Search Results (38)

This paper investigates the cultural landscapes established by nineteenth-century German immigrants in South Australia and the southern Riverina of New South Wales, with particular attention to settlement patterns, architectural traditions and toponymic transformation. German immigration to Australia, though numerically modest compared to the Americas, significantly shaped local communities, especially due to religious cohesion among Lutheran migrants. These settlers established distinct, enduring rural enclaves characterized by linguistic, religious and architectural continuity. The paper examines three manifestations of these cultural landscapes. A rich toponymic landscape was created by imposing on natural landscape features and newly founded settlements the names of the communities from which the German settlers originated. It discusses the erosion of German toponyms under wartime nationalist pressures, the subsequent partial reinstatement and the implications for cultural memory. The study traces the second manifestation of a cultural landscapes in the form of nucleated villages such as Hahndorf, Bethanien and Lobethal, which often followed the Hufendorf or Straßendorf layout, integrating Silesian land-use principles into the Australian context. Intensification of land use through housing subdivisions in two communities as well as agricultural intensification through broad acre farming has led to the fragmentation (town) and obliteration (rural) of the uniquely German form of land use. The final focus is the material expression of cultural identity through architecture, particularly the use of traditional Fachwerk (half-timbered) construction and adaptations such as pug-and-pine walling suited to local materials and climate. The paper examines domestic forms, including the distinctive black kitchen, and highlights how environmental and functional adaptation reshaped German building traditions in the antipodes. Despite a conservation movement and despite considerable documentation research in the late twentieth century, the paper shows that most German rural structures remain unlisted and vulnerable. Heritage neglect, rural depopulation, economic rationalization, lack of commercial relevance and local government policy have accelerated the decline of many of these vernacular buildings. The study concludes by problematizing the sustainability of conserving German Australian rural heritage in the face of regulatory, economic and demographic pressures. With its layering of intangible (toponymic), structural (buildings) and land use (cadastral) features, the examination of the cultural landscape established by nineteenth-century German immigrants adds to the body of literature on immigrant communities, settler colonialism and landscape research. Full article

The 1992 reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), a geodatabase of land parcels used to monitor and regulate agricultural subsidies. Traditionally, the LPIS has relied on high-resolution aerial orthophotos; however, recent advancements in very-high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery present new opportunities to enhance its effectiveness. This study explores the feasibility of utilizing PlanetScope, a commercial VHR optical satellite constellation, to map agricultural parcels within the LPIS. A test was conducted in Umbria, Italy, integrating existing datasets with a series of PlanetScope images from 2023. A segmentation workflow was designed, employing the Normalized difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) alongside the Edge segmentation method with varying sensitivity thresholds. An accuracy evaluation based on geometric metrics, comparing detected parcels with cadastral references, revealed that a 30% scale threshold yielded the most reliable results, achieving an accuracy rate of 83.3%. The results indicate that the short revisit time of PlanetScope compensates for its lower spatial resolution compared to traditional orthophotos, allowing accurate delineation of parcels. However, challenges remain in automating parcel matching and integrating alternative methods for accuracy assessment. Further research should focus on refining segmentation parameters and optimizing PlanetScope’s temporal and spectral resolution to strengthen LPIS performance, ultimately fostering more sustainable and data-driven agricultural management. Full article

Herein is presented a systematic review on property documentation in Greece from 1830 to the present, examining the systems used and their impact on spatial data management and land administration policies. This review reveals that the adoption of the person-based land registry system in 1836, versus the parcel-based Cadastre, led to fragmented property documentation and hindered coherent land administration policies. The establishment of the Hellenic Cadastre in 1995 marked the transition to integrated property documentation within the sole official parcel-based system, facilitating spatial data management and sustainable development. The cadastral survey revealed significant spatial and descriptive fragmentation due to incomplete spatial and legal documentation, unregistered administrative acts, and unregistered public property, which also affects the operational Cadastre. This paper contributes to the literature on the full transition from land registries to a Cadastre, and its impact on spatial data management and overall land administration. Full article

