Planning the wetlands in a conflictual Era. The Santa Gilla & Molentargius compendia cases– study (Sardinia, Italy)

The stratification of natural and anthropic phenomena on territory moulds environmental components. Spatial interactions of different systems (social, cultural, productive) modify landscape due to uses that are increasingly inducing some fast environmental transformations, especially in urban areas with a highly dynamic development. Quality environmental recovery and safeguard are considered as new emerging need’s categories, expressed by a clearer socio-cultural consciousness, within life quality requirements of expanding society. Despite this and the widespread dissemination of the landscape approach since 2000, it is not yet clear whether this change of mindset has corresponded to a real update of city planning instruments and tools. Our research tries to clear up this aspect considering the Cagliari metropolitan area with the Molentargius Park and the Santa Gilla Lagoon wetlands (Sardinia). Through a comparative analysis of planning and programming experiences, our research aims to focus on the effects produced by the new paradigms of urbanism on landscape and local administrative capacity, pointing out some useful considerations about the role played by the Italian cities during this so called transition phase.