Urban sustainability: the role of ecosystem services provided by an italian green infrastructure

Current population growth, climate change and the increase in derived pollution represent a significant threat to the delicate balance that governs the exploitation of resources on Earth. In recent decades, this balance has been undermined, coming to an over-exploitation condition, or a growing demand for natural raw materials that the planet is no longer able to satisfy, with impacting consequences on human well-being and the health of natural ecosystems. Cities represent the main collectors of such reactions: it is necessary to analyze which mitigation actions can be the best in order to counter their uncontrolled development. This work focuses on a specific tool aimed at achieving the goal: green infrastructures constitute a valid source of sustainability in the urban environment, slowing down the processes derived from climate change and intensifying the recovery of ecological functions. Specifically, the role of the "Le Vallere" park was analyzed, a green area of about 35 hectares that is part of the metropolitan context of the Municipality of Turin, in collaboration with the related management institution ("Ente di gestione delle Aree Protette del Po piemontese", ex "Ente di gestione delle aree del Po torinese"). The main purpose was to quantify the ecosystem services offered by the green infrastructure to the surrounding urban area, through the use of i-Tree, a specific software suite able to evaluate benefits offered by vegetation. Reduction of atmospheric pollutants, carbon storage and sequestration, avoided surface water runoff, improvement of water quality are the main aspects investigated, obtaining an estimate of these parameters also from a monetary point of view. The survey carried out has, therefore, made it possible to obtain an assessment of the sustainability produced by the infrastructure, providing essential information to the related management institution, in view of a future territorial planning.