing from the residence and with territorial disaggregation levels that allow verifying the effect of centrality in the regional analysis of RMSP. The results show that the road transport infrastructure has vast territorial coverage, while rail transport infrastructure is concentrated in the center of RMSP. It was found that the closer to the center, the greater the use of individual transport and, the further away, the greater the use of public transport. Statistical modeling showed that Euclidean distance (4.3 min/km), the number of modes used in travel (8.1 min/mode), and the first mode chosen are statistically significant and relevant predictors (with bus having the longest average duration, followed by rail transport). Individual modes obtained the greatest advantage in macro accessibility since less time is used for vehicle access and less time for displacement after transport use (micro accessibility). Also, they do not depend on vehicle transfers and are faster during travel. It is concluded that investment in rail transport will allow better environmental conditions for captive users of public transport, with a decrease in micro accessibility time and a decrease in travel duration, with potential competition with individual modes.

Long-term urban railway network expansion and pollutant emissions: Methodological approach and insights for sustainable transportation policies

Urban transportation is a major challenge in many cities worldwide and railway systems are often considered as an alternative to solve mobility and air pollution problems. However, such systems are capital-intensive, and their implementation often extends over several years, particularly in developing countries. This paper proposes a methodological approach to assess the impact of long-term urban railway network expansion on pollutant emissions applied to the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in Brazil. The proposed approach consists of seven steps: define the trips of interest in a database derived from an OD survey; estimate the trip matrix in a baseline scenario and a future scenario considering the expansion of the rail network; determine the trip attributes in both scenarios; calculate the modal choice based on a Logit model; determine the number of trips per mode; estimate vehicle emissions using the bottom-up methodology; and compare the emissions between scenarios. The results of the proposed railway network would lead to a substantial increase in railway ridership between the base scenario of 2017 and the future scenario of 2030, reducing the choices for automobiles by 41%. Nonetheless, the decrease in vehicular emissions would be modest, primarily attributed to reductions in short-distance trips, resulting in estimated reductions of 0.25% for PM, 1.17% for NOx, and 3.93% for CO emissions. These findings underscore the importance of assessing the potential benefits of railway expansion with tools that consider multiple data sources and models, and the need for integrated policies to achieve sustainable urban transportation systems.

Impact of the pandemic on urban mobility: exploratory factor analysis of evidence from students at MRSP Fatecs

The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically altered urban mobility. With the end of restrictions on circulation, urban mobility can return to normal, although this normal appears to be considerably different from what was previously the case. To understand these changes, a survey was actualized with Fatec students at the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) to verify changes in moving options before and after the pandemic. There are considerable changes in the use of digital media for accessing banks and shopping in general, as well as a tendency to prefer home-office, but not e-learning. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) results have demonstrated that there are strong correlations between behavior before and after the pandemic. The results highlight the need to reorganize urban mobility in the post-pandemic period, considering aspects of changes in consumption patterns and providing valuable information for planning transport policies and strategies that meet new moving needs.

Biogenic amines and stable isotopes in the quality and authenticity of honeys from Brazil.

The identification of biogenic amines and some precursor amino acids and the adulteration through stable isotopes was carried out in 114 honey from different geographic regions in Brazil (states of São Paulo (SP) and Santa Catarina (SC)) as support for evaluating quality control and food safety. Serotonin was detected in all samples, while melatonin was quantified in 92.2% of honey from SP and in 94% of SC. l-Dopa, dopamine and histamine appeared at higher levels in honey from SP. Cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, varied little according to botanical source. Three honey from the metropolitan region of SP were considered adulterated (C4SUGARS>7%), 92 were authentic samples (C4SUGARS-7 to 7%) and 19 unadulterated (C4SUGARS less than-7%), with isotopic values of δ13CH and δ13CP>7%. The data were important for differentiating quality as a function of biogenic amines and stable isotope technique was important in detecting honey adulteration.

