Suchergebnisse

The aim of this thesis is contributing to the debate about the organization of economic activities across space and its impacts both on economic competitiveness and on environmental sustainability. The first chapter states the most important aspects of spatial structure, which are polycentric development and urban dispersion, and highlights the relevance of spatial economic organization for public policies, in particular with reference to the spatial policies addressed by the European Union. In order to assess the effects of spatial structure, the second chapter tackles the issue of the analytical definition and measurement of polycentricity and dispersion. By surveying the most relevant literature in urban and regional economics, and geography and spatial planning, the chapter illustrates the main analytical dimensions and the empirical methods for the measurement of spatial structure at regional level, providing an empirical illustration on Italian regions. The third chapter analyses the relationships between spatial structure and economic competitiveness in Italian NUTS-3 regions. It presents the theoretical framework, grounded on agglomeration economies literature, and check whether agglomeration economies may depend on spatial organization of economic activities across Italian regions. In the empirical analysis labour productivity is taken as a proxy for economic competitiveness and both of polycentricity and urban dispersion seems to have negative impacts. The fourth chapter analyses the links between spatial structure and environmental pressure. The latter have been measured by gas emissions generated by private road transport and house heating. After the literature review, the chapter shows, through regression analysis of NUTS-3 regions, that spatial structure influences CO2 emissions from transport and PM10 emissions from house heating, with no evidence that polycentricity helps in reducing emissions. The thesis concludes discussing the main results from the empirical part of the work and sketch further steps in the analysis of spatial structure and economic development.

Nowadays, the striking proliferation of Big Data and the new scientific tools provided by the emerging field of Data Science finally offers the opportunity to realize a longstanding dream of scientists and policy makers: drawing a comprehensive picture of human social behavior. Big Data, indeed, hide a huge amount of predictive power, which can be exploited by governments and companies to unveiling and understanding the complexity underlying our society. In the present thesis we propose a multidimensional study of human social behavior, aimed to understand how the social network, the mobility behavior and the economic wellness of people in a big European country are connected to each other. To this end we exploit the access to a big mobile phone dataset provided by the French company Orange. Thanks to Big Data management tools like Hadoop, we computed several individual measures, each describing different aspects of the social or mobility behavior of individuals. Our analysis revealed very interesting and striking findings. Firstly, the observation at neighborhood level of the three biggest cities in France (Paris, Marseille, Lyon) uncovers a very strong correlation between the social diversification and the mobile predictability. People who equally diversify their calls over the social contacts tend to have a more erratic mobile behavior. Moreover, an even more interesting relationships emerged between the mobile behavior and the economic status: mobility diversity is strongly correlated with some indexes of economic wellness. These striking results leaves no room for doubt: the greater the diversification of the mobile behavior of people within a territory, the higher their economic prosperity. Such findings open interesting future perspective about the study of human social behavior. New statistical indexes can be defined which rely on mobile phone data to describe and predict the actual and future economic health of a territory. Tell me how people interact and move, and I will tell you how they live.

Nowadays, the striking proliferation of Big Data and the new scientific tools provided by the emerging field of Data Science finally pave the road to realize a longstanding dream of scientists and policy makers: drawing a comprehensive picture of human social behavior. Big Data, indeed, hide a huge amount of predictive power, which can be exploited by governments and companies to unveiling and understanding the complexity underlying our society. In the present thesis we propose a multidimensional study of human social behavior, aimed to understand how the social network, the mobility behavior and the economic wellness of people in a big European country are connected to each other. To this end we exploit the access to a big mobile phone dataset provided by the French telecom provider Orange. Thanks to Big Data management tools like Hadoop, we computed several individual measures, each describing different aspects of the social or mobility behavior of individuals and their aggregation at various geographic scales. Our analysis confirmed the existence of known patterns and revealed new interesting ones. Firstly, the observation at neighborhood level of the three biggest cities in France (Paris, Marseille, Lyon) uncovers a very strong correlation between the social diversification and the mobile predictability. People who equally diversify their calls over the social contacts tend to have a more erratic mobile behavior. Moreover, an even more interesting relationships emerged between the mobile behavior and the economic status: mobility diversity is strongly correlated with some indexes of economic wellness. These striking results leaves no room for doubt: the greater the diversification of the mobile behavior of people within a territory, the higher their economic prosperity. Such findings open interesting future perspective about the study of human social behavior. New statistical indexes can be defined which rely on mobile phone data to describe and predict (nowcast) the actual and future economic health of a territory.

