Spatial clustering-based method for Italian marginal areas toward the sustainable regeneration

In Italy, there is a clear disparity between cities and villages located in marginal areas. The progressive depopulation of inland areas and the urban polarization represent consolidated dynamics difficult to adapt to the new paradigm of sustainable development. The post-Covid-19 pandemic scenario offers the opportunity to redefine new parameters of intervention and new visions for the regeneration of villages in accord with the new challenges of decentralization and distancing. The project «Renaissance of villages for the revitalization of marginal areas» (2021) aims to create the conditions to repopulate and rebalance shrinking territories by establishing new centres of attractiveness. This project envisages the active involvement of municipalities to implement multi-sectoral analysis and spatial assessment approaches in planning processes. It intends to develop an interactive web dashboard for local authorities and spatial planners to create both a learning environment and a participative spatial decision support system for future local policy actions toward sustainable local development. This study presents the project's preliminary phase which aims to create the general framework of the web dashboard. A reconstruction of the village definition and the spatial selection of villages throughout Italy are presented as innovative aspects since the absence of an agreed definition of the village in the national and international level documents. Moreover, this study provides a quantitative spatial multivariate analysis cluster that analyzes, and groups Italian territories based on socioeconomic dynamics. The result of this analysis allows us to divide the territory into archetypes and to structure a framework that supports the definition of future scenarios for the regeneration of small urban areas considering the diversified needs and potential of the villages belonging to specific archetypes analyzed in the study.In Italia esiste una netta disparità tra città e borghi situati in aree marginali. Il progressivo spopolamento delle aree interne e la polarizzazione urbana rappresentano dinamiche consolidate poco affini ai paradigmi dello sviluppo sostenibile. Lo scenario post pandemico offre oggi l'opportunità di ridefinire nuovi parametri di inter- vento e nuove visioni per la rigenerazione dei borghi in accordo con le sfide imposte dal decentramento e dal distanziamento fisico. Il progetto «Rinascimento dei borghi per la rivitalizzazione delle aree marginali» (2021) mira a creare le condizioni per ripopolare e rigenerare i territori in contrazione. L'efficacia del progetto si fonda sul coinvolgimento attivo dei comuni nei processi di pianificazione e sull'integrazione in essi di analisi multisettoriali sperimentando un approccio basato sulla va- lutazione territoriale. Nell'ambito del progetto s'intende sviluppare un cruscotto web interattivo indirizzato alla pubblica amministrazione e ai pianificatori territoriali, al fine di creare un sistema partecipativo di supporto alle decisioni spaziali propedeutico allo sviluppo di scenari di sviluppo locale sostenibile. Questo studio presenta la fase preliminare del progetto in cui viene predisposta la struttura generale del cruscotto web. La ricerca e la ricostruzione della definizione di borgo, seguita dalla se- lezione spaziale dei borghi in tutta Italia, sono presentati come aspetti innovativi data l'attuale assenza di una definizione a livello nazionale e internazionale. Inoltre, questo studio fornisce un'analisi spaziale quantitativa multivariata che analizza e riunisce in cluster i territori italiani in base alle dinamiche socioeconomiche. Il risultato di questa analisi permette di suddividere il territorio in archetipi e di strutturare un quadro di riferimento che supporti la definizione di scenari futuri per la rigenerazione delle piccole aree urbane, considerando le esigenze e le potenzialità diversificate di ogni singolo borgo.

Novel Cellular Stress Models with Implications in Understanding and Treating ENT Pathologies

Interaction with the world around us requires extracting meaningful signals to guide behaviour. The mammalian senses of olfaction, vision, somatosensation, hearing, balance and taste facilitate extraction of sense-specific information. Most sensory organs in the vertebrate head originate from cranial placodes (CPs). CPs are formed embryonically through a series of differentiation steps arising at the boundary between neural and non-neural ectoderm, and they can be divided into anterior, posterior and intermediate groups depending on their place of origin in the developing embryonic head. Anterior CPs include adenohypophyseal, olfactory and lens placodes;intermediate CPs include the trigeminal placode, which gives rise to the sensory neurons of the ophthalmic and maxilla-mandibular divisions of the trigeminal ganglion;posterior CPs are comprised of the otic, lateral line placode and the epibranchial placodes that give rise to the inner ear, lateral line organs (in fish and amphibian) and sensory neurons of the geniculate, petrosal and nodose ganglia, respectively. The complexity of neural plate border specification in vitro poses a major limitation to gain deeper mechanistic insights into the developmental cues driving efficient placodal differentiation;hence generation and establishment of in vitro cellular models with improved cranial placode differentiation are challenging. Our group is interested in the establishment of cranial/sensory placodes in vitro using novel cellular stress stem cell reprogramming models with translational implications in sensorineural hearing loss regeneration and modelling COVID-19-associated anosmia. We are primarily interested in building the otic placodes that can form viable otic vesicles in vitro, which can be further directed to generate cochlear/vestibular systems of inner ear and the sensory neurons of its associated vestibulocochlear ganglion. Given the copious involvement of serine proteases in COVID-19 pathogenesis, we are also encouraged to leverage our proteolytic stress cellular models towards establishment and characterization of novel olfactory epithelial neurospheres housing supporting cells, progenitor cells and sensory neurons for investigating cellular and molecular targets of COVID-19-associated anosmia. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