Incomplete sanitation in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo results in detection of SARS-CoV-2 in headwater streams

Among the largest metropolitan regions in the world, the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) represents an important case study for the COVID-19 respiratory disease pandemic because it is home to >20 million people, making it one of the largest metropolitan regions in the global south. Besides the high population density, the MRSP has several problems related to social and economic aspects, which may reflect in the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as low income, lack of sanitation and social vulnerability in the peripheral regions of MRSP. In these regions, the input of untreated sewage on the streams and rivers can be frequently observed, which may represent an indicator of poor sewer system. Therefore, this study aimed to identify if streams draining urbanized regions without appropriate sanitation are prone to receive higher loads of detectable SARS-CoV-2 in its waters. For this, we collected water samples from 45 headwater streams distributed across an urbanization gradient (0–100 % of urbanization) in the MRSP, with three replicates in each stream and analyzed the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA targeting the nucleocapsid N1 and N2 genomic regions. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and sanitation and social variables. Our results showed that the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were higher in the streams draining medium to high urbanized catchments, especially because of the lack of sanitation and the higher probabilities to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the stream water was associated with households without a septic tank or sewage system within the catchment, followed by per capita household income. These results reflect the lack of urbanization planning and the lack of sanitation, especially in the poor regions from the MRSP, adding another risk for the already vulnerable population in a metropolitan region from the global south during a pandemic disease.

Assessment of the Potential for Reuse of Water in the Supply of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo

The phenomenon of water scarcity has become a global problem, which among its main causes is the growth of the population that brings as a consequence an increasing demand for potable water, which is an admittedly limited resource. São Paulo, the greatest example of inequality in water distribution in Brazil with 22% of the population and only 1.6% of the country’s surface water, faced between 2014 and 2016 one of the biggest supply crises in its history, characterized mainly by the lack of rains. The work evaluated the current situation of reuse water use in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) and interviews were carried out with specialists in the water resources sector, forming a representative tripod that involves the concessionaire of public water and sewage services, teaching institutions that study and research the topic and civil society entities responsible for managing the water resources that supply the city of São Paulo and 17 other municipalities in its surroundings. The study identified that much still needs to be done, necessarily counting on the active participation of the public power that has the largest structure to manage and encourage the practice of water reuse, that actions will be necessary to improve the legislation, so it is important that there is a permanent dialogue around the theme so that an alternative for water supply is available that meets the needs of society and collaborates with the sustainability of the planet.

Observational Investigation of the Low‐Level Jets in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil

The main features of low-level jet (LLJ) in the metropolitan region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil, are assessed using rawinsondes carried out: (a) every 3-hr during 10-consecutive days in summer and winter field campaigns of the MCITY BRAZIL Project in 2013, (b) at 0900 and 2100 local time, from September 2009 to August 2013. These observations indicate that the LLJ is a typical feature of the MRSP, observed in 85% of the 20 days of the field-campaigns and 77.6% of the 1,446 days of regular rawinsonde period. The fine temporal and spatial resolution soundings indicate that most of the LLJs occur during nighttime and early in the morning, with mean intensity of 8.5 ± 0.3 m s−1, height of 539 ± 26 m, and mostly (52.5%) from east and north. The coarse resolution soundings indicate the LLJ display a seasonal variation with maximum intensity in October (8.6 ± 0.3 m s−1) and a minimum in February (7.1 ± 0.2 m s−1), a maximum height in March (703 ± 151 m) and a minimum in June (577 ± 151 m). During MCITY campaigns about 76.4% of LLJ events show inertial oscillation and 35.3% of them are combined with sea breeze. Only 17.6% of LLJ events are associated with cold fronts and post-frontal high pressure system. The urban heat island intensity, surface inversion layer strength, particulate matter 2.5 and carbon monoxide concentrations are negatively correlated with the LLJ intensity, suggesting the jet-induced turbulent mixing may contribute to reduce them.

