Ecological Networks in urban planning: Between theoretical approaches and operational measures

Abstract

The ecological network can be considered in different ways: as a strictly interrelated system of habitats, as parks and protected areas network, as a multi-purpose ecosystemic scenario, as a sequence of natural, rural and open landscapes. Nevertheless, all the interpretations of natural landscapes not always have been considered in the lexicon of urban and regional planning, relegating natural and rural areas to an “inessential” role (and generically defining them as “in state of pre-urbanisation”). This contribution reflects about the ecological meaning of landscape, and therefore about its primary ecosystemic role, introducing a review proposal of the current programs and planning paradigms, highlighting its importance in the economic, entrepreneurial and policy debates in Europe. The main objective is promote new clear and specific local planning regulations, direct to the project of new ecological corridors with a more and useful consideration of the binominal value “landscape-biodiversity”, and in general of the “natural-rural-urban” correlation, as an essential condition for defining a new vision of sustainable urban and regional development.