Local issues in Italy have been resolved in accordance with the Urban Planning Law legislated in 1942. The urban master plans devised pursuant to the Urban Planning Law have been already been adopted by municipalities nationwide, which have recently been entering a period for review. Following the establishment of regions beginning in 1972, the authority to approve urban plans have been transferred completely to the regions. There are moves in the developed areas for the regioal governmenment to legislate its own regional laws in order to address local growth management and preservation of the environment, which require prompt attention.

Major Present-Day Tools Relating to Spatial Planning

The promotion of the spatial and regional development policies of Italy has been focused on the economic aspect of redressing the disparities between southern and northern Italy ever since the unification of Italy in 1861. Beginning with the first long-term economic plan for the 1965-70 period, the development of the economically inferior southern Italy has been incorporated into the plan as a national economic policy.

Italy does not have higher level spatial plans that supercedes regional plans, such as natioinal spatial plan. Plans of a national scale are limited to highway, railroad, and similar plans. In response to the regional policies of the EU, Italy has been implementing a national fund allocation program since the 1990s based on plans transcending national territory and the Structural Fund.

Territorial Spatial Development System

The basic framework of Italy for statutory urban plans subsequent to the decentralization of authority in 1990 pursuant to the New Local Autonomy Law is as follows in the order of decending priority: i) regional territorial plans (Piano Territoriale Regionale), ii) provincial territorial coordination plans (Piano Territoriale di Coordinamento Provinciale) and metropolitan area plans (PRGI), iii) municipal (comune) master plans (PRG), and iv) district plans (PP).

A territorial plan (PTR) is devised by each of the 20 regional governments as the topmost plan. A territorial plan covers regulations on particular land usage, the decvelopment of particular large land areas, and the planning of infrastructure such as road network and railways. The draft of a regional territorial plan is prepared with the participation of provinces, municipalities, private entities, and the like and are finalized by obtaining the approval of the regional assembly.

Preservation of Regional Territorial Landscape Pursuant to the Galasso Act

Aside from this framework for statutory urban plans, regional territorial landscape plans (Piano Territoriale Paesaggistico Regionale)pursuant to the Galasso Act (Legge Galasso: Emergency Legislation for Protection of Areas with High Environmental Value) legislated in 1985 are also important local development tools. Each regional government is required to formulate a landscape plan, which is widely incorporated into the regional territorial plan (PTR) subject to review in accordance with the environmental protection provisions. The Act was amended in 2004, and the Lazio Region prepared a landscape plan that satisfies the amended act. Landscape plans have become one of the important territorial plans devised by regional governments.

Relationship with EU's Measures

The Italy's central government is fulfilling its roles as a coordinator of EU policies and the country's regional policies. Regions also participate in the formulation of the national operating plan necessary for the use of the EU Structural Fund. The operating plan is devised concurrently with the regional spatial plan in alignment therewith. In fact, the regional spatial plans of the Lazio and Lombardia Regions are devised for the purpose of receiving the EU Structural Fund.

Local Development Based on Urban Regeneration and Sustainable Territorial Development Program

In response to the proposal of the European Parliament of March 1998 concerning the EU Structural Fund, the Ministry of Public Works established the Urban Rejuvenation and Sustainable Territorial Development Program (Prusst; Programmi di riqualificazione urbana e di sviluppo sostenibile del territorio) that same year. The Program promoted diversified investment in various areas, resulting in progress in the improvement of broad-area transportation systems connecting different regions, restoration of historical buildings, and the renovation or conversion of industrial facilities into mixed-use ones.

This "Prusst" was extended to set out Hypothesis for the Perspective of Competitive and Sustainable Development (Ipotesi per una prospettiva di sviluppo competitivo e sostenibile) in November 2012. This hypothesis included establishment of Transport Network Development and Logistics Program to Enhance International Competitiveness.

Figure:Lazio Region Landscape Plan

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Source: Regione Lazio "Piano Territoriale Paesistico Regionale"

Metropolitan Spatial Improvement Plan

The Lazio Region, which has a metropolitan area with a population of about 3 million centered around the capital city of Rome and its population of about 2.54 million, is promoting local-level planning pursuant to the provisions of the its regional laws legislated in 1999. Principal plans by area include the preservation of scenery, improvement of environment, management of rivers and other aquatic bodies, management of mining activities, and improvement of the transportation network. As an environmental preservation measure, a landscape plan was adopted in 2006 in the form of responding to the Galasso Act that was amended in 2004 and was positioned as a higher level plan among the urban plans of the city. A plan is under way to combine the territorial plan with the landscape plan to establish greenbelts in order to prevent the unregulated expansion of Rome.

Development of Southern Italy

Although there were eight regions subject to the EU Structural Fund (areas where the per capita GDP was no more than 75% of the average European GDP) in the 1994-1999 period, the number decreased to four (Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicilia Regions) as a result of the expansion of the EU to include eastern Europe.

The purposes of the development of southern Italy are to enhance the competitive power of the south and enhance its production capability. To this end, traffic and transport infrastructures are required.

Of the 12.3 billion euros to be invested pursuant to the 2007-2013 national strategic framework, 85% will be allocated to the development of the south.

* The breakdown of the 12.3 billion euros is as follows: 2.87 billion euros from the EU Structural Fund, 3.11 billion euros from the country, 6.33 billion euros from the Fund for Underdeveloped Areas (FAS).