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the formation of a new geopolitical reality in the post-Soviet space with the emergence in 1991 of five new independent states in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and a complete transformation of their political and economic systems. The purpose of this study is the institutional and socio-economic evolution of the Central Asian region (CAR) and its states after Chapter I defines geographically the different possible boundaries of the Central Asian region, which over the centuries were part of different empires, kingdoms, and states, and the population of which historically de jure and de facto never had their independent national statehood until 1991. The study also focuses on the consequences of the policy of the ethnic and territorial division adopted in the Soviet era in Central Asia on the current political instability in the region. The chapter analyzes the features and results of the transformation of the Soviet political system into a Western democratic system in the CAR. Why did Central Asian countries abandon communism for democracy, then turn to authoritarian rule? This paper proposes a theoretical framework, which discusses the durability and sustainability of the super-presidential regimes in the region, and the key factors that have largely determined the failure of a democratic transition in all five post-Soviet Central Asian states. Special attention is given to the issues of political legitimacy of the current authoritarian regimes and the prospects of further democratic modernization. Chapter II is devoted to an analysis of the main features and results of the socio-economic transformation of the Soviet planned economy to a market economy in Central Asian states. The research area includes an analysis of the structural changes in the five Central Asian economies. State capitalism and critical dependence on external factors have become today the main common features of all these economies. In particular, the second chapter describes the restrictions imposed on the Central Asian commodity and labor exported economies and the protectionist policies adopted by national governments. Protectionist policies are aimed at reducing the economies' vulnerability to external shocks, which are due to the high sectorial and geographical concentration of exports, significant migrants' remittances and consistent inflows of foreign direct investments. The chapter discusses the issues of regional cooperation and integration and the perspectives of sustainable economic development in the states of Central Asia. Finally, this study highlights the emerging challenges associated with the intersection of the competitive multidirectional interests of the major world powers, which consistently expand and strengthen their control over the natural resources of the CAR. Through different economic instruments, such as providing loans and investments, or the formation of alternative macro-regional integration projects in Eurasia, they seek to achieve their ambitious strategic objectives in Central Asia.

Nell'ambito delle teorie dello sviluppo, un filone di studi, originato dai lavori di North (1973) e consolidatosi negli ultimi anni, individua nelle istituzioni, definite come le regole del gioco o i vincoli disegnati dagli uomini per disciplinare i loro rapporti, i fattori fondamentali dello sviluppo economico. Le istituzioni, nel modello elaborato da Acemoglu, Johnson e Robinson (2004), sono il frutto di interazioni dinamiche tra potere politico de jure, determinato dalle istituzioni politiche, e potere politico de facto, determinato dalla distribuzione delle risorse economiche. Sulla base di questa prospettiva teorica, questa tesi propone uno studio di carattere quantitativo sulla qualità istituzionale, la traduzione operativa del concetto di istituzioni, composta dalle tre fondamentali dimensioni di democrazia, efficienza ed efficacia del governo e assenza di corruzione. La prima parte, che analizza sistematicamente pro e contro di ciascuna tipologia di indicatori, è dedicata alla revisione delle misure quantitative di qualità istituzionale, e individua nei Worldwide Governance Indicators la misura più solida e consistente. Questi indici sono quindi utilizzati nella seconda parte, dove si propone un'analisi empirica sulle determinanti della qualità istituzionale. Le stime del modello di regressione cross-country evidenziano che la qualità istituzionale è influenzata da alcuni fattori prevalentemente esogeni come la geografia, la disponibilità di risorse naturali e altre caratteristiche storiche e culturali, insieme ad altri fattori di carattere più endogeno. In quest'ultima