A methodological approach to identify a multifunctional green infrastructure at the regional scale. A case study from Sardinia, Italy.

Green Infrastructures (GI) are defined by the European Commission as networks of natural and semi-natural areas that should be strategically planned so as to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. This entails three key concepts —connectivity, biodiversity conservation, multifunctionality— of which the last is of particular importance for the spatial identification of a GI within planning tools in compliance with article no. 10 of the Habitats Directive. Building upon Arcidiacono et al. (2016), we implement an approach to identify a multifunctional GI on the basis of four values (conservation value, natural value, recreation value and anthropic heritage) that represent as many functions (biodiversity conservation, supply of ecosystem services, recreation, identity building) performed by the landscape. By taking the Italian region of Sardinia as a case study, we argue that the methodology can support the making of landscape plans as understood in the European Landscape Convention.