Re-Naturing the City: Linking Urban Political Ecology and Cultural Ecosystem Services

In the last few decades European industrial cities have experienced major transformations which implied need to rethink role of nature. Re-naturing city, reconnecting urban planning and nature enhancing sustainability, means taking into account ecosystems biodiversity through a social approach reconsiders as product re-examines city–nature relationships, way Urban Political Ecology (UPE) suggests. This paper focuses on Brescia Quarry Park, suburban space that until just years ago was characterized by mining activities. area has now been transformed re-naturalized is projected become one Europe’s largest protected areas. These are signs profound change in metabolism. fact, community struggled for many recognition value ecological cultural terms. Therefore, an adopted based Ecology, useful study how socio–natural relationships exploited degraded land can relevant natural from local community’s point view. also allowed us conflicts due unequal power relations strategies developed reduce these conflicts. Particular interest given participatory processes driven played different actors involved top-down bottom-up approaches. So, we decided combine UPE action research—PAR create map Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) Park. Attention understanding practices stakeholders benefits community. involvement represent complexity landscape analyzed changes natural, rural features emerged. During process, interaction between citizens experts fundamental co-producing analysis placemaking landscapes revealing socio–ecological interactions with places. The results mapping process first step towards promoting sustainable environmental management empowerment population.