SystemAnalysis

Projects

SystemAnalysis carries out independent projects related to environmental-economic issues.

The completed projects are:

The projects in process are:

Project SIMTARIF: Simulation models of urban waste tarifs
Project SOSTINDEX: Sustainability indicators for community policy-making

- Traffic
The objective of the study was to identify the cruising parameters of vehicles on a section of the ring-road highway of Milan. Such parameters have been chosen in order to optimize the tradoffs of involved stakeholders. In the relevant section, the highway is crossing a densely populated area and causes environmental protests by residents.

The relevant stakeholders were: Municipal Authority (with the objective of complying with air quality standards in the area), Residents (with the objective of increasing quality of life in the area), Highway Management Authority (with the objective of maintaining actual toll revenues), Motorists (with the objective of reducing transport time). In order to find tradeoffs, a mathematical model was built which linked cruising parameters, fleet composition, CO, NOx, VOC, noise, direction, 24 h traffic flows.

The results show two solution families: (1) Constant flow solutions: optimized cruising parameters reduce significantly the problem for Municipal Authority and for Residents without affecting Highway Management Authority, and shifting some burden to motorists. (2) Reduced flow solutions: are more effective: however, imply a spillover to other traffic routes.

The study was carried out with co-operation of the Municipality of Cologno Monzese.

- Demography of Milan
The demographic model, based on system dynamics, identifies cohort populations and their development over time. Since Milan's population is decreasing due to particularly low birth rates and growing sub-urban residential areas, it is useful for local policy makers to forecast future needs of social services, such as nurseries, educational facilities, class rooms, senior facilities, hospitals, cemeteries. The same need may be interesting for producers with age-specific products (pre-maman, toys, undertakers, etc.).

- Project SIMTARIF
Recently, the Italian government enforced a law aiming at substituting taxes on municipal solid waste with tarifs calculated, among others, on the amount of waste produced. This apparent fiscal burden is a very important event since it will dramatically affect local waste generation systems. Up to now the tax was based on surface of the dwelling unit: therefore, no feedback between Income and Waste existed. The lack of this feedback turns out to be the main cause of actual overproduction of urban waste. Finally, the introduction of a tarif system based on waste produced will represent the feedback and introduce a balancing loop which will contribute to maintain control (equilibrium) of the generation of garbage.

Starting from this point of view, SystemAnalysis in collaboration with ENEA (National Research Organization on Alternative Energy) - Department of Environment, is developing dynamic models aimed at simulating future effects of tarifs options. The models are based on three parts:
- description of Income-Waste generation system;
- description of characteristics of the local community: e.g. composition, distribution;
- description of technical characteristics such as service level, investments, depreciation, maintenance costs.

The models make it possible to simulate the effects of tarifs over time (3-5 years) in terms of:
- tarif revenues
- waste generation
- waste composition
- community satisfaction.

- Project SOSTINDEX
Sustainable development is increasing its importance, particularly after the Rio Conference "Earth Summit" in 1992. Public policies of local Authorities need to be evaluated with respect to criteria of sustainability. Therefore, the need arises to work out sustainability indicators for communities which enable local policy-makers to evaluate the level of sustainability of their own community and the direction of development.

SystemAnalysis is working on the project to set up a system of indicators, significant, integrated with all dimensions of human reality (society, economy, environment), user friendly, inexpensive, and easy to update.

For further information on the projects please contact
SystemAnalysis

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