The Integration of Sustainable Development Principles Within Spatial Planning Practices

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda has marked a radical shift in mindset regarding global development, going beyond the traditional sectoral approach in favor of an innovative holistic approach, which establishes a relationship between sustainability, economic progress, social justice, and environmental protection. Its objective is to build a fair, inclusive, and environmentally responsible world. The Italian government, after an elaborate and complex process of adapting the goals of the 2030 Agenda to the national context, approved the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) in 2017. The implementation phase of the NSSD is conferred to regional administrations, who are entrusted with aligning their sustainable development policies with the guidelines defined at the national level. The challenges encountered during the implementation process of the NSSD can be mainly attributed to the transition from a sectoral approach to an integrated territorial governance vision that comprehends and analyzes the complexity of territorial dynamics, in order to propose development pathways that integrate environmental, social, economic, and institutional dimensions. This contribution analyzes the implementation processes of the NSSD at the regional level and proposes a methodological approach aimed at integrating the principles of the NSSD within the Regional Strategies for Sustainable Development (RSSD). It also proposes a methodology to implement RSSDs at the local level and presents an example of its application by illustrating the definition of the Municipal Masterplan of the city of Cagliari, in Sardinia.