The Green Ambition. Greening Plans as Catalysts of Urban Biodiversity in Italy

This paper investigates the contribution of greening plans to the preservation, restoration, and strengthening biodiversity in cities and urban areas in Italy. The main hypothesis underpinning the research is that Urban Greening Plans (UGP) (in Italian “Piani del Verde”) represent a soft policy instrument that can significantly contribute to shaping open and flexible spaces of innovation in planning for better acknowledging urban biodiversity (UB) and multispecies dynamics within plans and planning policies in Italy. Despite the multiple benefits provided to both human and non-human communities, biodiversity remains poorly addressed in Italian planning and policy, due to various economic, cultural, and knowledge barriers. One consequence is the limited diffusion of dedicated biodiversity plans across the country, as well as the scarce recognition of biodiversity goals and dynamics in statutory plans. This situation stands in contrast with the recommendations of international and EU institutions, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The research is carried out under the framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) (2022–25), one of the five national research centers funded by the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan within the Next Generation EU program, aimed at supporting and aggregating the scientific research on biodiversity across different national territorial contexts. The results show that UGPs can serve as strategic soft instruments to reorient urban transformations toward recognizing the multiple benefits of UB for both human and non-human urban communities. Moreover, some cases highlight the role of UGP as catalysts for promoting «ambitious green innovation» within planning processes by working on qualitative standards and performative regulations.