The role of green infrastructures in Italian cities by linking natural and social capital

Abstract

Urban growth causes numerous threats to human well-being, as a consequence of the loss and degradation of urban and peri-urban green spaces. This research aims to investigate the possible role of green infrastructures (GIs), as providers of ecosystem services, in enhancing urban well-being in the 116 Italian provincial capital cities. The analysis has been based on the conceptual model proposed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) (2005) to explain how the four categories of ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural) and the components of human well-being are interrelated. In order to perform the assessment, the most suitable indicators of social capital and green infrastructures have been identified from the panel of indices and indicators provided by national official statistics. The corresponding analysis has highlighted that northern Italian cities are characterized by simple but well-managed green infrastructures and wooded areas, with the highest level of social cohesion and inclusion associated with a high value of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. The southern part of the country is characterized mainly by “Historical greens” and high levels of health and social security but low levels of income, social inclusion and cohesion. This research represents a first attempt to link the different typologies of green infrastructures with the provision of ecosystem services. Given the recognized contribution of GIs in preserving natural habitats in an urban context, the SLOSS (single large or several small) debate, typically applied for conservation purposes, could also be appropriate for GIs. Therefore, it could be necessary to investigate whether fewer large nature preserves (large urban parks), or a patchwork of smaller green areas can better enhance human well-being in an urban context.