Planning for Biodiversity: Strategies and Actions for Enhancing Nature in the Urban Plan of Varese (Italy)

Recent European strategies emphasise the need to “bring nature back into our lives” by promoting ecological restoration, enhancing urban resilience, and improving human well-being. Urban areas, expected to host most of the population in the coming decades, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In this context, restoring natural capital, increasing urban biodiversity through Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and implementing Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) are identified as strategic planning priorities. Varese, Italy, offers a practical example of integrating biodiversity goals into the urban planning process by avoiding sectoral add-ons. Varese has an ecological and landscape legacy which is under pressure from urbanisation (e.g., soil sealing and land take). For this reason, this study proposes a GBI design that supports downzoning and ecological restoration. The GBI is based on an analysis of Ecosystem Services (ES) that provides knowledge of the qualities of open spaces. Two main components of the GBI are defined: a structural component that aims to preserve natural qualities and a strategic component that focuses on enhancing ES for climate adaptation. These two components regulate interventions through specific planning rules and guidelines that govern practical implementation, also making use of NbS. Specifically, this contribution presents a downzoning strategy for areas allocated for development under the previous urban plan. The case study demonstrates how mainstreaming urban biodiversity in planning tools can significantly support the shift to more resilient and nature-positive cities.