Since ancient times, pilgrimages have been an important expression of faith because slow-paced traveling, physical effort, and a closer relationship with nature favor introspection. Protecting pilgrimage routes means transforming them into a medium to rediscover and guide landscape development while avoiding possible speculative drifts. Such an approach is particularly important in rural areas often relegated to a marginal role in planning strategies, but frequently traversed by these itineraries. This paper deals with pilgrimage routes in Sardinia (Italy) and their chance to become an integral part of composite territorial infrastructures for triggering regeneration processes in rural areas. First, we introduce the topic with reference to planning literature and various case studies. Then, we select four pilgrimage itineraries that extend through different parts of the island, and compare them using a set of indicators regarding landscape, accessibility, visibility, equipment, planning, and management. A composite index has been developed to classify paths with respect to their potential to become part of a system of greenways, providing facilities and benefits to surrounding areas. The analysis highlights the strengths and weaknesses of local realities. It underlines factors, such as intrinsic characteristics of territories, local management, and decision-making circumstances, which affect trail potentialities to activate greenway projects to trace a new development perspective for rural areas.

Abstract:The distribution of services across a territory generates daily commuting flows, which have a significant influence on the development of the territory and often causes congestion in large areas. This negatively affects the environmental, economic and social components of the metropolitan landscape. Using the graph theory, we constructed and analyzed various (in typologies of transportation and moving time) flow networks in the two main Italian metropolitan areas: Rome (MCR) and Milan (MCM). The analysis of these networks provided us with strategic information on the dynamics of the two urban macro-systems. In particular, the aim of our study was to: (i) identify the characteristics, distribution and direction of the main attractive forces within the regional systems under study; (ii) identify the main differences in size and structure of commuter networks between the two metropolitan areas and between the two regional systems that include the two mother cities; and, (iii) identify the main differences in the size and structure of the two commuting networks by transport modes (private, public, non-motorized mobility) and the travel time. The results highlighted significant differences between the two case studies regarding volume flows, complexity and structure networks, and the spatial extension of the territories that are governed by the two metropolitan areas. MCR is a strongly monocentric urban system with a regional influence centred on the mother city of Rome, while MCM is a diffused polycentric regional metropolitan system centred on multiple mother cities. The findings many have a role in urban planning choices and in the evaluation of policies aimed to favor sustainable mobility.

After the European Landscape Convention initialling, many studies are being undertaken in order to analyze and safeguard the landscape. Nevertheless, the rural landscape remains a secondary issue, forgotten, despite its importance and diffusion across European countries. It contributes to soil conservation, development, sustainability, environmental balances and the conservation of local values and identity. Nowadays, encouraged by the national legislations in terms of the protection of the landscape, an attempt is being made to bring this issue to the general attention. But several problems have to be solved. The main one is defining and classifying what constitutes a rural landscape. Certainly, classification is not only the basis of the research on landscape structure and essence, but also it is the prerequisite for landscape evaluation, planning and design. However, theories and methodologies of landscape classification, especially of rural landscape, have not been paid enough attention. This article analyzes and discusses the theories and methodologies of landscape classifications in Europe in general and in Italy in particular. What do they have in common and in what ways do they diverge?

The article presents the results of a study on the classification of municipalities in the Region of Sardinia (Italy) based on the relationship between existing levels of rurality/urbanity and competitiveness in order to evaluate similarities and differences. The study was carried out via multivariate analysis of two sets of indicators, defining the two issues and a subsequent comparison of the results. Not only a clear link, but also signs of inconsistency arose from the study between urbanity and competitiveness. If, generally speaking, the municipalities close to conditions of urbanity are characterized by conditions of greater competitiveness and well-being, from the point of view of population dynamics, their performance is somewhat disappointing. An increase in the level of rurality does not always correspond to a higher degree of discomfort, although this tendency still represents the normal condition. Identifying and analyzing these situations might constitute an important step towards building more specific rural development strategies. Recommendations are therefore made regarding the need for further research on these issues in order to improve the quality and relevance of information used by public policymakers.

This paper sets out to explore the relationship between planning and conflict in the use of space, and to reflect on the ideas underpinning transformations of the territory, beginning with the relations existing between projects and policies, since planning decisions are a statement of something more than just organizational projects for space. In an urban realm where the market increasingly swallows up space, contributing to shaping form and functions according to a profit-based logic, battles are sometimes waged to defend public goods. The paper deals with the case of two areas at the center of controversies and disputes related to divergent interests, which spring from totally different points of view on space and the role of the assets shaping the landscape. The contrast is illustrated between the logics of a market based on the pursuit of economic gain to the detriment of social construction, and the right to a collective heritage, with the aim of asserting the need and possibility to go beyond the logics of individualism in planning