This study examines the conversion strategy of 2D to 3D cadastral maps by standardizing the height limits of land rights based on LU/LC. To achieve 3D cadastral maps, the research proposes a conversion strategy considering height factors. The height dimension of cadastral maps faces challenges in determining maximum heights for features like buildings, given varying regional regulations. As a solution, the concept of surface feature height (SFH) is applied along with LU/LC classification. Economic considerations, such as state revenue from taxes, are also factored into the proposed height limits. The results indicate that building/property heights in Bekasi Regency show significant development potential. In the residential sector, the maximum height reaches 24 m, lower than Bekasi City (48 m) and Bandung City (30 m). In the industrial sector, while heights can reach 25 m, the regulatory limit is only 9 m, posing challenges for investment. In the commercial sector, the maximum height can reach 45 m, but the low regulatory limit of 10 m restricts further development. This research provides a foundation for policy development and an effective 3D cadastral system, emphasizing the need for Bekasi Regency to re-evaluate its building height regulations to maximize its development potential. Full article

Land use and land cover are the main anthropogenic factors that lead to the rapid and aggressive degradation of land and interfere with the functioning of ecosystems, especially through the expansion of urbanization and the reduction in forested areas. The purpose of this article is to identify sources of official data and to build an updated dataset upon which analysis algorithms can be applied. Basic analyses were performed on the dataset to study the evolution of land use and land cover in Romania during the period 1990–2022 and to analyze whether they align with and support national and European strategies for economic development. The study is based on the historical evolution of land use and land cover over the past 30 years, which has allowed us to identify current trends and to analyze potential future positive and negative effects, and facilitates the adoption of documented corrective measures. The methodology applied is based on the collection and analysis of historical data obtained mainly from the TEMPO database managed by the National Institute of Statistics and from the annual reports of the National Environmental Protection Agency, analyzing these data, identifying current trends, and issuing specific recommendations. Monitoring the dynamics of land use during the mentioned period allowed us to identify the most important developments with positive effects (a slight increase in forested areas and minimal variations in arable land) but mostly negative effects (a drastic reduction in areas occupied by vineyards and orchards, a decrease in areas occupied by water, and a concerning increase in unproductive land). The results highlight the importance of the immediate implementation of the national general cadastre system, as well as the importance of implementing appropriate policies, legislative provisions, and land management practices aimed at environmental protection and supporting sustainable development and biodiversity in general. Full article

This paper explores the complex nature of land reforms, arguing that they should be considered wicked policy problems by focusing on the Hellenic Land Administration Reform (HLAR). The article reflects on recent contributions that argue that the HLAR’s challenges are associated with the great leap forward shift from a French-influenced deed paper-based system to a German-influenced digital cadastral parcel-based system. Another recent study contended that the legislative overregulation during the sovereign crisis period in the organizations of the diverse land registry systems of the land administration policy domain further complexified the reform process. A lack of consensus on the reform’s main policy thrust and the means to achieve it was present both at the onset of the reform and during the economic crisis period, among the actors in the reform process. This paper contributes to the contemporary scholarly literature on land administration, integrating recent empirical contributions that point toward the wicked nature of land administration reforms. Full article

To effectively decarbonize Europe’s building stock, it is crucial to monitor the progress of energy consumption and the associated emissions. This study addresses the challenge by developing a national-scale urban building energy model (nUBEM) using artificial intelligence to predict non-renewable primary energy consumption and associated GHG emissions for residential buildings. Applied to the case study of Spain, the nUBEM leverages open data from energy performance certificates (EPCs), cadastral records, INSPIRE cadastre data, digital terrain models (DTM), and national statistics, all aligned with European directives, ensuring adaptability across EU member states with similar open data frameworks. Using the XGBoost machine learning algorithm, the model analyzes the physical and geometrical characteristics of residential buildings in Spain. Our findings indicate that the XGBoost algorithm outperforms other techniques estimating building-level energy consumption and emissions. The nUBEM offers granular information on energy performance building-by-building related to their physical and geometrical characteristics. The results achieved surpass those of previous studies, demonstrating the model’s accuracy and potential impact. The nUBEM is a powerful tool for analyzing residential building stock and supporting data-driven decarbonization strategies. By providing reliable progress indicators for renovation policies, the methodology enhances compliance with EU directives and offers a scalable framework for monitoring decarbonization progress across Europe. Full article