categoria, i risultati evidenziano un effetto positivo del livello di sviluppo economico, mentre la disuguaglianza economica mostra un impatto negativo su ciascuna delle tre dimensioni di qualità istituzionale, in particolare sulla corruzione. Questi risultati supportano la prospettiva teorica e suggeriscono che azioni di policy orientate alla riduzione delle disparità sono capaci di generare sviluppo rafforzando la democrazia, migliorando l'efficienza complessiva del sistema economico e riducendo i livelli di corruzione. ; Amongst development theories, following the work of D. North (1973), a branch of studies has recently developed which sees institutions, defined as the rules of the game or humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction, as the fundamental cause of long-run growth. The model constructed by Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (2004) emphasizes the interaction between de jure political power, influenced by political institutions, and de facto political power, shaped by distribution of resources, in the evolution of institutional paths. Based on this theoretical framework, this thesis adopts a quantitative perspective to investigate institutional quality, which is composed by three main dimensions: democracy, government efficiency and effectiveness and corruption. A survey of available measures of institutional quality is conducted in order to evaluate pro and cons of each kind of indicators. The analysis finds the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators as the most reliable measures of institutional quality, both in terms of internal and external consistency. These indexes are then used for an empirical analysis over the determinants of institutional quality. The estimates of the cross-country regression model show that institutional quality is affected by some exogenous factors, like geography, natural resources endowments and other historic and cultural traits, and more endogenous factors. Amongst the latter, economic development exerts a positive effect on institutional quality, while a negative association, particularly on the corruption side, is shown by economic inequality. Results confirm our hypothesis and suggest that policies aiming at reducing inequality can foster development by strengthening democracy, by improving the overall efficiency of the economic system and by reducing corruption levels.

La tesi analizza il fenomeno del microcredito in Europa, approfondendo le cause che hanno reso necessaria l'introduzione di questo strumento finanziario anche in economie profondamente diverse da quella in cui ha avuto origine ed esamina le trasformazioni che lo strumento ha subito durante il suo processo di adattamento ai paesi evoluti. Lo studio esamina il microcredito in Francia, Inghilterra, Spagna e Germania, soffermandosi ad analizzare, in ognuno dei suddetti Stati, la disciplina giuridica adottata (qualora esistente), le istituzioni micro finanziarie esistenti, le caratteristiche del settore e le fonti di finanziamento. L'obiettivo dell'analisi è pertanto quello di comprendere come nei Paesi europei convivano contemporaneamente modelli di microcredito profondamente diversi, a seconda del contesto economico, politico e sociale nel quale trovano applicazione. La tesi si concentra ad analizzare il microcredito in Italia, valutando il rapporto esistente tra questo strumento finanziario ed il problema dell'esclusione sociale, dell'immigrazione e dell'usura. Lo studio approfondisce, inoltre, la disciplina giuridica del microcredito adottata in Italia dopo le recenti modifiche introdotte dal D.lgs n. 169/2012. Il lavoro si sofferma ad analizzare, altresì, se e quali interventi, a livello internazionale ed europeo, sono stati programmati per dare al microcredito una cornice legislativa unitaria e per promuoverne lo sviluppo. L'attività di ricerca infine è volta a valutare, sulla base delle esperienze descritte dalla letteratura del settore, gli effetti prodotti dal microcredito, nonché ad approfondire alcune problematiche comuni ai programmi adottati negli Stati europei, quali la sostenibilità delle istituzioni di microcredito, la dipendenza dai sussidi e l'applicazione di tassi di interesse elevati. La tesi si conclude con l'analisi del rapporto esistente tra microcredito e crisi finanziaria, in un periodo storico in cui le politiche per l'occupazione ed il sostegno alla piccola impresa sono fondamentali per stimolare la ripresa economica. ; The thesis analyses the phenomenon of microcredit in Europe going deeply into the causes which have made the introduction of this financial instrument necessary even in completely different economies than those in which