Agricultural Land and the New Urban Paradigm: Coexistence, Integration, or Conflict?

The relation between "urban" and "rural" has changed and developed over the last few decades. The present contribution focuses on how the relationship between these two entities has developed, highlighting how it corresponds to a growing complexity and interdependence among the two. Awareness has increased that to the extent that proper management of these interdependences can contribute to solve problems, increase economic performance and also make a contribution to a higher quality of life in and around urban areas. In this framework, green infrastructures and agriculture practices in urban areas are discussed. The contribution concludes by suggesting strategies and actions for the proper implementation of green infrastructures and urban agriculture practices at regional and local scales

COVID 19 - A Qualitative Review for the Reorganization of Human Living Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing people’s habits and behaviors and will reshape city layout and management. Among the different areas of research to be explored, the paper outlines first inputs to use the COVID-19 health crisis as a “window of opportunity” to trigger a sustainable transition of urban living environments, through actions to reshape and territorial organization after COVID-19 and in preparation for future health. Before having a vaccine or medications that ensure a non-lethal disease course, there will be a phase of responsibility and coexistence with the virus. It will be a period whose duration experts are still unable to quantify. What changes in the city organization, behaviors and uses of spaces will we observe in the living environments? Will this lead to a sustainability transition? The paper proposes a qualitative review to investigate how the droplet might travel through the air and how COVID-19 has spread in different urban contexts to outline a comprehensive reflection on the future of the city and strategies for more resilient communities and territories. To achieve this goal, the paper proposes the need of a comparison between skills related to physics aspects, such as fluid dynamics (to assess how droplets spread) and skills related to architectural, urban and territorial design (to evaluate the conditions of indoor and outdoor living environments)

L'Appennino dopo il sisma: quali prospettive di sviluppo per le comunità locali

The period of deep ecological and economic changes we are going through, leads to reflections, even radical, about scales of values, governance strategies, implementing tactics of conservation and transformation of landscape. Up to now, many are the events, programs and projects put into play with the aim of supporting the revitalization of marginal and remote mountainous areas as the Charter of Sarnano and the Italian Strategy for Inner Areas. Participation and involvement activities with local communities are needed to understand what could be the new perspectives of these territories, because they have always been playing the role of main actor, observer and responsible implementer of new spatial development for the sustainable fu- ture of the Apennines

LinkPAs - Linking networks of protected areas to territorial development: Targeted Analysis - Scientific Report

This targeted analysis addresses mountain territories where high degrees of biodiversity and natural capital hotspots are localised, and experiences on their preservation, management and monitoring were gathered. Mountains cover 41% of the territory in the ESPON space and are home to 17% of its population with 16 massifs (ESPON GEOSPECS 2013). Mountains can be seen as “inner peripheries”, “marginal” areas from a socio-economic perspective (ESPON, “Inner Peripheries”, 2016), where the issue of accessibility to services should also include ecosystemic ones (MiSE, “Inner areas”, 2015). Mountain issues assume relevance in key themes for sustainable territorial development such as ecological connectivity and natural resources management (e.g. water, forests, soil). The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals mention mountains with reference to water management, efficient use of natural resources, ecosystem and biodiversity, ensuring mountain ecosystems conservation and enhancing their ability to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development. In this sense NPAs contribute to defining common visions and scenarios for sustainable development of homogeneous areas. Endogenous natural capital can thus contribute to sustainable regional economic cycles and provide inputs for a green economy that NPAs should be able to promote. The ecological conditions and vulnerability of the territory require also strategic and integrated policies for both natural and urban areas. According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) a protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Europe’s Natura 2000 and the Emerald network under development are international European networks of protected areas that catalyse biodiversity conservation. The topic deserves being tackled with a wider territorial and spatial planning perspective, embracing core natural areas and related buffer zones and urban areas. At EU level, valuable experiences are the specific Protocols of the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions recalling the necessity for NPAs and the integration of the objective of conservation and sustainable use of natural assets into sectoral policies. In this sense, NPAs contribute to achieve EU and international objectives. The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 encourages cooperation and dialogue with key sectors and stakeholders, as well as the development of mechanisms for biodiversity (e.g. Business@Biodiversity Platform; The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity initiative), ensuring that these issues are reflected in decision-making at all levels. A territorial development approach based on NPAs could also be transferred to other types of territories, whether they are mountainous (Pyrenees, Dinaric Alps) or not (e.g. coast-maritime areas as with the Adriatic Protected Areas Network, DANUBEPARKS, the network of protected areas along the Danube River). It represents a perspective for both ESPON countries with no experience in NPAs and non-ESPON countries (e.g. Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania) seeking to integrate natural capital into territorial strategies and meet EU targets

Toward An Innovative Strategic Approach For Sustainable Management Of Natural Protected Areas In Italy

As the world's largest coordinated network of protected areas, the Natura 2000 network (N2k) encompasses the most valuable and threatened species and habitats in Europe. However, N2k sites have been often criticized due to their rigid management system that focuses only on conservation practice without a strategic vision for linking with the regional plans. This study aims to develop a novel approach for sustainable management of N2k sites in Italy by identifying existing gaps and developing conservation policies. For this purpose, a panorama of the current challenges in the European sites was provided at the first step. Then, the management status of the natural protected sites in Italy was studied by selecting the Umbria Region as the case study. Finally, we develop a strategic approach for boosting the conservation policies and sustainable management of the N2k sites in Italy. The findings highlight that the sustainability of N2k sites requires an inclusive effort in the social, economic, and policymaking fields to meet its conservation objectives. Such an effort encompasses a sophisticated management approach that consists of a network of tools for monitoring the state of conservation, land uses, and socio-economic activities at the regional scale. Furthermore, the integration of environmental policies with regional plans is essential for the sustainable management of the N2k sites

Conflicting perspectives on urban landscape quality in six urban regions in Europe and their implications for urban transitions

The European Landscape Convention urges countries to involve stakeholders including citizens in the governance of ordinary (urban) landscapes. This paper studies conflicting stakeholder perspectives on urban landscape quality in the context of urban sustainability transitions in six European urban regions in the Netherlands, Italy, France, Croatia, Belarus and the Russian Federation. Repertory grid technique helped to identify the dimensions through which persons evaluate urban landscape quality. Ninety-three (93) interviewees elicited 1400 bipolar constructs, such as "Edible green - Concrete" or "Community, group - Loneliness". They then selected two constructs they consider most relevant in the context of urban sustainability transitions, and ranked all pictures on a 10-points scale. The rankings were analyzed using Multiple Correspondence Analysis. We find that, in spite of the many social and cultural differences between the regions, stakeholders largely agree on the preferred direction of urban transitions; more green and blue spots where people can meet and undertake joint (leisure) activities. The main conflict is between, on the one hand, a preference for organized development and beautification and, on the other hand, naturalness (permeability of soil) and organic development. The paper considers several challenges for transition governance