An Epidemiological Model for Tuberculosis Considering Environmental Transmission and Reinfection

As tuberculosis (TB) patients do not have lifetime immunity, environmental transmission is one of the key reasons why TB has not been entirely eradicated. In this study, an SVEIRB model of recurrent TB considering environmental transmission was developed to explore the transmission kinetics of recurrent TB in the setting of environmental transmission, exogenous infection, and prophylaxis. A more thorough explanation of the effect of environmental transmission on recurrent TB can be found in the model's underlying regeneration numbers. The global stability of disease-free and local equilibrium points can be discussed by looking at the relevant characteristic equations. The Lyapunov functions and the LaSalle invariance principle are used to show that the local equilibrium point is globally stable, and TB will persist if the basic reproduction number is larger. Conversely, the disease will disappear if the basic reproduction number is less than one. The impact of environmental transmission on the spread of tuberculosis was further demonstrated by numerical simulations, which also demonstrated that vaccination and reducing the presence of the virus in the environment are both efficient approaches to control the disease's spread.

GIS-Based Analysis of the Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Traditional Villages in Hebei Province, China

Traditional villages are a valuable cultural asset that occupy an important position in Chinese traditional culture. This study focuses on 206 traditional villages in Hebei Province and aims to explore their spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors using ArcGIS spatial analysis. The analysis shows that traditional villages in Hebei Province were distributed in clusters during different historical periods, and eventually formed three core clusters in Shijiazhuang, Zhangjiakou and Xingtai-Handan after different historical periods. Moreover, the overall distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province is very uneven, with clear regional differences, and most of them are concentrated in the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains. To identify the factors influencing traditional villages, natural environmental factors, socio-economic factors, and historical and cultural factors are considered. The study finds that socio-economic and natural environmental factors alternate in the spatial distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province. The influence of the interaction of these factors increases significantly, and socio-economic factors have a stronger influence on the spatial distribution. Specifically, the spatial distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province is influenced by natural environmental factors, while socio-economic factors act as drivers of spatial distribution. Historical and cultural factors act as catalysts of spatial distribution, and policy directions are external forces of spatial distribution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages in Hebei Province, which can be used to develop effective strategies for rural revitalisation in China.

Fast proteomics with dia-PASEF and analytical flow-rate chromatography.

Increased throughput in proteomic experiments can improve accessibility of proteomic platforms, reduce costs, and facilitate new approaches in systems biology and biomedical research. Here we propose combination of analytical flow rate chromatography with ion mobility separation of peptide ions, data-independent acquisition, and data analysis with the DIA-NN software suite, to achieve high-quality proteomic experiments from limited sample amounts, at a throughput of up to 400 samples per day. For instance, when benchmarking our workflow using a 500-µL/min flow rate and 3-min chromatographic gradients, we report the quantification of 5211 proteins from 2 µg of a mammalian cell-line standard at high quantitative accuracy and precision. We further used this platform to analyze blood plasma samples from a cohort of COVID-19 inpatients, using a 3-min chromatographic gradient and alternating column regeneration on a dual pump system. The method delivered a comprehensive view of the COVID-19 plasma proteome, allowing classification of the patients according to disease severity and revealing plasma biomarker candidates.

