The PLANES Lab advances ecosystem services knowledge to improve real-life decisions, with a focus on urban and spatial planning, land-use policies, climate adaptation strategies and environmental design. Our research is grounded in sustainability science and brings together different fields, such as landscape ecology, planning theory, spatial analysis and impact assessment theory and practice.
We conduct inter-disciplinary and mostly empirical research, often in collaboration with local stakeholders. Our current study areas range from European cities to Alpine nature parks, and from temperate regions in South-America to urban watersheds in the Horn of Africa and landscapes/seascapes in the EU Overseas. In these areas we address a variety of challenges, including climate change, nature conservation, urban regeneration, urban sprawl, tourism development, and infrastructure siting.
Main research lines:
- Nature-based solutions for biodiverse, healthy and equitable cities and landscapes;
- Ecosystem service assessment for land-use decisions and environmental planning;
- Climate adaptation planning;
- Transfer of development rights in urban planning;
- Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment;
- Multicriteria analysis and interactive technology for participatory planning.
Research group
Davide Geneletti (Associate professor)
Enzo Falco (Assistant professor)