Just Accepted
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Unleashing the hidden green value: assessing the impact of energy certification and environmental amenities on real estate through hedonic modelling
Carolina Bonardi Pellizzari*, Tiziano Tempesta, Cristiano Franceschinis, Mara Thiene, Daniel Vecchiato
Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padua, Italy
Accepted: 2025-06-16 | Published Online: 2025-06-19
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17418

ABSTRACT
Rapid population growth and urbanization have intensified energy demand and climate vulnerability in cities, elevating the importance of urban green spaces and energy-efficient properties, which impact real estate values. This study uses a hedonic pricing model to assess how environmental amenities and energy efficiency influence property prices. We analysed sales contracts from 2022–2023 in Padua (Italy), enriched with spatial data on key environmental factors. Findings reveal a notable price premium associated with proximity to green spaces and waterways: for each hectare of park area, properties located within 100 m experience a 5.4% price increase, while each additional 100 meters from a waterway reduces apartment value by 3.7%. Additionally, apartments in energy class A or higher command a 30% higher price per square meter with respect to other energy classes. This research offers valuable insights into how urban green spaces and energy efficiency shape real estate values in rapidly urbanizing settings.
Assessing places’ liveability: informational entropy for the construction of a set of criteria and indicators
Fabrizio Battisti1,*, Orazio Campo2, Melania Perdonò1
1 Department of Architecture, University of Florence, Italy
2 Department of Planning, Design, Architecture Technology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Accepted: 2025-05-26 | Published Online: 2025-06-16
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17653

ABSTRACT
The growing interest in well-being as a quality-of-life paradigm has led to a critical revision of its traditional conception. It is no longer limited to indicators of material prosperity and physical health (objective well-being indicators) but also individual perceptions of quality of life and happiness (subjective well-being indicators). In this new conception, the living environment plays a key role. The definition of well-being indicators based on the perceptual assessments of an urban environment crucially requires interdisciplinary skills. Using an investigative approach based on informational entropy, the objective of this paper is to construct a taxonomy that allows for the assessment of the quality of an environment to achieve adequate well-being standards and thus the improvement of quality of life. In detail, in the article explains the methodological process to define a structured set of criteria, sub-criteria, and their associated indicators for evaluating the characteristics of an urban environment and the physical and functional variables that contribute to achieving specific well-being thresholds. Through the involvement of a significant sample of 100 subjects, the results of the work consist of a set of 132 sub-criteria for the assessment of liveability.
Wasted roadscapes regeneration within Geodesign framework: a collaborative decision-making experience in Bacoli (Italy)
Maria Somma, Giuliano Poli*, Maria Cerreta
Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Accepted: 2025-05-09 | Published Online: 2025-06-12
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17921

ABSTRACT
This study explores the integration of wasted roadscapes into a Geodesign-based framework to enhance urban planning and regeneration strategies. Wasted roadscapes, including abandoned infrastructure landscapes, represent an opportunity for sustainable development. Through collaborative decision-making, the study investigates the potential of turning these underused spaces into functional assets. The methodology was applied to Bacoli, Southern Italy, focusing on adaptive urban strategies. The findings emphasise the importance of inclusive participation, with Geodesign facilitating stakeholder engagement and scenario planning. The project revealed how a participatory approach can inform decisions on landscape regeneration, promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability. However, challenges remain regarding data complexity, impact assessment, and securing sufficient resources for implementation.
Property valuation: a comparative analysis of innovative market approach methods
Francesco Tajani1, Pierfrancesco De Paola2, Giuseppe Cerullo1,*
1 Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
2 Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Accepted: 2025-05-14 | Published Online: 2025-06-08
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17322

ABSTRACT
This research aims to illustrate and implement innovative methods for property valuation, by comparing their respective outcomes in terms of statistical accuracy and empirical reliability. In particular, the paper describes and compares three market approach methods through an application to a case study located in the city of Rome (Italy), in order to outline their ability to rationalise the assessment in dynamic contexts and minimise the professional valuer’s subjectivity. This work represents a new reference for valuers, in order to refine their estimates and guarantee transparency in their use, avoiding the risk of black boxes that frequently characterizes mass appraisal techniques (e.g. neural networks, genetic algorithms, multiple regressions, etc.), for which constant updating of the database originating the price functions would be necessary to appropriately describe the current market conditions.
Using a spatial econometric approach to identify the main determinants and spillover effects of residential property prices in La Spezia (Italy)
Laura Giuffrida1, Giuseppe Cucuzza1,*, Daniela Tavano2, Francesca Salvo2, Giovanni Signorello1, Maria De Salvo3
1 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Italy
2 Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, Italy
3 Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Italy
Accepted: 2025-05-09 | Published Online: 2025-05-20
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17865

