Exploring Multi-scalar Adaptation: Unveiling Opportunities in Emilia-Romagna's Climate-Resilient Governance

Abstract

The escalating challenges posed by climate change on various territories demand meticulous consideration and immediate action (IPCC, 2022). Increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as floods and inundations, are putting regions with advanced urban planning, like the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, to a stringent test.

The research investigates the correlation between climate change adaptation planning and multiscale approaches, utilizing the Emilia-Romagna region as a case study. Despite its reputation for innovative urban planning practices, the region faced a recent flood event in May 2023, compelling a rigorous examination of its adaptive planning capabilities. The aftermath raised a significant question: what scales and planning tools of territorial governance are necessary and most suitable to promote effective and multi-territorial adaptation?

The study aims to analyse the concept of multiscale governance and understand how to incorporate international or global guidelines to promote concrete and adaptive climate policies on the ground. Emilia-Romagna's innovative approach, as outlined in its regional urban planning law, LR 24/2017, exemplifies the evolution of territorial planning to address contemporary urban challenges. The law emphasizes principles focused on climate change adaptation, safeguarding ecosystem services, and managing urban and territorial metabolism. This legislation, directly addressing municipal levels, revolutionizes the discipline of territorial governance by introducing the General Urban Plan (PUG), replacing the old Municipal Structural Plan (PSC), Urban Planning Regulation (RUE), and Municipal Operational Plan (POC) outlined in the previous LR 20/2000. This innovation is particularly noteworthy in the Italian regulatory context, as the regional law explicitly requires municipalities to actively incorporate cognitive frameworks, strategies, and adaptation actions to climate change within their territorial management plans.

Presently, after the recent flood event, it is imperative to assess whether this regulatory approach has indeed fostered a comprehensive understanding of the territory to make it resilient and conscious of challenges. Consequently, a reconsideration of the structure of climate policies becomes necessary.

While the region demonstrates virtuosity by establishing a direct link with the local level, obligating it to adapt, there is a need to understand the strength and opportunity of a multiscale approach that considers levels between regional and local. The broader metropolitan scale can and should be a viable action space. The research thus poses the question of whether municipal-level reasoning is sufficient or if alternative approaches involving different territorial systems are beneficial. In the context of adaptation, does the aggregation of numerous small, resilient local municipalities prove more efficacious, or does the territory necessitate a cohesive, larger-scale approach to fortify its systems?

It is essential to examine the governance structure of the Emilia-Romagna region, understanding the dynamics of relationships among the various scales of spatial governance. At the same time, it is useful to explore the consequential and morphological correlations of the territory to assess different spatial responses. From coastal areas to the Apennines, understanding the relationship between governance and resilience enables the construction of specific and resilient climate policies.

The flood event serves as a backdrop and a starting point for contemplating the appropriate scale for effective adaptation. Emilia-Romagna's innovative planning tools become a test case for inventive land-use planning approaches, setting a precedent for other urban areas requiring advanced strategies. In light of events in Faenza, Cesena, Forlì, and other areas in the region, the need for a shared, multiscale, multi-system effective approach to climate change becomes increasingly urgent. Emilia-Romagna's experience is intriguing to explore further as it underscores the necessity of integrating climate adaptation principles into governance and spatial planning to build resilient and sustainable communities facing escalating climate risks.