Urban geomorphology of a historical city straddling the Tanaro River (Alessandria, NW Italy)

Abstract

The integration of field surveys, bibliographic research and multitemporal analysis of historical maps, aerial photographs and satellite images in a GIS environment, allowed the current and past geomorphological features of the old city of Alessandria and its surrounding areas, NW Italy, to be identified and mapped. Their analysis provided an overview of the geomorphological evolution of the city that is strictly related to the historical vicissitudes occurred since the Middle Ages. Nowadays, the most representative landforms and deposits characterizing the urban landscape result from human interventions and are associated with ancient military facilities and infrastructures, a historical man-made channel network no longer recognizable, the Tanaro riverbed channelization, and the urban sprawl occurred from the second half of the nineteenth century onwards. This study represents a useful tool for urban planning and management and for raising the citizens’ awareness of the urban-landscape geomorphological features and evolution, and therefore the geo-hydrological risk.

Keywords

• urban geomorphology
• geomorphological mapping
• anthropogenic landforms
• multitemporal analysis
• alessandria
• tanaro river