The final objective of the Life+A_GreeNet project is to make the coastal cities of the Central Adriatic more resilient to climate change through the creation of green infrastructure in urban areas, as proposed in various EU strategies and recommendations.
To achieve this result, the project aims to:
Increase the quantity of green spaces through common urban planning tools, identifying possible solutions to obstacles that have slowed or hindered the implementation of plans.
Improve the quality of green spaces to create more favourable climatic conditions compared to residential areas; provide shelter and protection to the most vulnerable segments of the population; enhance the city’s aesthetics; promote tourism and socialisation.
Enhance the resilience of the urban environment, air quality, health and well-being of people in urban areas, thus creating a structural and functional green network.
Develop a multilevel and multi-actor governance, strengthening the administrative capacity in climate adaptation of all governance levels involved in territorial planning and management (Regions, Provinces, Municipalities) and both public and private entities to:
Increase the knowledge and design capacity of local authorities to develop and implement solutions for improving community health and well-being under thermal stress conditions;
Intervene on urban planning tools and building regulations;
Develop and implement interventions for urban area adaptation (new public green spaces, land recovery, planting of woods and green areas, etc.), promoting the effective implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs);
Build partnerships and mobilise local authorities, citizens, associations, and businesses to improve the quality of the urban environment.
The LIFE+A_GreeNet project addresses various categories of stakeholders in the territory, who will be involved and guided step by step through the construction of a network that allows the exchange of good practices and knowledge on climate change adaptation:
Experts in urban forests and climate change;
Communities sensitive to climate change (associations, experts, members of Parliament, governments, etc.);
Local authorities and institutions (mayors, deputy mayors, municipal technicians);
Environmental operators (in direct contact with the affected populations);
Stakeholders in the territory, such as: institutional bodies (Regions, Provinces, Optimal Territorial Areas, Municipalities adjacent to the territories of the local authorities partnering in the project, Regional Environmental Agencies, Port Authorities, Interregional District Authorities for river and soil control and protection);
Local communities and other organizations in the territory, such as: Neighbourhood Committees, Environmental Associations, FIAB, FAI, Cultural Associations, Committees and Agencies for Consumer Protection;
Actors who have direct relations with the project partner entities, such as internal and external technicians, trade associations, construction companies, public and private green space management companies, agriculture and craftsmanship companies present in the territories of the local authorities partnering in the project;
Citizens living near coastal pine forests and the general public;
Media;
European institutions;
Regional and international authorities;
Other projects on the topic with which to network and exchange good practices.
The LIFE+A_GreeNet project aims to achieve a series of results at the local level, but also and above all at the level of multilevel governance, acting transversally also on the regional, provincial, national and finally European context:
Generate a comprehensive analysis of the status quo, harmonise and share data and experiences on governance, urban planning techniques, plan performance and innovative techniques to strengthen the creation of green infrastructure.
Define a Forestation Contract and management, adaptation and mitigation plans involving public and private entities to initiate targeted and shared actions in terms of growth, vegetation restoration, soil regeneration and enhancement: Interregional Urban Forestation Contract of the coastal city of the Central Adriatic – Abruzzo and Marche.
Design and implement green infrastructure on small and large scales through a top-down and bottom-up approach.
Activate a “Climate Change and Health Observatory” tasked with monitoring the environment and health regarding the effects of rising temperatures and heatwaves on the health of residents and identifying the health performance of urban plans, projects and public works.
Implement awareness-raising, communication and support activities that increase the active involvement of citizens, local stakeholders and public administration technicians in the design, implementation and management of green infrastructure for climate adaptation.
Construct pathways for the transfer of the methodology developed by the LIFE+A_GreeNet project to promote the creation of coastal green infrastructure in other regional contexts in Italy – the Province of Latina (Municipalities of Gaeta and Formia), the Province of Salerno (Eboli, Capaccio-Paestum), the Province of Grosseto (Marina di Grosseto, Marina di Alberese, Talamone-Orbetello), the BAT Province (Barletta, Trani, Bisceglie) and on a European scale (Poreč – Croatia).
The networking action is crucial for sharing knowledge and creating common goals that support, on a local and European scale, the achievement of the objectives of EU reference policies and strategies.
In particular, the networking activities will be of two types:
– Networking with EU and National Projects, implemented through the activation of contacts with other ongoing or completed EU projects (LIFE, H2020, HEU), as well as with other cooperation programmes or specific local actions; – Thematic and institutional networking, which through conferences and technical seminars will develop a technical-scientific debate around the project that can, on one hand, improve the activities planned during the project construction phase, and on the other hand, create a favourable environment for the development of similar activities in other geographical contexts.
Furthermore, meetings will be organised involving associations of entrepreneurs in the floriculture and agriculture sectors, and regional and national agencies for the environment and health (Marche and Abruzzo regions), which will take place in the institutional locations of the Partners and event venues.
The LIFE programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The overall objective of the LIFE programme is to contribute to the implementation, updating, and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with high European added value.
The LIFE programme finances innovative projects that demonstrate the effectiveness of new techniques and methodologies in the environmental field. Alongside the so-called “traditional” projects, LIFE also supports “integrated” projects that combine LIFE funding with other sources of financing to maximise their impact over large geographical areas.
LIFE projects can also provide technical assistance, strengthen capacity-building development, and carry out preparatory activities for the development of European environmental legislation.
LIFE also supports the European Solidarity Corps initiative, providing young people with opportunities to be involved in activities of environmental and social utility.
The LIFE programme is divided into two sub-programmes: Environment and Climate Action.
The Environment sub-programme includes three priority areas: Environment and Resource Efficiency, Nature and Biodiversity, and Environmental Governance and Information, each of which includes various thematic priorities.
The Climate Action sub-programme includes three priority areas: Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation, and Climate Governance and Information.
Since its launch in 1992, four complete cycles of the LIFE programme have been completed (LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999, LIFE III: 2000-2006, and LIFE+: 2007-2013), and the fifth cycle (2014-2020) is currently underway. Over these 25 years, approximately four thousand projects have been co-financed across the European Union, with a contribution of around 3.1 billion euros to environmental protection.