Regional spatial planning for implementing the European Green Deal: a new method of assessment applied to the metropolitan area of Florence

The European Green Deal (EGD) is the most ambitious current challenge for regions and cities of the EU member states. While the role of regional spatial planning in addressing sustainable development and climate change mitigation has been widely investigated, an analysis of its ability to drive the green transition is still missing. The authors propose a new methodology to map the inclusion of EGD policies in regional and metropolitan spatial planning tools, and to systematically evaluate their ability to drive the green transition processes. The mapping methodology is applied to the case study of the metropolitan area of Florence, analyzing the regional landscape plan (PIT) and the strategic plan (PSM) concerning seven EGD transition policy areas that we show to be relevant to spatial planning. The analysis reveals that, although plans cover EGD issues, there is still a need for more integrated tools and greater effective governance. After identifying and discussing existing gaps, we develop recommendations to guide the transition more effectively. In addition, we make specific recommendations for integrating different spatial planning policies and tools to drive the green transition.