ABSTRACT
We employ a spatial econometric approach to investigate the factors influencing residential property prices in La Spezia province (Italy). Unlike traditional hedonic models, which often overlook spatial dependencies, our methodology explicitly accounts for spatial autocorrelation, thereby yielding more robust and accurate estimates. Diagnostic spatial tests reveal significant spatial dependence in both property prices and context variables. To address this, we adopt the Spatial Durbin Error Model (SDEM), using a first-order Queen contiguity weight matrix. This model not only enhances explanatory power but also improves predictive accuracy. By incorporating spatial effects, the SDEM enables the disentanglement of direct and spillover influences, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the determinants of property prices. The findings demonstrate the importance of spatially-aware models not only in the formulation of effective housing policies and urban development strategies but also in appraisal practices, where they improve the accuracy of real estate valuation.
Tourism investment and poverty in Algeria’s economy: does the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model provide new evidence?
Mohamed Admane1, Merizek Admane1, Siham Riache2, Bilal Louail2,*
1 Higher School of Commerce, Koléa University Center, Tipaza, Algeria
2 Faculty of Economic, Commercial and Management Sciences, University of Algiers 03, Algeria.
Accepted: 2025-04-19 | Published Online: 2025-05-18
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17286

ABSTRACT
Tourism is an effective method for attaining sustainable growth, reducing unemployment, and alleviating poverty because of its significance and influence on other economic activities. Therefore, the current investigation investigates the impact of tourism investment on poverty in the Algerian economy from 1995 to 2020. To study how tourism investment affects poverty reduction in both the short and long term, we use the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. This model helps to handle issues like non-stationarity, connections between different areas, and correcting errors in the data. This paper contributes by providing empirical evidence of the impact of tourism investment on poverty reduction in Algeria and provides policy recommendations for sustainable growth. Policy implications can prompt policymakers to leverage tourism for poverty alleviation by promoting sustainable investment, improving infrastructure, and supporting employment. The study recognizes the prospects of tourism as a long-lasting economic driver of poverty alleviation. This research makes a significant contribution by presenting empirical evidence on how tourism contributes to poverty reduction in Algeria. We offer policymakers lessons to formulate effective policies that can maximize the economic and social impact of tourism.
The stigma effect in the Land of Fires: the impact of negative environmental externalities on residential property values
Pierfrancesco De Paola1,*, Orazio Campo2, Valeria Scarica1, Maria Laudando1, Valentina Liguoro1, Mario Ferraro1
1 Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
2 Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Accepted: 2025-04-01 | Published Online: 2025-05-09
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17323

ABSTRACT
The “Land of Fires” is an area extending between the provinces of Naples and Caserta (Italy). This vast region is notoriously affected by the burial and illegal disposal of toxic and special waste in abandoned quarries or unauthorized landfills, with waste often being burned, triggering numerous toxic fires. These phenomena create a “stigma effect” on the livability of the area under examination, with the local population suffering the most significant consequences. Residents are forced to live in a territory where mortality and cancer incidence rates are significantly higher than the national average.
The primary objective of this study is to assess how environmental and social quality in the “Land of Fires” influence prices in the local real estate market. The first part of the study delves into the issues of urban quality in this context and its impact on residential property prices. The second part focuses on a specific portion of the “Land of Fires”, known as the “Triangle of Death” which includes the municipalities of Acerra, Marigliano, and Nola, with the aim of evaluating the geospatial variability of real estate values.
Complessità dell’agricoltura e saperi dell’agronomo
Stefano Masini
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
Accepted: 2025-04-01 | Published Online: 2025-04-25
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-16995

ABSTRACT
The profession of the agronomist, in the hundred years of its history, is marked by the evolution of the notion of agriculture. Thus, initially holder of skills inherent to the land relevance of production structures, he finds himself later exercising more articulated tasks congenial to the profound transformation of production activities, once the biological cycle is removed from soil conditioning and the valorisation of the land becomes a qualifying parameter of a multifunctional vocation capable of involving management formulas integrated with the environment.
A profession that requires a specialised cultural background but which rejects the fragmentation of knowledge, in a renewed commitment to compose from his point of view, how the agronomist can continue to be an interpreter of the productive leap characterising the sustainable dimension of development, improving the quality of life in the countryside with solutions placed at the service of common goods.
Impact of the armed conflict on environmental safety and resilience of the urban environment in Ukraine
Nataliia Lelechenko1,*, Tetiana Derun2
1 Department of Public Administration, State University “Kyiv Aviation Institute”, Kyiv, Ukraine
2 Educational and Scientific Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Accepted: 2025-02-27 | Published Online: 2025-04-18
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-16857

