Integrating green infrastructure in Italian urban plans. Lessons from Turin and Bologna

Abstract

Spatial planning constitutes an institutional activity of government and governance that sets up reference development frameworks to coordinate policies and actions for cities and territories. This activity is functional to have coherence and support the implementation of European and international policies focused on socio-ecological transition. The study provides an overview of how the concept of green infrastructure (GI) is central to spatial planning to enable a sustainable regeneration of contemporary cities and territories and to protect biodiversity within a climate-proof framework of interventions. The research aim is to explore the modalities of GI methodological integration in urban planning to address the green transition. Two Italian case studies have been selected to investigate how differently structured urban plans at the local scale design and interpret GI. The discussion from the comparative case study analysis focuses on what one can learn from conformative planning approaches in response to contemporary challenges and with respect to the regulatory framework in force. Final reflections concern the need to work in Italy on a review of the traditional urban planning model with new national fundamental principles, providing a framework for coherence and coordination of the national post-pandemic recovery programme.