Urban Greening and Local Planning in Italy: A Comparative Study Exploring the Possibility of Sustainable Integration Between Urban Plans

Urban green planning in Europe is of crucial importance for the sustainability of cities. Despite the existence of numerous best practices, in Italy the integration between green plans and urban planning tools still presents difficulties. This study focused on an analysis of Italian case studies that have engaged in innovative urban planning, assigning green areas a strategic role in the development of cities. The comparative analysis involved the green plans of Torino and Bolzano and the local urban plans of Prato and Bologna. The selection of cases was based on a multifaceted evaluation framework encompassing reference regulatory context, plan nature, environmental characterisation, vision and main objectives, priorities and implementation tools, communication and participation, and monitoring and management. Analysis of these case studies led to the identification of best practices for integrating human and environmental dimensions in local urban planning. However, the results indicate that integration of urban greening and local planning policies is frequently impeded by regulatory discrepancies and the varying impact capabilities of urban planning instruments. Despite the limited nature of the sample analysed, the study proposes a model of synergy between urban greening and local planning, suggesting an opportunity to create innovative interpretative and evaluative criteria for regulatory plans.