Introducing Agroforestry into Urban Planning: A Procedural Approach for Italian Cities

This study aimed at developing a procedural approach to introduce agroforestry in urban planning and to provide governance orientation. The proposed approach focused on understanding: (i) the key stakeholders that can promote agroforestry; (ii) their orientations towards the integration of agroforestry in urban planning documents; and (iii) the most suitable urban planning documents in which agroforestry-sound norms can be incorporated. The approach was tested in the town of Sesto Fiorentino, in Central Italy. A total of 170 stakeholders among municipal officials, schoolteachers, farmers, gardeners, citizens frequenting city parks, associations, and researchers were identified and involved in a questionnaire-based survey. The results showed that respondents opted for gradually introducing agroforestry in the green infrastructure. Educational food forests and alley cropping were preferred as the most suitable agroforestry elements in urban and peri-urban contexts. The municipality was considered a pivotal actor for introducing agroforestry, also involving associations and citizens in a multistakeholder perspective. Decision makers introduced agroforestry in city technical implementation standards, equating it to urban forestry. However, no mention was made in the city development plan as urban planners were reluctant to incorporate agroforestry at the strategic level. Associations may facilitate municipalities in this sense and assist in implementing agroforestry-sound norms.