Soil remediation and urban regeneration in Emilia-Romagna Region Soil remediation and soil sealing conference Environment Directorate-General - Brussels 10th May 2012 Sabrina Freda, Minister for Environment and Urban Regeneration Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy
Land use in Emilia-Romagna
Soil consumption and sealing From 2003 to 2008 more than 15.000 hectares were urbanized and almost 20.000 hectares of agricultural soil were lost. In 2008 the urbanized surface area was approx. 206.000 hectares = 9,3% of total regional area. The urbanization rate per capita is 7,2 square meters per year. % suolo % Superfície urbanizzato suolo mq/ab PROVINCIE tot 2003-2008 urbanizzato ha/anno anno 2008 2008 ha ha % % ha mq PIACENZA 258.762,5 16.679,4 6,4% 8,2% 253,9 9 PARMA 344.704,1 24.700,3 7,2% 8,5% 385,6 9 REGGIO EMILIA 229.036,2 26.923,0 11,8% 7,9% 394,2 7,7 MODENA 268.878,0 31.092,3 11,6% 9,0% 515,5 7,6 BOLOGNA 370.221,3 38.877,3 10,5% 8,0% 573,2 5,9 FERRARA 262.807,8 19.607,3 7,5% 4,7% 177,8 5 RAVENNA 186.053,4 20.143,1 10,8% 8,4% 312,0 8,2 FORLI CESENA 237.835,2 16.940,3 7,1% 10,4% 320,0 8,3 RIMINI 53.575,2 11.395,6 21,3% 7,4% 156,8 5,2 TOT. RER 2.211.874 206.359 9,3% 8,1% 3.089,1 7,2 Fonte: Rapporto 2010 - CRCS (Elaborazione)
Soil contamination Soil pollution affects about 650 sites, 140 of which have undergone remediation (22% of total) Territori Siti contaminati totali Siti bonificati Siti da bonificare n % n % n % PC 47 7,2% 17 2,6% 30 4,6% PR 93 14,2% 9 1,4% 84 12,8% RE 39 6,0% 5 0,8% 34 5,2% MO 66 10,1% 44 6,7% 22 3,4% BO 139 21,3% 13 2,0% 126 19,3% FE 67 10,2% 3 0,5% 64 9,8% RA 112 17,1% 20 3,1% 92 14,1% FC 45 6,9% 4 0,6% 41 6,3% RN 46 7,0% 27 4,1% 19 2,9% RER 654 100% 142 21,7% 512 78,3%
Environment ad Urban Regeneration in Emilia-Romagna Environment and Urban Regeneration are placed into the same portfolio to support the integration of environmental aspects in urban planning. The Regional Government sets and implements, together with the Provinces, a three-year Regional Environment Action Plan for a Sustainable Future. Different tools are used to promote sustainability: (a) legislative, (b) administrative and (c)participative
(a) Legislative tools A number of Regional laws concern territorial and environmental planning and aim at pursuing the sustainable use of soil and the protection of natural spaces and biodiversity. Regional Law n. 20/2000 sets the discipline for the safeguard and use of the territory; RL n. 23/2009, in conformity with the European Landscape Convention principles, aims at combining together natural, rural and urban spaces; RL n. 6/2009 re-sets the rules for urban regeneration and plans implementation monitoring; Regional Resolution n. 28/2010 defines, for the first time, areas not suitable for ground mounted photovoltaic panels; RL n. 3/2012 assigns to the Environmental Action Regional Plan the coordination of all the Plans concerning air, waters, soil, biodiversity, climate, waste and the definition of the strategic objectives.
(b) Administrative tools Urban and territory planning through the drafting and the adoption of regional, provincial and municipal general and sector plans. Main decision : set of conditions and limits to greenfield areas consumption; classification of municipal territory in urbanized, to be urbanized and rural. The choice to delegate building location decision to local bodies must find the right equilibrium.
(c) Participative tools (1) In 2011 Emilia Romagna launched a call for urban regeneration projects addressed to municipalities. Main selection criteria: actions on contaminated areas or brownfields actions on urban and peri-urban areas reduction of soil sealing enhancing of green spaces functions. The 19 selected projects contained environmental quality objectives.
(c) Participative tools (2) To support the call: training sessions with the municipalities to present environmental aspects concerning urban regeneration. environmental monitoring and urban sustainability s indicators: Green surface /Total project surface Artificial surface /Total project surface Recovered dismissed or deteriorated areas Protected or re-naturalized natural areas Available public green spaces Biodiversity degree of green areas. Environmental and Urban Quality Department is working on a procedure to guarantee the use of monitoring indicators along all the planning process till the implementation.
Two representative case studies A urban regeneration project following the eco-quarter approach in Langhirano A soil remediation project in Fidenza Several aspects concerning soil protection were considered: - high permeability of public spaces paving - new green spaces and/or preservation of existing ones - new green infrastructures to create ecological corridors - the adoption of reuse rain water systems - the creation of cycling and pedestrian paths instead of roads.
Langhirano eco-quater The area of regeneration is near the historic down town center and along the Parma River and it s now a very important ecological corridor of the city.
Remediation in Fidenza Polluted site before remediation The site was a petrol-chemical industry; the most important pollutants were: lead, arsenic, copper and zinc.
Conclusions Emilia-Romagna Region: Welcomes and adopts the Thematic Strategy recommendation for the integration of soil concerns into sectoral policies. Proposes an integrated «Regeneration-Environment» platform as a means to reach a sustainable urban development within the EU. Looks forward a full implementation of the 2006 Thematic Strategy in all its key components.