A framework for sustainable adaptive reuse: understanding vacancy and underuse in existing urban buildings

Cities have been built on the benefits of density, proximity, and connectivity. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic, along with continuously evolving communication technologies, has seen an increase in vacancies and underuse of urban buildings, challenging the agglomeration benefits of cities and our understanding of business-as-usual. By reflecting on these continuous changes in our urban environment, we can better understand the dynamics in play, the various user needs, the temporary or permanent nature of these changes, and possible adaptive strategies to navigate our future toward a more sustainable and resilient state. This article, therefore, presents a systematic literature review, using PRISMA, to examine and map how vacancy intersects with adaptive reuse literature. This review examined 43 academic articles and revealed research predominately focusing on whole-building adaptive reuse of completely vacant buildings. This review highlighted that vacancy is mainly assumed in research, and both vacancy and adaptive reuse are insufficiently unpacked. A new adaptive reuse framework is proposed to address the misalignment between the realities of how a vacancy is distributed in building stocks and the focus on whole-building adaptive reuse. The framework is set to inform urban policy development supporting sustainable reuse. This article presents a point of departure to understand how adaptive planning approaches could be applied to enhance broader sustainability and resilience initiatives.

Features of the tissue repair process in urgent surgical abdominal pathology in combination with covid-19

The OBJECTIVE was to study the process of wound healing after surgical interventions in patients with urgent surgical diseases in combination with a new coronavirus infection. METHODS AND MATERIALS. We observed for 80 patients with urgent abdominal diseases. Group I – 48 patients with various urgent diseases of the abdominal organs, group II – 32 patients with similar diseases occurring against the background of coronavirus infection. Stages of postoperative examination: 2, 4 and 7 days after surgery. The nature and rate of wound regeneration was assessed by cytological examination of wound exudate. In the tissues along the suture line, trophic indicators and microcirculation were recorded. RESULTS. The number of neutrophilic leukocytes in the wound exudate in group II exceeded the values of group I by 38.7–116.8 % with a slowed down dynamics of recovery. In the II group of patients, the number of tissue polyblasts was reduced at all stages of observation in comparison with the control group by 34.2–41.9 %. The number of lymphoid polyblasts in the main group was increased in comparison with the control group on days 2, 4, 7 of observation by 33.1 %, 63.2 %, 354.9 %, respectively. The indices of microcirculation in the tissues of the laparotomic wound in the group II of patients changed to a greater extent. The redox potential and oxygen diffusion coefficient in the group II were lower than the control figures by 9.8 – 37.2 % and 35.3 – 38.1 %, respectively. The number of complications according to the Clavien – Dindo classification in the group II of patients compared to the group I was more than 6 times higher. CONCLUSION. In patients with urgent diseases of the abdominal organs with concomitant coronavirus infection, the process of incomplete reparative tissue regeneration of the wound area slows down, which increases the risk of complications. The main factors that reduce the rate of tissue healing are disorders of microcirculation and bioenergetics. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Influence of Revitalization on the Social and Economic Well-Being of Residents: Case Study of Lithuania

The lack of public spaces, recreational areas, and sports facilities in older city neighborhoods, as well as the importance of people's social and economic well-being, have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revitalization is used to update the physical environment of old neighborhoods;it improves not only the physical environment of the neighborhood, but also contributes to ensuring the social and economic well-being of the residents. The article aims to identify which typical revitalization project solutions, only referring to physical environmental improvement projects, improve the social and economic well-being of the residents. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of the Žirmūnai triangle residents was performed with obtained survey data. The hypothesized connections between typical revitalization solutions and changes in the social and economic well-being of the population were verified using Pearson's Chi-Square test. The results showed that the public spaces, sports, and playgrounds provided by revitalization were directly related to the social and economic well-being of the residents. As a result of this typical revitalization solution, 17% of the residents experienced an improvement in their economic well-being, 17% of the residents got to know their neighbors, and 95% of the residents indicated that they enjoy living in the neighborhood.

The Effects of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors on Neurogenesis.

In the mammalian brain, neurogenesis is maintained throughout adulthood primarily in two typical niches, the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and in other nonclassic neurogenic areas (e.g., the amygdala and striatum). During prenatal and early postnatal development, neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiate into neurons and migrate to appropriate areas such as the olfactory bulb where they integrate into existing neural networks; these phenomena constitute the multistep process of neurogenesis. Alterations in any of these processes impair neurogenesis and may even lead to brain dysfunction, including cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. Here, we first summarize the main properties of mammalian neurogenic niches to describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis. Accumulating evidence indicates that neurogenesis plays an integral role in neuronal plasticity in the brain and cognition in the postnatal period. Given that neurogenesis can be highly modulated by a number of extrinsic and intrinsic factors, we discuss the impact of extrinsic (e.g., alcohol) and intrinsic (e.g., hormones) modulators on neurogenesis. Additionally, we provide an overview of the contribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to persistent neurological sequelae such as neurodegeneration, neurogenic defects and accelerated neuronal cell death. Together, our review provides a link between extrinsic/intrinsic factors and neurogenesis and explains the possible mechanisms of abnormal neurogenesis underlying neurological disorders.