Performance assessment of aerosol-lidar remote sensing skills to retrieve the time evolution of the urban boundary layer height in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo City, Brazil

This paper investigates the performance of seven methods of retrieving the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) from lidar measurements carried out in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) during two MCITY-BRAZIL field campaigns of 2013. The performance is objectively assessed considering as reference the PBLH retrieved from rawinsonde carried out every 3 h during these campaigns. The role of clouds and aerosol load in the performance of the seven methods is analysed considering three case study scenarios representative of typical atmospheric conditions in the MRSP: (a) winter clean atmosphere, (b) summer low clouds and aerosol multilayers, (c) summer sea-breeze intrusion. Corroborating the case study results, the objective analysis indicated that most of the lidar methods retrieved PBLH closer to the top of the entrainment zone than the mixed layer, contradicting their definition. During daytime, the Wavelet Covariance Transform Method performs better than all the other six methods. The Inflexion Point Method performed better to estimate the Residual Layer height during night-time. In average, the diurnal evolution of the PBLH and its local rate of change based on lidar and rawinsonde measurements are in agreement.

Impact of climate change and air quality on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil

The scope of this study was to analyze the possible impacts of climate change on respiratory health in the municipalities of Santo André and São Caetano do Sul. Historical meteorological data (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure), air quality data (concentrations of PM10 and O3) and respiratory health data (incidence rates of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases - IRHRD) were related through statistical models of Multiple Linear Regression (MLR). Meteorological data from future climate projections (2019-2099) from three different climate models (one global and two regionalized) in two emission scenarios were applied to the MLR models. The results showed that the IRHRD will suffer an increase of up to 10% in relation to the current levels for São Caetano do Sul in the 2070-2099 period. In Santo André, projections indicated a reduction of up to 26% in IRHRD. The most important variable in the MLR models for Santo André was temperature (-2,15x), indicating an inverse relationship between global warming and an increase in IRHRD, while in São Caetano the atmospheric pressure had the greatest weight (2.44x). For future studies, the inclusion of future projections of PM10 concentrations is recommended.

Particulate matter-bound organic compounds: levels, mutagenicity, and health risks.

Increased industrialization and consumption of fossil fuels in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil, have caused a growth of the particulate matter emissions to the atmosphere and an increase in population health problems. Particulate and gaseous phase samples were collected in different short campaigns (2015, 2016, and 2017) near an urban-industrial area. Organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and its derivatives (nitro and oxy-PAH), n-alkanes, hopanes, and pesticides were determined. The Salmonella/microsome test confirmed the mutagenic activity of these samples. Among PAH, benzo(a)pyrene was detected as one of the most abundant compounds. Benzo(a)pyrene equivalent concentrations for PAH and nitro-PAH, and the associated risk of lung cancer, showed values above those recommended in the literature. The profile of n-alkanes confirmed the predominance of anthropogenic sources. Pesticide concentrations and estimated risks, such as the daily inhalation exposure and hazard quotient, suggest that exposure to these compounds in this area may be dangerous to human health.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Air Quality of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo: Analysis Based on Satellite Data, Monitoring Stations and Records of Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes on the Main Access Roads to the City

This paper presents an analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the air quality of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). The effects of social distancing are still recent in the society; however, it was possible to observe patterns of environmental changes in places that had adhered transportation measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Thus, from the analysis of the traffic volumes made on some of the main access highways to the MRSP, as well as the monitoring of the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), directly linked to atmospheric emissions from motor vehicles–which make up about 95% of air polluting agents in the region in different locations–we showed relationships between the improvement in air quality and the decrease in vehicles that access the MRSP. To improve the data analysis, therefore, the isolation index parameter was evaluated to provide daily information on the percentage of citizens in each municipality of the state that was effectively practicing social distancing. The intersection of these groups of data determined that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the volume of vehicles on the highways by up to 50% of what it was in 2019, with the subsequent recovery of the traffic volume, even surpassing the values from the baseline year. Thus, the isolation index showed a decline of up to 20% between its implementation in March 2020 and December 2020. These data and the way they varied during 2020 allowed to observe an improvement of up to 50% in analyzed periods of the pollutants PM2.5, CO and NO2 in the MRSP. The main contribution of this study, alongside the synergistic use of data from different sources, was to perform traffic flow analysis separately for light and heavy duty vehicles (LDVs and HDVs). The relationships between traffic volume patterns and COVID-19 pollution were analyzed based on time series.

