IMPROVING URBAN METABOLISM THROUGH SPATIAL PLANNING: A METHODOLOGY OF ECO-DEVELOPMENT

Urban areas have a major impact on natural environment leading to the enhancement of environmental problems through the pollution and overconsumption of natural resources. The pressure of city on environment has been assessed through the notion of ecological footprint, which provides information about the metabolism of cities. It is defined by measuring the complex flows of inputs and outputs by using the prevailing technologies (Wackernagel and Rees, 1996). Nowadays, there is a substantial and growing concern over the planning of cities on the basis of the adoption of a more eco-systemic approach. Planners need to expand their scope to implement desired ecological outcomes that comprise urban systems and physical networks in order to achieve eco-development. From energy and transportation to water and green infrastructure, planners can shape systems to shrink the ecological footprint and configure a more resilient urban form (Raven 2010). This change towards a more ecocycle-balanced urban metabolism will contribute to sustainable urban futures. This paper aims to employ new theoretical and methodological insights about the relationship between the physical aspects of urban planning and the management of natural resources in order to improve urban metabolism through spatial planning. The research questions focus on the key factors of the urban form which have significant impact upon the resources needed for the daily operations of the urban system. The main objective of this research is the introduction of a methodological framework of eco-development and more specifically, the development and the elaboration of a set of tools and indicators referring to the diagnosis of urban form and metabolic flows. Key approach of the methodology is that the indicators have to be based and classified according to the two main cross-cutting subject areas: a) Urban Form and b) Metabolic Flows (Resource Use). The identification of the thematic fields of each subject area is in accordance with the basic principles of sustainable planning adopted by the European Union. The foremost European principles governing urban sustainability through planning are set out in the Thematic Strategy on Urban Environment. The main outcome of the research is the development of a methodological framework that allows the assessment of the relationship between urban form and resources use. The understanding of the causes of environmental degradation and resource consumption in relation to urban form is essential for improving the effectiveness of spatial planning practices. By correlating urban form and various aspects of environmental performance, an evaluation of alternative urban forms which are more resource efficient and contribute to eco-development can be accomplished.