The possibility of carrying out the cultivation of numerous plant species in vertical farming highlights the need for policy makers to determine the cadastral value of the buildings in which these production activities are carried out. In this regard, estimates of buildings intended to host vertical farming are illustrated according to the procedure established by Italian cadastral legislation, which establishes that the fiscal value of buildings intended for vertical farming must be estimated through their market value. Appraisals is carried out using the direct capitalization method but follow two different approaches. One approach is based on the expertise of the appraiser, who acts by making assessments through subjective and arbitrary choices. The other approach is based on the use of best practices, as indicated by international evaluation standards that follow appropriate methodologies. Our comparison between the two approaches focuses on determining the capitalization rate, which determines the estimated value. The market value estimated using the procedures recognized by the valuation standards appears to be more valid methodologically and more reliable. This is demonstrated by applying yield capitalization to the same income cash flow in both formulations. Additionally, through the identification of the conversion cash flow, useful details on financial flow can be obtained and used to determine the value. The obtained results may be useful for public operators for the purposes of determining the value of assets for tax purposes. More generally, they are also useful from a methodological and application point of view in real estate valuation and support the development of tools for making efficient investment choices. Full article

Agricultural land parcels (ALPs) are essential for effective agricultural management, influencing activities ranging from crop yield estimation to policy development. However, traditional methods of ALP delineation are often labor-intensive and require frequent updates due to the dynamic nature of agricultural practices. Additionally, the significant variations across different regions and the seasonality of agriculture pose challenges to the automatic generation of accurate and timely ALP labels for extensive areas. This study introduces the cadastral-to-agricultural (Cad2Ag) framework, a novel approach that utilizes cadastral data as training labels to train deep learning models for the delineation of ALPs. Cadastral parcels, which are relatively widely available and stable elements in land management, serve as proxies for ALP delineation. Employing an adapted U-Net model, the framework automates the segmentation process using remote sensing images and geographic information system (GIS) data. This research evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed Cad2Ag framework in two U.S. regions—Indiana and California—characterized by diverse agricultural conditions. Through rigorous evaluation across multiple scenarios, the study explores diverse scenarios to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of ALP delineation. Notably, the framework demonstrates effective ALP delineation across different geographic contexts through transfer learning when supplemented with a small set of clean labels, achieving an $F_1$-score of 0.80 and an Intersection over Union (IoU) of 0.67 using only 200 clean label samples. The Cad2Ag framework’s ability to leverage automatically generated, extensive, free training labels presents a promising solution for efficient ALP delineation, thereby facilitating effective management of agricultural land. Full article

Optimum planning and effective land consolidation, widely discussed by contemporary authors, is a response to the perceivable need to modernise global agriculture to ensure the community’s food security and create steady, sustainable development in rural areas. Adequate leveraging of agricultural policy instruments requires setting a correct strategic direction, including allocating available funds and considering the technical feasibility of the adopted assumptions. The selection of relevant methods to ensure the efficient and complete accomplishment of the anticipated results should follow a rational analysis of the actual work complexity. This paper presents an innovative, proprietary method for evaluating the difficulty of potential land consolidation using a standardised cadastral data set. The designed tool, which relies on automated algorithms applied in a GIS environment, provides accurate data describing the expected land consolidation complexity at individual stages of the procedure. Detailed and current information on land ownership, use, and farm geometry processed using efficient spatial and statistical analysis methods provides transparent and unambiguous results. The proposed solution was used in developing the difficulty assessment of land consolidation in 58 villages of the Strzyżów district in southeastern Poland. Full article

