Nature-Positive Cities: Adaptive Spatial Planning in Italy for an Ecological Urban Transition

This open access book underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, framed within a broader trans-disciplinary perspective, to move from conventional urban development to nature-positive cities and planning. It is therefore fundamental to assess urban biodiversity, actually not largely investigated yet crucial for ecosystem services provision in urban areas, and urban soils, often overlooked, that plays a crucial role in biodiversity support and nature conservation, along with green and blue infrastructures, that are able to generate ecosystem benefits and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as improve human health. The other critical step is to translate this commitment into urban planning goals, followed by the implementation and monitoring of actions to achieve the set goals. To support this transition, the book presents strategies for integrating nature and its elements into urban planning and policy design. The interdisciplinary nature of the book – ensured by multiple background and expertise in urban planning, architecture, forestry, ecology – ensures cross-sectoral insights that likely help advancing the awareness and knowledge of experts, decision-makers and citizens to ultimately drive the transition into nature-positive cities.

Andrea Arcidiacono is Professor in Urban Planning, at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico of Milano. Director of the LabPPTE (Landscape Plans Territories Ecosystems Lab), and Land Take Research Centre CRCS. From 2016 to 2023 he was vice-president of the National Institute of Urban Planning, INU. His research interests include urban planning and design, Landscape and environmental planning, Green Infrastructure design, Ecosystem Services analysis, and Nature-based solutions for spatial planning, policies, and planning strategies for land take limitation.

Andrea De Toni is Assistant Professor at Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. For years, she has been working closely with ecologists and foresters, integrating biodiversity and ecological knowledge into urban and regional planning. Much of her work has been based upon the analysis of quantitative and qualitative socio-economic and environmental geo-referenced data on different scales and the engagement of relevant stakeholders to support the decision-making processes in selecting planning priorities.

Silvia Ronchi is Assistant Professor in Urban Planning at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. She is a member of the scientific editorial board of the journal Territorio (FrancoAngeli). Her research interests focus on ecosystem services, environmental assessment, landscape and urban planning, as well as soil sealing and land take processes.