Abstract
Soil is a non-renewable natural resource. However, the current rates of soil usage and degradation have led to a loss of soil for agriculture, habitats, biodiversity, and to ecosystems problems. Urban and former industrial areas suffer particularly of these problems, and compensation measures to restore environmental quality include the renaturation of dismissed areas, de-sealing of surfaces, or the building of green infrastructures. In this framework, the development of methodologies for the creation of soils designed to mimic natural soil and suitable for vegetation growth, known as constructed soils or technosols, are here reviewed. The possible design choices and the starting materials have been described, using a circular economy approach, i.e., preferring non-contaminated wastes to non-renewable resources. Technosols appear to be a good solution to the problems of land degradation and urban green if using recycled wastes or by-products, as they can be an alternative to the remediation of contaminated sites and to importing fertile agricultural soil. Nevertheless, waste use requires analysis to ensure the salubrity of the starting materials. Moreover, materials produced on site or nearby minimize the cost and the environmental impact of transport, thus the involvement of local stakeholders in the urban land management must be encouraged.
Highlights
Soil, the substrate which we walk on, we inhabit, spend our days on, is fundamental for the survival of a large quantity of plants and living beings of all kinds and it hosts countless geo-bio-chemical reactions.Due to the very slow processes of its formation and recovery from degradation, soil can be considered as a non-renewable natural resource [1]
Population growth and urbanization implies an increase in natural resources exploitation and a consequent demand of soil to provide new urban areas and to sustain agricultural production [2]
Compensation measures would restore the land quality in a specific site to balance the contemporary use of soil in a near area, in terms of provided ecosystem services. These approaches are frequently invoked for dismissed areas, which, before their reuse, very often require remediation to comply with the legislation requirements and to prevent pollutants diffusion [29]
Summary
The substrate which we walk on, we inhabit, spend our days on, is fundamental for the survival of a large quantity of plants and living beings of all kinds and it hosts countless geo-bio-chemical reactions. The importance of enhancing inclusive and sustainable urbanization and of human settlement planning is claimed to design more livable, healthy, and resilient cities [12] This can be achieved through the creation of green spaces within the city, whose benefits are well-known: microclimate regulation, with the reduction of the urban heat island effect; water regulation that prevents flooding problems; pollutant removal; reduction of the biodiversity loss; improvement of human physical and mental health; economic advantages from restored soil services [13,14,15,16,17,18]. Compensation measures would restore the land quality in a specific site to balance the contemporary use of soil in a near area, in terms of provided ecosystem services These approaches are frequently invoked for dismissed areas, which, before their reuse, very often require remediation to comply with the legislation requirements and to prevent pollutants diffusion [29].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