ABSTRACT
The article aims to examine how the armed conflict affects the environmental safety and resilience of the urban environment in Ukraine. The author analyzes the impact of infrastructural, social, economic, and environmental resistance on the city’s ability to maintain a socioeconomic and ecological balance and minimize the mass destruction of its infrastructure. The article employs general scientific and special methods, including theoretical generalization, comparison, systematization, abstract-logical, prognostic, logical, and analytical methods. The article relies on an integrated approach when assessing environmental safety and its preservation; it primarily involves implementing preventive measures necessary to ensure the viability and sustainability of urban areas in the conditions of war and after its end. The findings confirm that a close interaction between public authorities, scientific institutions, public organizations, and the population can help to achieve sustainable development and urban environment safety in Ukraine. It is suggested to focus on climate-neutral post-war recovery and strengthen the potential of territorial communities in further scientific research.
Evaluating progress in achieving the SDGs at sub-national level in Spain: a multicriteria analysis
Luisa Paolotti1,*, Ignacio Melendez Pastor2, Elena Ricciolini1, Lucia Rocchi1, Asunción Maria Agulló Torres3, Antonio Boggia1
1 Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Italy
2 Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Spain
3 Department of Agri-environmental Economics, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Spain
Accepted: 2025-01-11 | Published Online: 2025-01-24
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-17200

ABSTRACT
The UN 2030 Agenda is the current reference point for achieving sustainable development at the international level. Focusing on the implementation effort and monitoring the progress of SDGs are crucial aspects for achieving the Goals by 2030. The evaluation and achievement of sustainability at the sub-national level is fundamental, as sustainable development is considered achievable if it originates on the local level. Given that, the objective of this research was to assess sustainable development related to the 2030 Agenda considering the 17 regions (autonomous communities) of Spain. The analysis was carried out through the Spatial Sustainability Assessment Model (SSAM), set up as a plug-in of QGIS, which integrates multi-criteria analysis with the geographical tool. The region datasets referred to years 2019 and 2020 to observe a comparison of pre and post-COVID framework and to assess possible changes due to pandemic impacts. Results showed that, both in 2019 and 2020, for the environmental dimension the majority of the regions obtained very low or low results, showing a generally scarce environmental situation. A general decline for the majority of the indices was observed and a decrease in sustainability from north to south was detected, both for the social and the global sustainability dimensions. The social dimension in most cases was the one marking the global ordination of the communities.
Valuing cultural ecosystem services: an application to forest areas in Marche Region, Italy
Danilo Gambelli*, Alice Dappozzo, Andrea Cameli, Carlo Urbinati, Alessandro Vitali
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (D3A), Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy.
Accepted: 2024-12-19 | Published Online: 2025-01-03
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-16391

ABSTRACT
This article investigates the perceived relevance of cultural ecosystem services (ES) in two forest areas in the Marche region (Italy) and how users, tourists and locals value them economically. Two surveys were used to collect data from visitors to the two areas. Through a performance analysis (IPA), we assessed visitors’ satisfaction with cultural ES in the two areas under investigation. The economic appraisal of the ecosystem services in the two forest areas was based on a contingent valuation model (CVM) using a double-bounded approach to estimate visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP). This type of research, merging qualitative and monetary evaluation of ES can contribute to defining policy management by identifying aspects and activities in natural areas that require specific intervention. Evidence for the economic value delivered by a broader range of ES may support the definition of more effective policy measures for forest areas and create the basis for the definition of payment schemes for ES.
Interpretable Machine Learning for the German residential rental market – shedding light into model mechanics
Severin Bachmann
Nuremberg Research Institute for Cooperative Studies, Nuremberg, Germany.
Accepted: 2024-12-04 | Published Online: 2024-12-20
DOI: 10.36253/aestim-16351

ABSTRACT
We compare the drivers in Machine learning models and give insights into their strengths and weaknesses predicting rental prices. The study employs SHAP values to measure feature importance. The study aims to investigate linear regression, decision tree and XGBoost algorithms. The research is unique in its application of IML methods to a large dataset of over 2.4 million observations in the German rental market and its application of comparative statistics using aggregate SHAP values. Main results are the superiority of XGB and LR showing higher SHAP values overall and thus explaining its lower predictive efficacy. DT models capture intricate interactions among variables with fewer features, while XGB accommodates more variables, emphasizing its higher complexity and thus superior performance. The top ten features for DT and XGB models show significant overlap, indicating robust concordance. Specific features are identified that distinguish the models, suggesting that a more complex model, like XGB, handles dummy variables more adeptly.