We were pleased to have organised the WSA PGR Seminar on Instruments to support the decision-making processes in urban and peri-urban areas: the case of Central Italy’s FUA and the LIFE IMAGINE UMBRIA, presented by Dr. Chiara di Dato* (University of L’Aquila, Italy) and hosted by Dr. Diego Altafini (WSA – DECIDE).

The talk addressed the theme of urban growth and increasing peri-urbanization of the cities as a global trend that affects both their liveability and management. It introduces and describe a framework that has been used for the identification and classification of urban and peri-urban areas in Functional Urban Areas within Central Italy. The methodology for the recognition of those places is part of the preliminary actions of LIFE IMAGINE UMBRIA (LIFE19 IPE/IT/000015) project, focused on the Italian region of Umbria.

The qualitative recognition and interpretation of urban and peri-urban areas proposes a classification of the urban gradient in 6 typical and recurrent classes of configurations. Such study produces detailed worksheets which has become part of the guidelines for the land management for the regional authority. As a first result, the methodology is linked to the further study of projects considering the pressures that the urban and peri-urban context may have on the natural network (Natura 2000 Network). A second result shows the application of the knowledge on a Functional Urban Area. In this example, the framework is developed in a masterplan design for the local university campus, focusing on the buildings, area layout, and green spaces improvement at an architectural scale.

The LIFE IMAGINE UMBRIA project interfaces with DECIDE in the objective of providing actionable information for decision support.

*Dr. Chiara Di Dato is a visiting researcher at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. She has a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of L’Aquila. Currently, she is research fellow in the LIFE IMAGINE UMBRIA Integrated Project 2020 – 2027 (LIFE19 IPE/IT/000015). She has a background in architecture and urbanism, with research activities that focused on regional and urban analyses for computing fragilities of disadvantaged areas and on studying novel approaches to the classification of urban and peri-urban areas