En esta disertación examino las formas en que un grupo de profesionales usa, diseña y entiende mapas digitales usados en proyectos participativos en Madrid, España. Argumento que estos Profesionales de la Participación Pública (PPP) llevan a cabo su experticia al generar y organizar sus relaciones con otros actores y objetos de forma que están, simultáneamente, resaltando su autoridad para generar participación, y distribuyendo su autoridad en el proceso. Mi análisis se centra en sus relaciones con los proyectos comunitarios que están mapeando, con profesionales que trabajan similarmente en el diseño de mapas participativos, y con el mapa digital como tal. Concluyo sugiriendo que una aproximación a la experticia que sea etnográfica y centrada en el objeto nos permite desestabilizar nuestras nociones de participación, el rol de las tecnologías digitales, y nuestro entendimiento de lo que es una perspectiva crítica.

This research explores the new meanings of fatherhood in The Netherlands, how men address their role as active fathers and in the household, considering their responsibilities at work and the influence of traditional gender roles. This work investigates how men are dealing with fatherhood and balancing their work and family lives, the possible consequences in their careers when they are more involved with their children and the household, and how the main discourses about the traditional gender roles still affect the development of an open, public, active and proud fatherhood. This research focuses on fathers and their daily interactions and stories while attempting to balance work and family life, where this new active fatherhood is challenged. Fathering narratives and stories are explored and analyzed in contrast to the main discourse about fatherhood, the traditional gender roles that still affect these processes, and policies and norms in The Netherlands, regarding flexible work and family-work balance. Esta investigación explora los nuevos significados de la paternidad en los Países Bajos, cómo los padres manejan su rol como padres activos y en el hogar, considerando sus responsabilidades en el trabajo y la influencia de los roles de género tradicionales. Este trabajo investiga cómo los hombres están lidiando con su paternidad y al mismo tiempo balanceando el trabajo con la vida familiar, las consecuencias en su carrera profesional cuando están más involucrados en el hogar y con sus hijos, y cómo los discursos tradicionales aún afectan el desarrollo de una paternidad abierta, pública, activa y orgullosa. Asimismo, la presente investigación se enfoca en las interacciones diarias e historias de los padres holandeses, mientras intentan balancear la vida familiar con el trabajo, en donde esta nueva paternidad activa es retada. Las narrativas e historias sobre paternidad son exploradas y analizadas a la luz del discurso tradicional y general sobre paternidad, los roles de género tradicionales que aún afectan estos procesos, y las políticas y normas en los Países Bajos, en cuanto al trabajo flexible y el balance entre vida laboral y la vida personal.

Although the last decades have seen an advance in quality and empowerment for women, there are still numerous challenges to be addressed. Among them, and particularly pressing in cities, are issues of gender-based violence, including sexual harassment in public spaces. Despite the numerous effects street harassment has on women, and the high incidence of it in different countries, this issue has not been broadly studied, and even less so in Global South cities. In this scenario, this study aims to comprehend how women in Bogotá experience sexual harassment in public spaces, specifically focusing on public transport and including vehicles, stations, stops and walking routes to and from their origins or destinations. Focusing on this objective, this study made use of a mixed-method approach, including an online self-completing questionnaire, as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data gathered showed that sexual harassment in public transport – and public space – is widespread in Bogotá, and intersections with age and class play a very important role. Additionally, episodes of sexual harassment are widely underreported, and there is a general perception that reporting is useless, which is supported by accounts of women who have tried to report an incident and have faced several difficulties. Finally, policies proposed so far in Bogotá have been unsuccessful in reducing sexual harassment in public transport and, in many cases, do not tackle the problem. Consequently, a comprehensive set of policies aimed at preventing and reducing sexual harassment in different spaces associated with public transport must be put in place. Aunque en las últimas décadas se ha visto un avance en cuanto a la igualdad y el empoderamiento de las mujeres, aún hay muchos retos por abordar en estos temas. Entre ellos, y especialmente relevantes en las ciudades, están los problemas de violencia de género, incluyendo el acoso sexual en espacios públicos. A pesar de los varios efectos que tiene el acoso callejero en las mujeres, y la alta incidencia de este en distintos países, el tema no se ha estudiado a profundidad, y aún menos en ciudades del mundo en desarrollo. En este escenario, este estudio busca comprender cómo las mujeres en Bogotá experimentan el acoso sexual en los espacios públicos, específicamente enfocándose en el transporte público e incluyendo vehículos, estaciones, paraderos y rutas a pie desde y hacia los orígenes y destinos. Siguiendo este objetivo, el estudio utiliza un enfoque de métodos mixtos, incluyendo una encuesta en línea, así como entrevistas semi-estructuradas en profundidad. La información compilada muestra que el acoso sexual en el transporte público – y el espacio público – es generalizado en Bogotá, y las intersecciones con la edad y clase tienen un rol muy importante. Adicionalmente, los episodios de acoso sexual están ampliamente subreportados, y hay una percepción general de que reportar es inútil, lo cual se refleja en las historias de mujeres que han intentado reportar un incidente y se han enfrentado a múltiples dificultades. Finalmente, las políticas propuestas hasta el momento en Bogotá no han tenido éxito en cuanto a reducir el acoso sexual en el transporte público y, en muchas ocasiones, no abordan el problema. Por lo tanto, es necesario implementar un conjunto completo de políticas que se enfoquen en prevenir y reducir el acoso sexual en los diferentes espacios asociados con el transporte público.