Spatial analysis of areas at risk for schistosomiasis in the Alto Tietê Basin, São Paulo, Brazil

The present study identified locations with the presence of Biomphalaria and the areas at risk for Schistosoma mansoni, the etiological agent of schistosomiasis, in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), located in the Alto Tietê Basin (ATB), São Paulo, Brazil. The study area comprises floodplains of the Tietê River from its source, in Salesópolis, to Rasgão Dam, in Pirapora do Bom Jesus, covering 39 municipalities. Data from the planorbidic chart of the malacology laboratory of the Endemic Control Superintendence for 2008–2016 were used, as well as data from the notification forms of cases of human schistosomiasis in 2006–2015 made available by the Epidemiological Surveillance Groups of Mogi das Cruzes and Osasco, and by the Health and Surveillance Coordination of São Paulo. These data were used to generate maps of the distribution of Biomphalaria, of the scanning analysis, of the Gi statistics of the autochthonous and imported schistosomiasis cases, and of the flow of cases imported from other Brazilian states and municipalities in the state of São Paulo to the study area. A total of 21,618 specimens of the genus Biomphalaria were captured and six species were identified. Biomphalaria tenagophila was the predominant species in the region and of greatest epidemiological importance as it is the main responsible for the transmission of the disease in the state of São Paulo. A total of 3,623 cases of schistosomiasis were reported in the study area, and São Paulo and Guarulhos were the municipalities with the highest number of autochthonous and imported cases during the study period. The imported cases originated from 21 Brazilian states plus the Federal District and from 51 municipalities in São Paulo state located outside the study area. Autochthonous clusters with high risk for the occurrence of schistosomiasis were identified in the municipalities of São Paulo, Guarulhos, Santa Isabel/Mogi das Cruzes/Arujá, and Cotia/Itapevi. Clusters of imported cases were also identified in Itaquaquecetuba, at the border of Cotia/Itapevi and Suzano/São Paulo/Mogi das Cruzes. The presence of B. tenagophila in the ATB and in the clusters of autochthonous cases herein identified, although not carrying schistosome larvae, represents a risk for the transmission of infectious agents. The human population in the MRSP mainly occupies the lowlands of the Tietê River, which are locations with poor coverage of basic sanitation. Therefore, measures for the control and surveillance of schistosomiasis such as educational actions, improvements in basic sanitation, and the malacological and epidemiological monitoring of these areas are extremely important.

Impacts of a large-scale model of Municipal Solid Waste: An Input-Output analysis for the largest Brazilian metropolitan region

This article presents socio-economic, energetic and CO2 emissions' impact by considering a large-scale integrated plant to treat Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP); the most important Brazilian macro-region. As an alternative to landfills, this plant offers a source of renewable energy and a good assessment of benefits the circular economy provides.Based on the most recent interregional economic transactions data, the proposed Input-Output model has shown reductions in the local energy demand (-0.31%), carbon emissions (-3.40%). On the other hand, it has suggested gains in the GDP (+0.21%) and formal job positions (+0.08% or 10.6k) when recyclables are introduced massively in the economy.

