L’iperdensità della città mediterranea. Una sfida per i servizi ecosistemici

High density is a peculiar feature of Mediterranean cities since their origins. Cities on both sides of the Mediterranean are characterised by a dense built up fabric and this characteristic has been intensified in the last seventy years. The overwhelming development that took place from the second half of the 20th century has considerably worsened the quality of the urban environment. The situation is changing in recent years, especially in South European countries where the population is shrinking and getting older. Underutilization of the existing built up fabric is an increasing phenomenon. The mounting threats of the effects of climate change are posing new challenges to the planners. Ecosystem services are widely recognised as a solution for coping with these challenges. However, their implementation in dense cities poses considerable difficulties. The lack of open spaces in these settlements make difficult any action aimed at increasing the greening of these cities. This can be achieved only by implementing an overall redesign of the public realm. In order to overcome these difficulties an integrated approach is required. Pedestrianisation of dense neighbourhoods is the starting point for introducing small green areas and new spaces for social interactions. These actions has to be accompanied by the strengthening of mixed uses that can be settled in abandoned or semi-abandoned buildings. The implementation of ecosystem services provision in the iperdense Mediterranean cities should be considered as part of comprehensive actions aimed at the renewal of the cites, in the light of the socio-economic evolution of the settled communities.