Parte del Focus "Pathways to ecological transition"
a cura di Benedetta Giudice
CED PPN-DIST/Politecnico di Torino
Ecological transition has emerged as one of the most pressing and multidimensional paradigms in contemporary planning discourse, especially within the European context. As an umbrella concept, it reframes urban and territorial development through ecological, spatial, and socio-political lenses. Far from being a purely environmental agenda, ecological transition intersects with broader questions of governance, equity, and long-term resilience, challenging established development models and planning practices. Within this evolving framework, spatial planning is increasingly tasked with bridging strategic ambitions and operational capacities across multiple scales, from supranational policies to local implementation. A wide range of strategies and policy tools has been mobilised under this framework, including green and blue infrastructure, ecosystem services, climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and nature-based solutions. These approaches, while promising, often reveal significant implementation gaps, fragmented governance structures, and uneven integration into mainstream planning systems.
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