Identification of water reuse potential in Metropolitan Regions using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

The use of reclaimed water as an alternative non-potable source is an increasing practice worldwide, especially in areas where water scarcity is becoming more severe. As with other environmental applications, reuse planning commonly faces a problem related to the selection of the best scheme to be adopted. To address this issue, this paper proposes, based on a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach, the development of the Water Reuse Potential (WRP) index to indicate the potential for developing industrial and agricultural non-potable water reuse schemes. The study area selected was the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in Brazil, a region that can be used as a model for most urban areas in the world. The model was built using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) applying technical, environmental, and socioeconomic criteria. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to verify the influence of criteria weights on the results. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used for data extraction and spatial allocation of the results. The study identified São Paulo (WRP ​= ​0.813), Suzano (0.363), Barueri (0.293), Mogi das Cruzes (0.282) and Guarulhos (0.252) as the municipalities with greater WRP. Considering that water reuse is not a common practice in many countries and that non-potable reuse may be a fundamental step for water sources diversification, the approach developed can be used as a planning tool to assess and classify any region according to its reuse potential, providing decision makers and planners with simple-understanding and versatile elements for prioritizing investments in further studies. • The AHP-based model developed evaluates and identifies cities with greater non-potable water reuse potential. • The model incorporates technical, environmental, and socioeconomic criteria. • The study area selected was the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in Brazil. • São Paulo (0.813), Suzano (0.363), Barueri (0.293), and Mogi das Cruzes (0.282) were the cities with higher WRP values. • The Water Reuse Potential (WRP) is a useful and simple-understanding tool to support water reuse planning actions.

Socioeconomic, Energetic and Carbon Impacts of a Large-Scale Model of Municipal Solid Waste Treatment in the Largest Brazilian Metropolitan Region

The National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) by the Law 12,305 of Aug. 2nd in 2010, is the Brazilian initiative to manage the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in the national territory. The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) is the largest Brazilian economic macro-region which generates 10% of all MSW in the country which is practically 100% treated in landfills, as suggested by the PNRS. However, its landfills are close to the exhaustion and build new ones collide with the lack of land availability in the region surrounded by water reservoirs. Areas far from the waste generation do not seem to be an economical alternative, due to high freight fee and requirements for environmental licensing.

Urban climate assessment in the ABC Paulista Region of São Paulo, Brazil

This article aims to map the urban climate in the ABC Paulista (ABCP) region, which is located in the southeast area of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil. More than 80% of the ABCP urban area comprises the municipalities of Santo André (SA), São Bernardo do Campo (SBC), São Caetano do Sul (SCS), Mauá (MA), Diadema (DIA), and Ribeirão Pires. Considering a four-year dataset (2015–2018), higher urban heat island (HI) intensities were found in the spring (3.7 °C) and summer (3.2 °C), in DIA and SCS, and these HI intensities were associated with extreme thermal discomfort in the afternoon. More intense and concentrated rainfall patterns over a shorter period were identified in ABCP, especially in DIA and SCS. An analysis of O3 and PM10 at fixed pollutant monitoring stations identified SBC as having the largest number of days with O3 concentrations beyond the standards; meanwhile, SCS significantly exceeded the PM10 standards. The traffic and transportation simulation tool, Equilibre Multimodal/Multimodal Equilibrium which was used to estimate emissions from mobile sources, identified SCS as having the highest emissions rates for CO2, CO, HC and PM10. Analysis of the rainwater composition in Capuava (located along boundary of SA and MA) and Paranapiacaba (an environmental preservation area of SA) identified that a major contribution of strong acids and heavy metals in Capuava possibly originated from the Capuava Petrochemical Complex. Meanwhile, the main source of pollutants in Paranapiacaba was from the industrial city of Cubatão. Principal component analysis identified the first three components, which explained 80.7% of the total variance of the data and the main urban climate processes. The HI intensity was associated with thermal discomfort; moreover, the PCA showed the inverse correlation between the number of days that O3 and PM10 exceeded the limits with low relative humidity and no precipitation.