Using Landfill Sites and Marginal Lands for Socio-Economically Sustainable Biomass Production through Cultivation of Non-Food Energy Crops: An Analysis Focused on South Asia and Europe

Food security and energy transition are among the current major global environmental challenges. Although these issues individually are significant in their own right, they are connected to each other in a nexus with different interrelationships and dependencies. In the quest for non-fossil alternatives for energy, cultivation of bioenergy crops has become an important part of the energy policy in many countries. In this regard, the use of fertile agricultural land for growing crops for energy production rather than for food supply affects the global food security. Recent conflicts and the geopolitical crisis in Europe, leading to increased food, fuel, and fertiliser prices, the existing climate crisis, and the crisis caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have further reinforced the understanding of this nexus, with certain countries mulling limiting biofuel production from agricultural land and others banning food grain exports to safeguard food supply. The idea of growing non-food energy crops on marginal lands in general and closed landfill sites in particular is hence ever more relevant, to avoid land-use concurrence between food needs and energy needs. Landfilling has been the dominant waste management strategy until recently in European countries and is still the dominant mode of waste management in low-income regions like South Asia. This paper provides a review of the economic as well as environmental benefits of growing Ricinus communis L., Jatropha curcas L., and Populus deltoides as energy crops on closed landfill sites in the South Asian context. While as the cultivation of Miscanthus X Giganteus, Silphium perfoliatum L., and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) is reviewed in the European context. The cultivation of non-food energy crops like these on closed landfill sites and marginal lands is presented as a potential component of an integrated food-energy policy, with an increased relevance in the current times. In the current times of multiple crises, this measure is of increasing relevance as a part of the overall strategy to achieve resilience and environmental sustainability.

Role of MSC-derived small extracellular vesicles in tissue repair and regeneration.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial for tissue homeostasis and repair, secreting vesicles to the extracellular environment. Isolated exosomes were shown to affect angiogenesis, immunomodulation and tissue regeneration. Numerous efforts have been dedicated to describe the mechanism of action of these extracellular vesicles (EVs) and guarantee their safety, since the final aim is their therapeutic application in the clinic. The major advantage of applying MSC-derived EVs is their low or inexistent immunogenicity, prompting their use as drug delivery or therapeutic agents, as well as wound healing, different cancer types, and inflammatory processes in the neurological and cardiovascular systems. MSC-derived EVs display no vascular obstruction effects or apparent adverse effects. Their nano-size ensures their passage through the blood-brain barrier, demonstrating no cytotoxic or immunogenic effects. Several in vitro tests have been conducted with EVs obtained from different sources to understand their biology, molecular content, signaling pathways, and mechanisms of action. Application of EVs to human therapies has recently become a reality, with clinical trials being conducted to treat Alzheimer's disease, retina degeneration, and COVID-19 patients. Herein, we describe and compare the different extracellular vesicles isolation methods and therapeutic applications regarding the tissue repair and regeneration process, presenting the latest clinical trial reports.

The theoretical grid. An antifragile strategy for Rome post-COVID mobility

Mobility represents a central issue for sustainable urban planning and regeneration processes in large cities, concerning the impact on environmental quality, equity, and social inclusion. However, the pandemic has strongly affected mobility trends, influenced by international and national social distancing measures and new "safe” lifestyles. Thus, many cities have been adopting mobility emergency strategies for urban resilience. In this context, as a result of a research developed in the framework of a collaboration between Roma Tre University and the Sapienza University of Rome, this essay proposes an "antifragile” strategy for Rome's "post-COVID” mobility, adaptable to other European metropolitan contexts, based on an integrated approach to urban planning and mobility. The research methodology is articulated in three phases: the analysis of the main scientific references related to urban resilience and antifragility concerning the relations between urban form, ways of living and mobility models in pre- and postpandemic scenarios, the study of the main ongoing practices in European cities and the proposal for an antifragile strategy for the city of Rome based on the theoretical grid. The theoretical grid is an urban grammar that proposes a model of reorganization for the city based on elementary urban units and defines an integrated strategy for the reorganization of mobility, the reconfiguration of local flows, and the regeneration of public space. This grammar is declined in specific ways according to the different urban fabrics, within an articulation in four "cities,” the historical city, the consolidated city, the modernist city, the peripheral urban fringes. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micromodel and Analysis of COVID-19 Based on Hypergraph