"Study on the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) in alcohol dehydrogenase from thermophilic Bacillus stearothermophilus. The enzyme was expressed and purified in order to measure steady state rate constants (𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑡) for the catalysed reaction of wild type and isotopically labelled enzyme. Five different substrates were employed: 2-Butanol, ethanol, cyclopentanol, acetone and acetaldehyde. KIE was determined using non-competitive method. Rate constants (𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑡) were measured via UV spectroscopy by monitoring the linear increase or decrease of the absorbance of the cofactor NADH as a function of time. Estudio del efecto isotópico cinético (EIC) en alcohol deshidrogenasa termofílica de Bacillus stearothermophilus. La enzima se expresó y purificó para luego medir la constante de velocidad de reacción (𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑡) para la reacción catalizada de la enzima con y sin marcación isotópica. Cinco diferentes substratos se emplearon:2-Butanol, etanol, ciclopentanol, acetona y acetaldehído. EIC se determinó usando el método no competitivo. Las constantes de velocidad de reacción (𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑡) fueron determinadas por medio de espectroscopia-UV monitoreando el incremento o disminución lineal de la absorbancia del cofactor NADH en función del tiempo."

The flood event is a problem that may affect drastically any settlement and can bring dramatic consequences, especially when it is not considered as one of the urbanization dynamics. It is important to reduce floods with measures that can be as simple as self‐preparedness, as well as an integrated long‐term plan. Hence, it is essential to avoid loss of lives taking preventive measures and building a resilience perspective into the population. The present document describes the main concepts that should be taken into consideration to understand the flood risk. Consequently, analyses the current flood risk in Bogota, Colombia and seeks to determine the zones where vulnerable settlements overlay flood hazard areas. Finally, it is examined how flood risk management can be targeted to reduce the risk level and how can the design solutions help to prevent and manage the flood problem within the city. Resumen La inundación es un problema que puede afectar drásticamente cualquier asentamiento y puede traer severas consecuencias, especialmente cuando no se considera como una de las dinámicas de la urbanización. Es importante reducir las inundaciones con medidas que pueden ser tan simples como el autoaprendizaje, así como un plan integrado a largo plazo. Por lo tanto, es esencial evitar la pérdida de vidas tomando medidas preventivas y construyendo una perspectiva de resiliencia en la población. El presente documento describe los conceptos principales que deben tomarse en consideración para comprender el riesgo de inundación. En consecuencia, analiza el riesgo de inundación actual en Bogotá, Colombia y busca determinar las zonas donde los asentamientos vulnerables se sobreponen a las áreas en peligro de inundación. Finalmente, se examina cómo la gestión del riesgo de inundación puede orientarse para reducir sus niveles y cómo las soluciones de diseño pueden ayudar a prevenir y gestionar el problema de inundación dentro de la ciudad.

