De-sealing, soil recovery and (re)activation of Ecosystem Services: the role of regeneration interventions on large brownfield sites in urban areas

Abstract

The recovery of soil and its characteristics before soil sealing processes represents a complex issue still not adequately addressed in urban regeneration thinking and application. In a national context where the reform of knowledge and discipline in town planning has yet to find an agreement for its transposition into planning instruments, the experiences of reconversion of large areas often follow autonomous logic. In these cases, opportunity and occasionality are frequently the drivers that delineate the entire urban planning process. Starting from the transformation process that radically reconfigured the former Michelin area in Trento, a reflection is proposed on the actions for the redevelopment of city spaces and, in particular, on those interested in using soil de-sealing to favor the formation of new green areas and Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The paper, therefore, dwells on the description of the planning and implementation process proposed for the former Michelin, and how the use of NbS techniques has emerged as an opportunity to activate or restore certain Ecosystem Services. In addition, the paper proposes a reflection on how new ES assessment techniques can contribute, at various scales, to critically analyzing the results produced by urban regeneration interventions.