Angioletta Voghera

An effective biodiversity conservation in Protected Areas (PAs) requires that they are seen as part of larger ecosystems and that the ecological connectivity is maintained beyond PA administrative boundaries. The study of ecological processes that link PAs to their surrounding landscapes is thus of great importance to understand which actions should be implemented to promote inside-outside ecological connectivity.

Territorial imbalances between catalysts of development and lagging areas are raising concerns in... the majority of European regions. The divide between main urban nodes and marginal territories poses serious development challenges.

In the light of the current changing global scenarios, green infrastructure is obtaining increasing relevance in planning policies, especially due to its ecological, environmental and social components which contribute to pursuing sustainable and resilient planning and designing of cities and territories. The issue of green infrastructure is framed within the conceptual contexts of sustainability and resilience, which are described through the analysis of their common aspects and differences with a particular focus on planning elements.