Mind the Gap: Why the Landscape Planning System in Sardinia Does Not Work

Abstract

In Italy, after the introduction of the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape in 2004, the Regional Landscape Plan (RLP) has acquired a coordination role in the urban planning system, for the implementation of policies for landscape protection and valorisation. The case study of the RLP of Sardinia is a paradigmatic application to the coastal area of the island, which is considered most vulnerable and subject to settlement pressure. The objectives of preservation and valorisation of the territorial resources should be transferred into local planning instruments by adopting strategies aimed at the preservation of the consolidated urban fabric, at the requalification and completion of the existing built-up areas according to the principles of land take limitation and increase in urban quality. The paper investigates the state of implementation and the level of integration of landscape contents in the local plans that have been adapted to the RLP, using a qualitative comparative method. In addition, the results of the plan coherence checks, elaborated by the regional monitoring bodies after the adaptation process, have been analysed to identify the common criticalities and weaknesses. The results highlight the lack of effectiveness of the RLP, after more than a decade since its approval, considering the limited number of adequate local plans and the poor quality of their analytical and regulative contents in terms of landscape protection and valorisation. Conclusions suggest some possible ways to revise the RLP, focusing on the participation of local communities and the development of a new landscape culture.

Regional landscape planning for the innovation of urban planning. Municipal implementation of the city-country pact in Apulia

“…The guidelines effectively ensure an inter-scalar approach to landscape policy and its integration with municipal planning. Although widely used (Sala et al 2014, Colavitti andSerra 2021), there is still a lack of monitoring systems that assess actual effectiveness (Wende et al 2012).…”

“…For a long time, an aestheticising idea of the landscape dominated Italian culture. Predominantly bound to preservation concepts (Settis 2007), landscape referred more to cultural aspects than environmental and ecological ones, distinguishing Italy from other European nations where the idea of landscape is closely tied to the environment (Colavitti et al 2021;Colavitti and Serra 2021).…”

“…In the Italian system, local implementation of Regional landscape planning comes about mainly by adapting municipal planning to Regional landscape plans. This process-which takes place in Apulia as in other Regions by imposing considerable constraints during the transitional period before final approvals (Colavitti et al 2021)-represents the most widespread method for renewing urban plans with structural difficulties for their revision, with the exception of external agents like the case in question. In a complex operation, new objectives and, above all, new planning philosophies are imposed upon an existing municipal plan, integrating or modifying its contents.…”

“…Like other Regions grappling with implementing landscape planning (Colavitti and Serra 2021), the Apulia Region has provided operational indications 10 for the top-down application of national and regional legislation. They define approvals processes and clarify specific aspects with which plans must comply to conform to the PPTR.…”

“…Some general considerations regarding the processes analysed concern the following (Colavitti and Serra 2021):…”