Nature-Positive: Transforming Cities and Landscapes with Scalable Strategies and Projects. Insights from LAND’s Case Studies
摘要
Climate change has become a new reality to which societies are adapting. However, its impact on Nature and biodiversity loss remains largely underestimated (IPCC 2021). In urban and productive landscapes, Nature has often been seen as an ornamental element or a resource for exploitation, rather than as an essential component of ecological infrastructure. This perception is no longer viable. The Nature-Positive strategy, promoted by the United Nations (UN 2021), calls for a radical shift in urban development approaches, aiming to rebalance the relationship between human activity and natural systems. Within this framework, LAND, an international landscape consultancy active since 1990, advances Nature-based solutions to strengthen territorial resilience. LAND’s Nature-Positive approach (LAND, The Nature-Factory Manifesto, 2025) is based on four pillars: landscape condition assessment, engagement of local stakeholders, site-specific Nature-based interventions, and the promotion of projects as legacies for future development (TNFD 2024). The first phase involves evaluating Natural Capital (MASE 2023) and Ecosystem Services (EEA, Strategia Nazionale per la Biodiversità 2030, 2022), to recognize the essential value of Nature in urban areas. LAND then guides public and private stakeholders toward investment in local, replicable solutions that can scale to generate global impact. Ultimately, each intervention described in the paper exemplifies an opportunity to redefine spaces, relationships, and behaviors through a science-based and data-driven approach. Landscape design and science-based consulting are fully integrated into a single process aimed at improving quality of life and fostering environmentally responsible development (LAND, The Nature-Factory Manifesto, 2025).