1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Roma
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
La Rete Ecologica
Short description of the intervention
This project focuses on the development of environmental regulations stimulating the connection of existing green areas and developing new ones in the urban area of Rome to stimulate biodiversity by rehabilitating 73% of free/derelict areas. This was done to guarantee an integrated protection of already existing areas as well as restoration of green and blue landscapes (1). The Ecologic Network is still ongoing and provides specific limitations to any new infrastructural project to make sure specific environmental standards are respected (3).
Address

Roma
Italy

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Previous derelict area
Residential
Protected Area
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
http://www.sinanet.isprambiente.it/gelso/banca-dati/comune/comune-di-roma/la-re…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
1999
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
1. Protection and rehabilitation of valuable areas and natural resources.
2. Definition of criteria and design regulations for the restoration and recovery of degraded areas that have a strategic function in network building, "ecological corridors", by strengthening natural elements (1).
Quantitative targets
Development of a connecting green corridors between the existing green areas currently covering 87.800 ha (68% of the total municipality territory).
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore ecological connectivity
Implementation activities
The Ecological Network completes this Historic-Environmental system by identifying specific components, articulated for levels of naturalness, that integrate and intersect with the settlement system and the service system. The Prescriptive Paper was further improved on the basis of studies and surveys entrusted to the Universities, which made available new updated data, allowing for a more detailed redefinition of the "network" with an enlargement of the affected green areas, plus 12% as new green corridors were created to connect already existing green spaces (2).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
Transformation of previously derelict areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Green corridors and green belts
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown number
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
In this regard, the important activity carried out at the interdepartmental level between the Department of Territory and the Department of Environment of the City of Rome, as well as the creation of a specific working group made up of Municipal Administration and Universities, in particular as regards the extension of the Ecological network based on studies and research carried out.

A memorial to the Municipal Council foresees the establishment of a specific Interdepartmental Office for the management of ecological network areas and interventions, as well as a Scientific Technical Commission for the evaluation and monitoring of interventions (2).
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Researchers/university
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
“Oiseaux”(79/409/CEE); “Habitat” (92/43/CEE); NATURA 2000; Pan European Ecological Network (1996); Progetto EECONET(1991) (6).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
D.P.R. 8 settembre 1997 n. 357. (Bioitaly Program). The Bioitaly project was started by the Ministry of the Environment in implementing the Habitats Directive 92/43. They identified provisionally 2425 Sites of Community Importance (SIC) and 267 special protection zones (SPS), many of which often overlap in national protected areas (6).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The intervention is part of the Piano Regolatore Generale (General Regulatory Plan) of the City of Rome (1 and 2).
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning law
Environmental regulation
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The new General Regulatory Plan introduced by the Municipality of Rome to handle any infrastructural project shows a clear reference to the concept of NBS, as it implies specific limitations on the impact future projects may have on the environment and stimulates the creation of new ecologic networks (1,2 and 8).
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
The city of Rome is implementing a new General Plan of Regulation, which includes the application of NBS as the creation of new ecologic networks all around the city by imposing specific limitations on urban infrastructural projects (1 and 2).
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme
General municipal plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The projects is the result of the collaboration between the Department of Territory and the Department of Environment of the City of Rome, as well as the creation of a specific working group made up of Municipal Administration.
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The university of Rome played an important part in carrying studies and surveys, which made available new updated data, allowing for a more detailed redefinition of the "ecologic network" with an enlargement of the affected areas (plus 12%) (2).
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify
I could not find explicit reference to that.
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Vacant space model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The creation of green corridors to connect existing urban areas to let species flourish and renovate derelict areas (1 and 8).
Please specify social innovation
The creation of a new Regional Regulatory Plan in the city of Rome stimulating the creation of new ecologic networks among already existing green areas while controlling urban expansion (1 and 2).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown.
Replicability/Transferability
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
The experiences associated with the realization of ecological networks are, by their very nature, transferable and comparable to other similar experiences at the territorial level. With regard to the ecological network in Rome, the specificity of the experience (introduction within the New General Regulatory Plan) and the need to link with the ongoing elaborations (in particular integration with the activities and studies of the Province of Rome) .

Tools for transferring experience:
1. Technical documentation and manuals can be consulted locally
2. Presentation of the project at national and international conferences (2)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved soil quality
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Restoration of derelict areas
Description of environmental benefits
The following objectives were achieved:
- Protection and restoration of natural ecosystems;
- Reduction of soil pressure factors (2).
The green areas were expanded by 12% as new connections between already existing green spaces were created (2).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Amount of green space (2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of October 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Collection of monitoring data at specific time intervals during the project to aid evaluation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
GIS data analysis
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
Link to a web-based monitoring tool
http://www.sinanet.isprambiente.it/gelso/banca-dati/comune/comune-di-roma/monit…
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
GIS was used to monitor the impact of applied new environmental regulations in creating an ecologic network among already existing green spaces (6).
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
Yes
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Project info
Project results
Status of the project
Regulation on the project
Project page
Guidelines of the intervention and context
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Powerpoint presentation of the project (3.97 MB) 3.97 MB
Project Publication (72.56 KB) 72.56 KB
List of references
1. ISPRA (no date), Project info, Available at http://www.sinanet.isprambiente.it/gelso/banca-dati/comune/comune-di-roma/la-rete-ecologica-alla-base-del-nuovo-prg-di-roma (Accessed 18-10-2020)
2. ISPRA (no date), Project results, Available at http://www.sinanet.isprambiente.it/gelso/banca-dati/comune/comune-di-roma/monitoraggio-la-rete-ecologica-alla-base-del-nuovo-prg-di-roma (Accessed 18-10-2020)
3. Municipality of Rome (2003), Status of the project, Available at http://www.urbanistica.comune.roma.it/prg-adottato/prg-adottato-elaborati-prescrittivi/prg-adottato-4.html (Accessed 18-10-2020)
4. Regulation on the project: http://www.h501.net/art74-prg-roma-rete-ecologica.aspx (Website not available in 2020)
5. Project page: http://www.provincia.roma.it/news/le-attivit%C3%A0-della-rete-ecologica-provinciale (Website not available in 2020)
6. Universita degli Studi della Sapienza (2004), Guidelines of the intervention, Available at https://ecologiadelpaesaggio.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/rete-ecologica.pdf (Accessed 18-10-2020)
7. Project plan: attached.
8. Publication on intervention: attached
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/rete_ecologica.jpg
Public Images
Photo 1
http://www.urbanistica.comune.roma.it/prg-adottato/prg-adottato-elaborati-prescrittivi/prg-adottato-4.html