In view of the fact that the existing propagation models ignore the influence of different fields and different virus variants on individual infection, and the classical propagation models only describe the macroscopic situation of virus transmission, which cannot be specific to individual cases, this paper proposes 67ya microscopic virus propagation model based on hypergraph (HC-SIRS). Firstly, the concept of hypergraph is used to divide different fields of individuals into corresponding hyperedges. Based on different contact probabilities of each hyperedge, the contact probability matrix is formed to relate the contact between individuals. The individual infection probability of micro-virus propagation model based on hypergraph is deduced, and the corresponding differential equation is established. Secondly, the basic regeneration number and its characteristics of the model are derived. The upper bound of the basic regeneration number of the model is less than or equal to that of the classical SIRS model, indicating that the virus is more difficult to spread in this model. In fact, the different fields people live in and the different personal constitutions have a certain impact on the spread of the virus. The model is more comprehensive, so it is more suitable for simulating the spread of the virus in theory. Finally, the COVID-19 data of Diamond Princess and two cities in China are used for simulation experiments, and the mean absolute error(MAE) is used as the evaluation standard. The results showed that HC-SIRS could well simulate the spread of COVID-19. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

COVID-19 and the City: Reframing Our Understanding of Urbicide by Learning from the Pandemic

The magnitude and reach of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought multiple effects into our lives. Cities have been one of the most important stages of such changes in both material and symbolic dimensions. Against this backdrop, this chapter analyses the main effects of this pandemic through the lens of the concept of urbicide with a focus on Europe. Accordingly, the chapter discusses five sub-dimensions: the material reconfiguration of environmental balance and commonplace system, as well as the symbolic reconfiguration of social cohesion, consumer sovereignty and democratic institutions. The discussion points out both destructive and constructive sides of this pandemic, which ultimately demands the reframing of our understanding of the urbicide. To do so, we identify the main pandemic effects, briefly classified as revealing, accelerating and cluttering, along with the solutions in place to mitigate, adapt and/or transform local governance, in association with five main domains: environment, planning, society, economy and democracy. Based on the acknowledgement that pandemic's effects have not been linear, our main argument builds on the need to reframe our conceptual lens to improve the interpretive potentiality of the urbicide, thus incorporating a regenerative ethos about ongoing societal and urban transformations. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Recent advances in regenerative biomaterials.

Nowadays, biomaterials have evolved from the inert supports or functional substitutes to the bioactive materials able to trigger or promote the regenerative potential of tissues. The interdisciplinary progress has broadened the definition of 'biomaterials', and a typical new insight is the concept of tissue induction biomaterials. The term 'regenerative biomaterials' and thus the contents of this article are relevant to yet beyond tissue induction biomaterials. This review summarizes the recent progress of medical materials including metals, ceramics, hydrogels, other polymers and bio-derived materials. As the application aspects are concerned, this article introduces regenerative biomaterials for bone and cartilage regeneration, cardiovascular repair, 3D bioprinting, wound healing and medical cosmetology. Cell-biomaterial interactions are highlighted. Since the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, the review particularly mentions biomaterials for public health emergency. In the last section, perspectives are suggested: (i) creation of new materials is the source of innovation; (ii) modification of existing materials is an effective strategy for performance improvement; (iii) biomaterial degradation and tissue regeneration are required to be harmonious with each other; (iv) host responses can significantly influence the clinical outcomes; (v) the long-term outcomes should be paid more attention to; (vi) the noninvasive approaches for monitoring in vivo dynamic evolution are required to be developed; (vii) public health emergencies call for more research and development of biomaterials; and (viii) clinical translation needs to be pushed forward in a full-chain way. In the future, more new insights are expected to be shed into the brilliant field-regenerative biomaterials.