it originated and examining the transformation that the instrument has undergone during the process of its adaptation to the progressive countries. The study examines microcredit in France, England, Spain and Germany, pausing to analyse, in each state, the juridical discipline adopted, if existing, the present institutions of micro credit, the nature of the sector and the source of funds. The objective of the analysis is to understand how European countries,according to the economic, political and social context,live completely different models of microcredit at the same time. The thesis concerntrates on analyzing the microcredit in Italy, taking into account the existing relations between this financial instrument and the problems of social exclusion, of immigration and of usury. The study also examines the juridical practice of microcredit used in Italy after recent changes introduced by D.lgs n. 169/2012. The work pauses to analyse if and which interventions, at International and European levels, have been programmed to give microcredit a unitary legislative framework and to promote its development. The research is aimed towards the valuation of the effects produced by microcredit on the basis of experiences described in the literature of the subject, as well as examining some common problems in the programs used in the European States; the sustainability of the microcredit institutions, the dependence of subsidies and the application of high interest taxes. The thesis concludes with the analysis of the existing relations between microcredit and the financial crisis, in a historical period in which politics for occupation and the support of small businesses are fundamental to stimulate economic growth.

Le città sono l'espressione collettiva di una società e nelle città di mare questo fenomeno assume valenze particolari in quanto le comunità marittime condividono un'identità unitaria nel forte legame con la marineria, le navi e la navigazione. Il paesaggio urbano marittimo non può essere compreso pienamente se non dal mare e in navigazione, attraverso una percezione dinamica che ne restituisce la complessità.L'architettura delle città di mare ha nel mare l'elemento primario che sostanzia il paesaggio urbano, alimenta l'evoluzione culturale, influenza le dinamiche sociali e spinge le attività economiche. La crescita costante dei traffici marittimi indotti dalla globalizzazione dei mercati ha favorito lo sviluppo dei porti, che, se ben gestito può creare, ancora oggi, opportunità nelle città di mare. L'approccio ai temi della progettazione urbana incentrato su di una visione "dal mare" suggerisce di affrontare in modo integrato la dimensione portuale e la dimensione urbanistica. Attraverso un approccio "marecentrico" il porto può assumere una nuova centralità per la rigenerazione delle aree urbane costiere, diventando generatore del suo (auto)sviluppo e motore dello sviluppo locale urbano sostenibile.La relazione tra la città e il porto non è univoca ma, piuttosto, costituisce un processo continuo particolarmente complesso che prevede cambiamenti fisici e culturali spesso difficili da gestire e conseguire, ed in cui sono convolti soggetti e risorse differenti, spesso in conflitto. Questo significa affrontare in modo integrato la dimensione portuale e quella urbanistica, ricercando nell'identità marittima della città e della comunità urbana la continuità tra passato e futuro.Si propone il caso studio di Salerno dove, attraverso la continuità culturale della tradizione marittima, la crescita delle attività portuali è stata accompagnata da una vision urbana che ha il suo punto di forza nel ridisegno del waterfront urbano (Fig.1).Salerno ha individuato indirizzi, politiche e metodi per intraprendere la rigenerazione urbana, con la partecipazione dell'Amministrazione, dell'Autorità Portuale e dei privati, condividendo azioni e progetti per rendere più coerente e attraente il fronte a mare e per migliorare la qualità della vita urbana ed al tempo stesso per sfruttare economicamente il potenziale di queste aree preziose, garantendo una visione strategica e una prospettiva in cui sono state esaltate le caratteristiche locali, la vocazione dei luoghi, la memoria storica. ; Cities are the collective expression of a society and in seaside cities this phenomenon acquires peculiar values, since maritime communities share a unitary identity in the remarkable link with maritime essence, ships and navigation. Maritime urban landscape may be really perceived only from the sea and during navigation, through a dynamic perception able to give its complexity back. Architecture in seaside cities is rooted in the sea itself, which shapes the urban