Osservatorio Pubblicazioni Città e mobilità in Italia dal 1861 ai giorni nostri

In questo numero presentiamo sei contributi che, a vario titolo, parlano di storia urbanistica e delle relazioni tra evoluzione della forma e della struttura urbana e mobilità a cavallo di due secoli: l’Ottocento e il Novecento

Measuring Brazilians’ environmental attitudes: A systematic review and empirical analysis of the NEP scale

The New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale is the most widely used instrument to assess environmental attitudes (EA). However, the validity of its use in developing countries has been overlooked. Considering the importance of Brazil for the future of the environment, we present two complementary studies to examine how the NEP scale has been used in Brazil, its validity to evaluate Brazilians’ EA, and possible ways to improve this instrument. In the first study, we present a systematic review of studies that used the NEP scale (original and revised versions) with Brazilians. In the second study, we conduct an empirical analysis using the revised NEP scale. Results from both studies show that the NEP scale’s factorial structure can be influenced by the items’ positive and negative wording, Brazilians hold medium-high pro-EA, and that the scale presents low internal consistency. Study 1 showed that the scale’s convergent, predictive, and known-group validity differs across studies. In Study 2, the revised NEP scale was significantly associated with connectedness to nature, pro-environmental behavior, gender, and political ideology. These results support its convergent, predictive, and known-group validity. We conclude that the validity of using the NEP scale with Brazilians is questionable and discuss ways of improving this instrument

The 7-items version of the connectedness to nature scale: A study of its validity and reliability with Brazilians

Human actions are largely responsible for environmental problems such as climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss (Steffen et al. 2015). Hence, several authors have highlighted the importance of a better understanding of the drivers of pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) (Collado et al. 2015; Whitburn et al. 2019). Connectedness to nature (CN) has been defined as a latent construct that represents the connection between individuals and nature and is related to individuals’ emotions, beliefs and behaviors toward nature (Mayer and Frantz 2004; Tam 2013; Pasca et al. 2017; Whitburn et al. 2019). CN is thought to be one of the main factors leading to PEB (Tam 2013; Frantz and Mayer 2014; Gkargkavouzi et al. 2018) and, as such, there is a growing interest on the factors leading to CN (Di Fabio and Kenny 2018; Rosa and Collado 2019). For example, experiences in nature (e.g., nature-based recreation) are seen as a relevant determinant of CN (Duron-Ramos et al. 2020; Rosa and Collado 2019)..

Gender Differences in Connection to Nature, Outdoor Preferences, and Nature-Based Recreation Among College Students in Brazil and the United States

Nature-based recreation (NBR) can enhance human health and promote conservation. As a result, there is a growing interest in the drivers of NBR. In two separate surveys of college students in Brazil (N = 224) and the United States (N = 207), we found that young adults with stronger connection to nature (CN) have a greater preference for outdoor environments to recreate and that these preferences are associated with more frequent participation in NBR. Fostering connection to nature could therefore alter recreation preferences and enhance NBR. We also discovered gender differences in CN, recreation setting preferences and NBR participation. While women were more connected to nature and tended to prefer outdoor environments to recreate, they were less likely than men to engage in NBR. These relationships were consistent across both countries, raising concerns about gender equity in the outdoors that transcend geographical and cultural contexts

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<p>This cross-sectional study aims to improve our understanding of the psychological pathways behind the commonly reported link between experiences in nature and pro-environmentalism. Particularly, we explore whether nature experiences lead to self-reported pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and whether this relation is mediated by connectedness to nature. Additionally, we examine the possible lasting effect of childhood experiences with nature on adults’ PEB. Most studies reporting on the link between contact with nature and pro-environmentalism have been conducted in developed countries, limiting the generalization of the results. To address this gap in the literature, the current study was conducted in a developing country (Brazil) with a sample of 224 young adults. According to our findings, greater contact with nature during childhood is associated with greater contact with nature as an adult, which, in turn, is positively associated with connectedness to nature and PEB. The stimulation of pleasant experiences while in direct contact with nature during childhood seems to trigger interactions with nature in adulthood and consequently, adults embrace pro-environmental actions.</p