Insects are essential for the functioning of ecosystems, delivering important ecological functions as nutrient recycling, pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. Biodiversity increases the multi-functionality and resilience of ecosystems around the world, a valuable effect considering that global change is likely to have an impact on ecosystems globally. In the process of urbanisation, ecosystems are modified and plant and animal communities segregated, affecting biodiversity and thus jeopardising ecosystems in a global scale. Different insect taxa play distinct ecological roles, so assessing how environmental factors associated with urbanisation affect them is relevant for the conservation of biological diversity of cities. The main objective of this research project was to investigate how insect communities are affected by urbanisation, using an integrated multi-taxa and multiscale approach. The research project is divided in two fundamental questions: 1) Are insect communities affected by coarse or fine scale environmental filters? and 2) Are insect´s foraging abilities affected by environmental modification? To address the first question, I sampled four insect taxa (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera) in 19 sites with three levels of environmental modification, and multiple environmental variables associated with urbanisation. For the second question, I used focal plants to sample floral visitors in 19 sites with varying levels of environmental modification, recording the time taken for the focal plant to be discovered by an insect, and the number of insects after 48 hours. My results show that coarse environmental filters affect Hemiptera communities but do not seem to affect Coleoptera, Diptera, or Hymenoptera communities. Fine environmental filters such as proportion of native plants with flowers, site area, and proportion of green space are associated with species richness of coleopteran, dipteran and hymenopteran communities. Floral discoverability was not associated with environmental modification but the number of insects was higher in sites with higher environmental modification. Native floral resources are important for the maintenance of urban biodiversity, thus native plants should be used in urban green. Low species richness of hymenopterans and coleopterans in more urbanised sites indicates the susceptibility of these groups to urbanisation, reflecting what others studies have found in urban contexts worldwide. Environmental modification affects insects’ ability to discover and use floral resources. Where conservation initiatives use floral resource plantings to support biodiversity, environmental modification must be considered, to ensure that target taxa are able to reach the novel resources.

Ship-source oil spills are amongst the major sources of oil affecting coastal areas. An end-to-end marine oil spill analysis may provide a model to better allocate response resources or prepare contingency plans for highly vulnerable zones. A consequence assessment, a key aspect of this type of analysis which considers economic, social and environmental aspects of a geographic area, is presented in this study as a GIS index tool, which can be applied in the context of Atlantic Canada. A theoretical framework and conceptual model is developed based on a literature review of oil spill state-of-the-art analysis using Exploratory Network Analysis; and tested on a realistic case study (Halifax Harbour, NS). The novel approach for reviewing the literature provided sound criteria for the conceptual model, which fits the end-to-end marine oil spill analysis, segregating elements regarding exposure and oil behaviour. Furthermore, oil spill management indicators were tailored using expertise from Atlantic Canada’s oil spill responders, and many gaps were identified to potentially refine the model later. Finally, this model considers the range of aspects that influence the consequences of a ship-based oil spill, using readily available information and considering relevant stakeholder’s interests.

Abstract: Cities have become the main centres of consumption and transformation of resources. As cities are still growing in terms of physical size, number of inhabitants and total energy consumption, unique challenges present themselves in order to safeguard a healthy urban living environment, while preventing resource shortages and pollution. The concept of urban metabolism may contribute to sustainable growth of cities as it can be used to understand emergent patterns in flows of energy and materials in the urban environment. The concept of urban metabolism draws upon an analogy with the biological meaning of metabolism, as it occurs in organisms and ecosystems. Here we present a review of the interpretation of urban metabolism in the context of urban energy dynamics and assess the validity of the proposed analogy with biology. Based on this analogy, we propose a conceptual framework for the role of urban metabolism in urban energy systems. Our review highlights that urban energy systems show a hierarchical organization comparable to ecological systems. However, the emergent patterns that result from the dynamics within urban systems differ from those occurring within ecological systems. We suggest that, in contrast to biological systems, urban energy systems lack energetic constraints at the lowest level of organisation that could enable the resource-efficient regulation of energy requirements at larger scales. The proposed framework highlights that low-level resource supply regulations may contribute to introduce scale-dependent relationships that increase energy use efficiency as cities grow. Resumen: Las ciudades han llegado a ser grandes centros de consumo y transformación de recursos. Debido a que las ciudades se mantienen en constante crecimiento en términos de tamaño físico, número de habitantes y consumo de energía, surge la necesidad de afrontar retos evidentes con el fin de salvaguardar el ambiente urbano, así como prevenir la escasez de recursos y el aumento de polución. El metabolismo urbano puede contribuir a explicar el crecimiento sostenible de las ciudades, ya que éste permite entender la emergencia de patrones en los flujos de energía y materiales en el ambiente urbano. Éste se basa en la analogía con el metabolismo en sistemas biológicos, el cual está presente tanto a nivel de organismos como de ecosistemas. En este artículo se plantea una revisión de la interpretación del metabolismo urbano en el contexto de sistemas energéticos urbanos. A partir de dicha revisión se plantea que los sitemas energéticos urbanos muestran una organización jerárquica comparable a la de los sistemas biológicos. No obstante, los patrones emergentes que resultan de la dinámica en los sistemas urbanos difieren de aquellos que ocurren en los sistemas biológicos. Nosotros sugerimos que, a diferencia de los sistemas biológicos, los sistemas urbanos no presentan limitaciones energéticas en los niveles inferiores de la organización, que trasciendan en una eficiente regulacion de los consumos energéticos en los niveles superiores del sistema. El marco conceptual propuesto en este artículo resalta que una regulación en el abastecimiento de recursos en los niveles inferiores, puede llegar a inducir relaciones de carácter alométrico que representen un aumento en la eficiencia energética en la medida que las ciudades continuan con su crecimiento.

