The 5th edition of Urbanpromo Green confirms its focus on the methods of the guiding principle of sustainability in the urban and territorial planning, and in the design and implementation of interventions, making theory and practice, the technical-scientific profile and concrete experiences interact. The event develops an articulated framework of themes that are explored in conferences and seminars, held in various formats.
The opening conference “Green Therapy: healing with nature” relates the theme of green, which has always been the focus of Urbanpromo Green, to health care. Among the many functions of green will be explored especially those that contribute to the welfare and health of people. The conference, in plenary session, highlights how the green, at various scales, can be functional to the pursuit of therapeutic purposes. The goal is to enhance the clinical and design skills and knowledge of green, in order to make it functional, in urban design and management, to the realization of a real “green therapy”.
The range of issues later discussed is wide.
The outbreak of the pandemic has strongly introduced in the idea of the resilient city new requirements to face new emergencies, not only environmental, but also health, social and economic. Starting with the management of the post-emergency phase of Covid-19, climate governance processes are launched based on the analysis of local vulnerabilities and the definition of adaptation strategies and measures. In Italy, local climate transition processes have been supported in the last few years by territorial foundations that have addressed their interest in environmental issues, influencing public and private decision-making processes.
National and local initiatives are growing in the field of soft mobility. They aim to define and apply integrated solutions to improve the quality of life, developing and applying integrated policies for accessibility and sustainability in alignment with the 2030 Agenda.This is a field of research, documentation, institutional and social interaction, which deserves to be followed and supported as it evolves. The goal is to make evident and enhance the interdependencies between infrastructure, communities, cities and landscapes.
The socio-ecological transition needs the definition of innovative solutions, the theme of sustainable development is the focus of research carried out in the academic field in relation to spatial planning and urban environment design. Therefore, theoretical, methodological and operative solutions have been developed to promote socio-ecological transition. We propose a reflection on them considering European policies and measures that bring to attention the strong mutual influence between ecosystem processes and socio-economic activities.
It will also be the opportunity to reflect on the possible tools and governance models that can concretely contribute to support the choices of policy makers – and all those who operate at different levels on the soil – towards a sustainable approach aimed at protecting and maintaining the quality of this resource.
The presence and quality of green in the city, as an essential component of sustainable urban development, is at the center of urban planning policies of many municipal administrations. The aim is to identify the possible multiple uses and implementation procedures to make the green really part of the unitary shape and life of the city.
In this context, the value of green, in its multiple aspects, is the subject of an interdisciplinary analysis for the quality of life in cities and for human health. It is necessary, therefore, that the approach to sustainability is not reduced to a communicative project, but is instead translated into policies, services and projects with an ecosystem approach for the regeneration of the urban environment.
The relationship between the city and water continues to be a key driver of urban transformation. Wetlands are fragile territories in environmental and socio-economic transition, with issues related to the complexity of their governance. The theme will be discussed by focusing on the role of these parts of the territory as producers of ecosystem services.
Wood and natural materials are emerging as one of the most significant innovations in building and urban design. The great opportunities offered by wood constructions in the field of energy saving and seismic safety have clearly emerged. The material also provides great flexibility of solutions for emergency housing situations. But due to the continuous expansion of the demand for construction wood, we are also witnessing the rarefaction of production and a vertiginous increase in the prices of finished products for construction. The Conference aims to face the theme of wood for construction as a “precious” material both in terms of environmental compatibility and from the point of view of its cost and its effective availability.
Last year Urbanpromo Green promoted one of the first reflections on the new regulations that had introduced a new tax incentive in construction: the Superbonus 110% both in the field of energy efficiency of buildings and seismic improvement. This year, more than a year after the entry into force of the legislation that introduced it, it is necessary to take up the subject again to assess the real effectiveness of tax incentives in construction. We will also reflect on what the future of this legal instrument might be considering also the PNRR approved by the European Commission. There are many actors, both public and private, who are involved in the real application of this regulation on the territory.
The rethinking of development models proposed by the “circular economy” highlights the need for new forms of territorial governance, crucial for addressing existing configurations to plan and manage complex, multi-scalar and multi-level problems. Urban contexts are crucial places to start the ecological transition and to become driving forces for sustainable development, as they are the engines of the economy.
The recent European Green Deal aims to make the European economy sustainable through a full transition to a green economy, investing in actions to stimulate resource efficiency, stop climate change, reduce pollution and biodiversity loss. We will deepen the concept of value and assessment models to support public decision-making processes in the definition of policies and actions to support and encourage the transition and to guide the development of cities and territories.
The situation created by the Covid 19 emergency has highlighted new fields of urban and territorial planning, also giving new acceleration to the debate on “food policy“. The pandemic has highlighted, on the one hand, how much the characteristics of the food system can influence the wellness of the city, on the other hand, how important are the connections with the surrounding area and how much the globalization of consumption has so far distorted this relationship, changing our behaviors and our cities.
This will be an opportunity to get to know examples, in urban and territorial planning, that have fully embraced the instances of food policy.
In recent years, the urban digitization is focused on spatial planning and social innovation. In fact, there are many examples of territorial government that find in the field of new information technologies tools and approaches oriented to promote energy transition, sustainable mobility, integration of services and emergency management. Recently, with the health emergency due to Covid-19, the transition has accelerated, further opening the door to significant new changes. Object of debate will be examples related to the use of information technology, big data and new forms of digital collaboration oriented to the management and sustainable development of the territory. The scientific and political-cultural results achieved on each of the proposed themes will generate the plenary session which concludes the 5th edition of Urbanpromo Green.