Expediting Molecular Translational Approach of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in COVID-19 Treatment.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 with severe respiratory failure and organ damage that later appeared as a pandemic disease. Worldwide, people's mental and physical health and socioeconomic have been affected. Currently, with no promising treatment for COVID-19, the existing anti-viral drugs and vaccines are the only hope to boost the host immune system to reduce morbidity and mortality rate. Unfortunately, several reports show that people who are partially or fully vaccinated are still susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 immunopathology may include dysregulation of macrophages and monocytes, reduced type 1 interferons (IFN-1), and enhanced cytokine storm that results in hypersecretion of proinflammatory cytokines, capillary leak syndrome, intravascular coagulation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) ultimately leading to the worsening of patient's condition and death in most cases. The recent use of cell-based therapies such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for critically ill COVID-19 patients has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alleviate cytokine release syndrome. It protects the alveolar epithelial cells by promoting immunomodulatory action and secreting therapeutic exosomes to improve lung function and attenuate respiratory failure. As a result, multiple clinical trials have been registered using MSCs that aim to use various cell sources, and dosages to promote safety and efficacy against COVID-19 infection. In this review, the possibility of using MSCs in COVID-19 treatment and its associated challenges in their use have been briefly discussed.

‘Make No Litt le Plans' The Incomplete but Continuing Renaissance of Liverpool

Liverpool is an endlessly fascinating, challenging city. It has a grip on people's imaginations in a way few other cities do – nationally or internationally. During the past century the city went from the second city of the greatest empire the world had ever seen into a post imperial period of economic decline and political despair. But it has emerged Phoenix-like as one of the most signifi cant examples of urban renaissance in the UK. Its story has many lessons for the external world. This paper examines this continuing if incomplete renaissance of Liverpool. It assesses the economic decline that caused its physical, social, and political fragmentation during the 1970s and the many plans since then seeking to revive and reconnect it. It charts the city's fall in the 1980s, its gradual normalization in the 1990s, its extraordinary success as a European city in the fi rst part of this century and its eff orts to remain ambitious in an age of austerity. It identifi es the key drivers of change, in particular local, national, and European regeneration initiatives and plans. It asks what needs to be done to continue the renaissance in terms of productivity, place, and people. It examines the current risks to the city in the light of the impact of Brexit, COVID, the loss of UNESCO World Heritage Status as well as its recent political crises and the imposition of Government Commissioners. A key message from the Liverpool story for governments and other cities is that renaissance is possible even in the most diffi cult circumstances, and that public resources, commitment, and planning have a large part to play © 2022, Built Environment.All Rights Reserved.

Crafting Futures through Cheese-Making in Val Taleggio (Northern Italy)

The politics of scale is the main issue within and around debates on whether geographical indications are the best strategy to support local economies. Two PDO cheeses are made in Val Taleggio. While Taleggio PDO has outscaled the valley and its interests, Strachìtunt PDO was reinvented to be at scale for the valley's producers. I explain the two-step transition in the producers' communicative strategy, from a language of heritage cheese and its "prestige” to a multispecies language that stresses the importance of a "working landscape” as a value in itself, focusing in particular on the producers' post-COVID-19 manifesto as "keepers of molds.” Guardianship emerges from it as a new form of authenticity that does not run in the strictures of terroir-discourse. The article thus spells out which role authenticity plays in the politics of scale and how it contributes to the small-scale producers' dilemma of how to craft a future for themselves and their communities. I contextualize this vis-a-vis secondary sources that also stress the conceptual and political creativity of cheese-makers' strategies to revitalize regional (dairy) economies. Food producers are experimenting with new ways of mobilizing heritage to claim guardianship of their trade, craft, and territory. A transnational producer discourse emerges through a redesign of food heritage, front-staging the ecological meaning of craft.

Regenerar el antiguo barrio industrial del Poblenou (Barcelona). ¿Hacia una ciudad post-COVID-19?

The aim of the article is to understand whether the measures contained in the strategic plan "Superilla Barcelona” can achieve an improvement of the former industrial neighborhood of Poblenou in Barcelona (Spain) under the paradigm of the post-COVID-19 city. For this purpose, a report on the transformations promoted by this plan and its qualitative evaluation has been carried out through three indicators for each of the axes of the post-pandemic city provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These indicators are inclusive cities, green cities, and good urban governance. This paper aims to demonstrate the change of focus on the urban regeneration process in Poblenou, although these changes derive from actions planned before the pandemic. The pandemic outbreak has been a powerful catalyst for reinventing the way of making cities more socially inclusive, bikeable on bike lanes that did not exist before and with new public spaces where new forms of aggregation and transformation of the urban environment to be healthier. © 2022 Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.