How is land management related to cultural policy and how do these two different scientific fields contribute to cultural heritage protection? How may archaeological sites, immovable monuments, and state property be recorded in a specific Land Administration System? What are the records of the system in numbers? These questions will be answered in this publication, and the example of the Hellenic Archaeological Cadastre (HAC) will be analyzed in detail. The HAC project is one of the most important projects that has been designed, implemented, and launched within the last decade by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. The transition of the whole public sector in the digital era and the urgent need for reliable and updated geospatial documentation of public parcels of land and constructions, archaeological sites, and immovable monuments were the two main factors that led to the compilation and implementation of the specific LAS. This study presents the available tools, administrative procedures, records, qualitative and quantitative data, and prominent examples of public parcels of land accessible online in the open access web GIS platform. A SWOT analysis is also performed for its evaluation. Full article

States establish ambitious policies and important measures to achieve targets for the energy upgrade of buildings but although some important barriers prevent their implementation in space, they are rather overlooked by research. In this paper, it is argued that extensive multi-ownership (MO) and weak performance of the real estate market in degraded urban areas impede the mass energy retrofitting of multi-owner buildings (MOBs), which are an important part of the urban building stock A deprived area of central Athens (Greece) that serves as a case study. With a pluridisciplinary approach based on extensive field surveys, cadastral data analysis and cases of energy renovation of buildings through a public–private partnership financing scheme as well as ways to overcome the MO issue were explored, according to the provisions of the Greek legal framework. The integrated urban regeneration approach is promoted as a means to encounter the MO issue and enhance the functioning of the real estate market by the generation of surplus values that will render the energy retrofitting of buildings more attractive to investors and thus achieve the deep renovation of MOBs towards the sustainability of the urban environment. This paper ultimately advocates the integration of energy planning with spatial planning. Full article

Keeping the database of a country's land administration system up to date is essential for territorial and social development. In the dual Spanish case, public policies should be applied in order to coordinate and improve land management. This article aims to highlight the need to update the outdated cadastral ownership component as a result of its scarce updating. The comparison of cadastral ownership with population and genealogical information will be fundamental to show the current situation and justify the need to improve the rural cadastre. Full article

In many governments, a digital transformation is gradually taking place in their municipal governance, not without many difficulties due to the lack of resources and qualified professionals. This is where the cadastre, understood as a multifunctional tool, provides a strategic vision of the socio-economic situation of the territory through geospatial data. If environmental conditions are added to this information, a diagnostic tool can be used by citizens under the concept of “Smart Communities” for the application of public policies to ensure that the administration of the territory is more efficient and to strengthen decision making. Full article

In Chile, the native forest has suffered anthropic pressure that has resulted in the reduction in its surface and increased degradation, which has led to the development of public policies to reverse this scenario and encourage its sustainable management and conservation. This study examines the socioeconomic variables that influence the area increase in native forests in southern Chile, based on the analysis of 154 properties in the regions of Los Ríos, La Araucanía and Los Lagos. Georeferenced information from the 2015 SIMEF program survey and the Cadastre and Evaluation of Native Vegetation Resources of Chile were used. A Probit regression model was implemented, which associates a traceable increase in the native forest area with the variables regarding the owner: location, gender, age, schooling, management plan and technical advisory; and regarding the exploitation: farm size, percentage of native forest, scrub and forest plantations of the property and number of animal units. The econometric results show that smaller farms and those located in Los Lagos presented less probability of increasing their native forests. In the same way, an increase in the share of forest plantations area decreases the probability. Conversely, the scrub area share is related to the recovery of native forests in the sample. No significant effects of the variables associated with the implementation of management plans and technical assistance were found. Full article