Abstract: During the last decades prostitution in Bogotá, Colombia has dramatically increased. This work is the result of two months of ethnographic research in two brothels that are outside of the zone where prostitution can be legally exercised. At the site of the brothel, two illegal activities converge: illegal prostitution and drug trafficking. Using a gendered lens, this research interrogates the relation of these brothels to their surroundings. It argues that the brothels function as a medium through which male members of criminal groups express their control over local areas in the city. On the other hand, it states that the only possible way in which women who exercise prostitution can live a liveable life under the current political, economic and cultural national and global conditions, is to embody contradiction, for it is only by engaging in the illegal that they can become legitimate within society. Resumen: Durante las últimas décadas, la prostitución en Bogotá, Colombia ha aumentado dramáticamente. Este trabajo es el resultado de dos meses de investigación etnográfica en dos burdeles que se encuentran fuera de la Zona de Tolerancia. En el sitio del burdel, convergen dos actividades ilegales: prostitución ilegal y tráfico de drogas. Usando como lente la perspectiva de género, esta investigación interroga la relación de estos burdeles con su entorno. Argumenta que los burdeles funcionan como un medio a través del cual los miembros masculinos de los grupos criminales expresan su control sobre las áreas locales en la ciudad. Por otro lado, plantea que la única forma posible en que las mujeres que ejercen la prostitución pueden vivir una vida vivible conforme a las condiciones políticas, económicas y culturales actuales --nacionales y mundiales-- es encarnando la contradicción, puesto que solo mediante la incursión en la ilegalidad pueden ser consideradas como legítimas dentro de la sociedad.

Abstract: Inequality in Latin America remains scandalously high but has improved remarkably in the last decade. Multiple reasons for this inequality reduction have been posited, but until now few have inquired as to the role of tax policy in this decline. Therefore, in this dissertation I attempt to fill this gap by investigating whether tax policy in Latin America has been more pro-equity during the recent period of declining inequality in comparison with the period of high and increasing inequality in the 1990s, such that it might have contributed to the decline in inequality observed in recent years. To answer this question, this dissertation begins by explaining, using both empirical and theoretical arguments, the importance of looking at taxation to explain changes in inequality. It then defines pro-equity taxation as dependent on three factors – collection, progressivity and cyclicality – and proposes measuring these factors using a novel methodology consisting of adjusting tax variables to business and commodity cycles. Using case studies of the five largest commodity-dependent economies in the region – Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – this study derives the conclusion that, although some improvements were made, particularly in cyclicality, the authorities’ use of the tax instrument when inequality was declining was no more pro-equity than in the 1990s, when inequality was high and increasing. This suggests that the inequality reduction was not achieved as a result of the tax policy pursued, but mainly in spite of it. It suggests as well that tax policy as an instrument for reducing inequality remains underused in the region and therefore much remains to be done -and certainly can be done- in the tax arena. Resumen: La desigualdad en América Latina sigue siendo escandalosamente alta pero se ha reducido. Este documento se pregunta si esta reducción ha tenido algo que ver con los impuestos. Luego de un análisis de 5 casos de estudios (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, México y Peru) este estudio concluye que la forma en que se usaron los impuestos no han cambiado en los últimos años. Esto sugiere que la reducción de desigualdad no está relacionada con una nueva forma de hacer impuestos.