Forest therapy can prevent and treat depression: Evidence from meta-analyses

Forest therapy involves engaging in a combination of forest-based activities to improve one’s health or wellbeing. We conducted an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses of primary studies to provide the most comprehensive summary of the effect of forest therapy on depression. We included 13 primary studies that matched our eligibility criteria - all were included in four recent SRs and were conducted in the Republic of Korea. We carried out meta-analyses with data extracted directly from these 13 studies and assessed their risk of bias. Outcomes of interest were depressive symptoms, temporary recovery from depression (i.e. remission), response to treatment (i.e. ≥ 50 % reduction on depressive symptoms from baseline), adherence to treatment, and adverse effects. Considering pooled estimates from randomized controlled trials with adults, we found that compared to no intervention/usual care, forest therapy produced a greater reduction of depressive symptoms (Hedges’g = 1.18, 95 % CI [0.86, 1.50], p < .00001). Also compared to no intervention/usual care, participants in the forest therapy group were 17 times as likely to achieve remission (Risk Ratio = 17.02, 95 % CI [3.40, 85.21], p = .0006) and three times as likely to have a ≥ 50 % reduction on depressive symptoms (Risk Ratio = 3.18, 95 % CI [1.94, 5.21], p < .00001). Forest therapy, on average, reduced depressive symptoms more than engaging in similar activities in a hospital or non-forested urban area, or participating in an intervention focused on diet plus forest-based exercise. We did not find evidence that adherence to forest therapy is different from the adherence to alternative interventions and the adverse effects of forest therapy appear to be rare. These results indicate that, relative to many more conventional alternatives, forest therapy is a more effective short-term intervention for the prevention and treatment of depression in adults

The Effect of Nature-Based Adventure Interventions on Depression: A Systematic Review

We conducted a systematic review to synthesize evidence of the effect of nature-based adventure (NBA) interventions on depressive symptoms. Our search was conducted in April 2021 and utilized the following databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Forty-two studies ( n = 2,689 participants) with different designs, published between 1979 and 2021, were included. Collectively, results suggest highly variable effects of NBA interventions on depressive symptoms, ranging from reductions in mean depression scores of up to 64% to increases in means scores of up to 18%. Patient adherence to interventions was also variable, and serious adverse events (e.g., leg fractures) did occur. Despite variability across studies, research generally showed that mountain-based and surfing interventions, coupled with other forms of care, may substantially reduce adults’ depressive symptoms more than usual care alone or no intervention, highlighting the potential benefits of some NBA activities for individuals experiencing depressive symptoms

Environmental Perception of Conservation Unities: the look of the rural community of Barrocão surrounding the State Park of Serra do Conduru – BA

A atual relação entre ser humano-natureza que é estabelecida na sociedade capitalista é caracterizada pela dominação e degradação dos ambientes naturais. Assim, para a política ambiental, as Unidades de Conservação (UCs) de proteção integral são a garantia da conservação da biodiversidade, embora não haja ainda o reconhecimento do importante papel das comunidades locais no manejo sustentável dos recursos, no processo de gestão ambiental e na conservação da biodiversidade. Diante disto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender a percepção ambiental dos moradores da comunidade rural do Barrocão (Uruçuca-BA) localizada no entorno do Parque Estadual da Serra do Conduru (PESC), identificando o tipo de relação que é estabelecida entre a comunidade e o PESC. O estudo trata-se de uma pesquisa quali-quantitativa, possuindo a fenomenologia como sua matriz teórico-metodológica. O método de coleta foi o uso de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 13 moradores integrantes da associação comunitária Doces e Segredos da Floresta, partindo de um roteiro elaborado seguindo as orientações metodológicas da percepção ambiental de Whyte (1977). As análises mostraram um distanciamento entre a gestão do PESC com a comunidade local, evidenciando a ausência da participação dos moradores nos processos de criação e gestão da UC. Apesar de estabelecerem uma relação conflitante com a unidade, os moradores reconhecem a função do parque e o consideram importante na conservação do meio ambiente.The current relationship among humans and nature stablished by the capitalist society is characterized by the domination and degradation of natural environments. Thus, for environmental politics, Conservation Unities (UCs) of full protection guarantee the conservation of biodiversity, though there is still no recognition of the important role of local communities in the sustainable management of resources in the process of environmental management and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, the aim of this work was to comprehend the environmental perception of the rural community of Barrocão (Uruçuca-BA) located in the surroundings of the State Park of Serra do Conduru (PESC), identifying the type of relationship stablished between the community and PESC. The study is a qualitative-quantitative research, with phenomenology as its theoretical-methodological matrix. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 13 members of the community association Doces e Segredos da Floresta, starting from an itinerary elaborated following the methodological orientations of the environmental perception of Whyte (1977). The analysis showed a distancing between the management of the PESC and the local community, evidencing the absence of the participation of the residents in the processes of creation and management of the UC. Although they establish a conflict relationship with the unit, the residents recognize the park's function and consider it important in the conservation of the environment