Land Take: from Fabric Classification to identifying Areas for Sustainable Urban Regeneration

The recent Nature Restoration Law by the European Parliament includes an objective of achieving zero “net land take” by 2050. With the same aim, since 2024, the Territorial Governance law in Tuscany has required municipalities to redefine the perimeter of urbanized territory as it is only within these areas that new buildings can be constructed. The law assigns a fundamental role to regeneration plans as chosen tools to plan marginal contexts where it is possible to reclaim areas for urban development without consuming new land. In addition, it prescribes that the delimitation of urbanized territory must start from the classification of urban fabric in relation to codified morphotypes of contemporary urbanizations. Therefore, to define urban regeneration policies, it is possible to identify critical issues and quality objectives for each of them. The aim of this research is to implement a methodology for the definition of urban morphotypes while ensuring consideration of the fragility conditions of the territory related to environmental factors. In the Municipality of San Giuliano Terme in the province of Pisa, we have identified areas where urban regeneration for settlement development is closely linked to strategies to safeguard and restore green ecosystem services, protect against hydraulic risk, and counter heat islands.