An Environmental Health Typology as a Contributor to Sustainable Regional Urban Planning: The Case of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP)

The recognition of metropolitan regions and their growth as a necessary scale of analysis for their integrated management has become a central characteristic of urban planning. The current metropolitan landscape warrants the use of instruments beyond the municipal scale, especially since the economic integration of cities and their development are accentuating urban problems that affect the sustainability of cities. The São Paulo Metropolitan Region (MRSP), one of the world’s megacities, is used as a case study to identify how typologies can contribute to integrated sustainable urban planning and management at the metropolitan level. It applies the territorial analytical typology based on the Driving-Force-Pressure-Situation-Exposure-Effect-Actions (DPSEEA) Environmental Health Matrix to identify the heterogeneity of conditions encountered in large metropolitan regions such as the MRSP. The results show a great variety of environmental and social conditions present in the municipalities of the MRSP that condition the sustainability and health of the urban environment. This typology constitutes a first step to characterize metropolitan regions in socioenvironmental terms using as a conceptual basis a matrix of environmental health indicators, being a precursor in the largest metropolitan region of Brazil.

Quantification and Analysis of Impervious Surface Area in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil

The growing intensity of impervious surface area (ISA) is one of the most striking effects of urban growth. The expansion of ISA gives rise to a set of changes on the physical environment, impacting the quality of life of the human population as well as the dynamics of fauna and flora. Hence, due to its importance, the present study aimed to examine the ISA distribution in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil, using satellite imagery from the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) instrument. In contrast to other investigations that primarily focus on the accuracy of the estimate, the proposal of this study is—besides generating a robust estimate—to perform an integrated analysis of the impervious-surface distribution at pixel scale with the variability present in different territorial units, namely municipalities, sub-prefecture and districts. The importance of this study is that it strengthens the use of information related to impervious cover in the territorial planning, providing elements for a better understanding and connection with other spatial attributes. Reducing the dimensionality of the dataset (visible, near-infrared and short-wave infrared bands) by Karhune–Loeve analysis, the first three principal components (PCs) contained more than 99% of the information present in the original bands. Projecting PC1, PC2 and PC3 onto a series of two-dimensional (2D) scatterplots, four endmembers—Low Albedo (Dark), High Albedo (Substrate), Green Vegetation (GV) and Non-Photosynthetic Vegetation (NPV)—were visually selected to produce the unmixing estimates. The selected endmembers fitted the model well, as the propagated error was consistently low (root-mean-square error = 0.005) and the fraction estimates at pixel scale were found to be in accordance with the physical structures of the landscape. The impervious surface fraction (ISF) was calculated by adding the Dark and Substrate fraction imagery. Reconciling the ISF with reference samples revealed the estimates to be reliable (R2 = 0.97), regardless of an underestimation error (~8% on average) having been found, mostly over areas with higher imperviousness rates. Intra-pixel variability was combined with the territorial units of analysis through a modification of the Lorenz curve, which permitted a straightforward comparison of ISF values at different reference scales. Good adherence was observed when the original 30-m ISF was compared to a resampled 300-m ISF, but with some differences, suggesting a systematic behavior with the degradation of pixel resolution tending to underestimate lower fractions and overestimate higher ones; furthermore, discrepancies were bridged with the increase of scale analysis. The analysis of the IFS model also revealed that, in the context of the MRSP, gross domestic product (GDP) has little potential for explaining the distribution of impervious areas on the municipality scale. Finally, the ISF model was found to be more sensitive in describing impervious surface response than other well-known indices, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI).

The Brazilian urban mobility policy: The impact in São Paulo transport system using system dynamics

The urban transport is a complex system involving economy, population, environment and government. Due to the complexity of this system, the approach of system dynamics is adequate for capturing the causal relationship among the variables that interact in this system. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the influence of Brazilian policies in the urban transport system focusing on environmental, economic and traffic variables. For this, we conducted a case study in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). The results point to the importance of the policy implementation to reduce the negative externalities of urban transport system.