landscape, fosters the cultural evolution, affects social dynamics and makes economy be on the move. The ever rising sea trades, brought about markets' globalization, fostered port's development, which, if well run, is still today able to provide new opportunities for sea towns. The approach to an urban planning focused on a "from the sea" perspective suggests to deal with both the port and urban dimensions. Through this kind of approach, the Port may acquire a new leading role in the renewal of urban coastal areas, becoming, thus, the driving force of its (self)development and, at the same time, of the local urban sustainable development. Rather than being univocal, the relationship between city and port constitutes a quite complex continuous process, which calls for physical and cultural changes, often difficult to deal with and fulfill; a process in which different subjects and resources, often at odds, are involved. In this study approach we will focus on Salerno, where, through the cultural continuity of maritime tradition, the rise of port activities has been matched with an urban vision designed to reshape the urban waterfront (Fig.1). Salerno has identified policies and methods designed to undertake a renewal — along with Administration, Port Authority and Private Citizens — by sharing actions and projects to make waterfront more suitable and "tantalizing", to improve the quality of urban life and, simultaneously, to take advantage of the potential of these precious areas, guaranteeing a strategic perspective in which local peculiarities and historical memory are highlighted.

Blockchain is a technology that has become known above all thanks to cryptocurrencies. The now-famous bitcoins born in 2008 from the mind of Satoshi Nakamoto, considered by most to be a pseudonym of a group of researchers, are the first digital currency that has exploited this technology. However, to fully understand the value of this tool and above all to understand the Chinese strategy in this regard, it should be emphasized that the practical applications of the blockchain go far beyond cryptocurrencies. In fact, the information that can be stored within a blockchain is manifold such as, for example, certificates and licenses of various kinds, smart contracts, and in general transactions and information exchange. In particular, this technology can be applied for areas such as digital identity, the filing of judicial decisions, the tracking of money and public funding, the exchange of tangible and intangible assets such as patents, and also for electronic voting. Some authors argue that the distributed control system of the blockchain could give rise to a governance without a government or even a "global society without a state", putting at risk the very concept of national sovereignty. However, the purpose of this article is not to venture hypotheses on how the state may or may not coexist with the blockchain. Rather, once the potential and risks are understood, the goal is to understand and analyze what China's intentions are for the development and use of this technology. ; La blockchain, in italiano "catena di blocchi", è una tecnologia diventata nota soprattutto grazie alle criptovalute. Gli ormai famosi bitcoin nati nel 2008 dalla mente di Satoshi Nakamoto, considerato dai più uno pseudonimo di un gruppo di ricercatori, sono la prima valuta digitale che ha sfruttato questa tecnologia. Tuttavia, per comprendere a pieno il valore di questo strumento e soprattutto per capire la strategia cinese in merito, è bene sottolineare come le applicazioni pratiche della blockchain vadano ben oltre le criptovalute. Infatti, le informazioni che possono essere conservate all'interno di una blockchain sono molteplici come, ad esempio, certificati e licenze di varia natura, contratti smart e in generale le transazioni e lo scambio di informazioni. In particolare, questa tecnologia può essere applicata per ambiti quali l'identità digitale, l'archiviazione di decisioni giudiziarie, il tracciamento di denaro e dei finanziamenti pubblici, gli scambi di beni materiali e immateriali come i brevetti e anche per il voto elettronico. Alcuni autori affermano che il sistema di controllo distribuito della blockchain potrebbe dar vita ad una governance senza governo o anche ad una "società globale senza stato", mettendo a rischio il concetto stesso di sovranità nazionale. Lo scopo di questo articolo non è tuttavia quello di azzardare ipotesi su come lo Stato possa o meno convivere con la blockchain. Piuttosto, una volta comprese le potenzialità e i rischi, l'obiettivo è capire e analizzare quali siano le intenzioni della Cina per lo sviluppo e l'utilizzo di questa tecnologia.