Linking Urban and Inner-Alpine Green Infrastructure - Multifunctional Ecosystem Services for more liveable territories

By recognising the pressures on Alpine ecosystems and the services they deliver to wider areas beyond mountain regions, the project aims to strengthen the link between mountain ecosystems and urban centres at the foot of the Alps, based on sound economic and social exchanges.
The project aims to recognise and valorise the joint benefits deriving from a GI network between mountain/rural and urban areas as well as their potential for sustainable economic development, based on natural capital and ecosystem services that participate in assuring higher quality of life & better urban environments to people living in urban centres.
Based on sound experience on ESS, GIs and town-networks, the project aims at:
a) making policy makers aware of alpine ecosystems, GIs & the services they deliver to urban areas;
b) identifying & assessing the economic, environmental and social benefits delivered by alpine ESS through GIs to urban centres and metropolitan areas;
c) developing business models to seize the market potential of conserving & enhancing rural ESS/GIs & mobilise financial resources (e.g. through public-private partnerships) in their support;
d) sharing on the transnational level knowledge on alpine/rural ecosystems/GIs & effective techniques for their maintenance & enhancement;
e) providing tools to match demand & supply of alpine ESS in regional, metropolitan & urban markets.
Results are achieved by running tests & implementing actions in pilot-regions in 6 Alpine countries, where different GIs linking urban to mountain/rural areas are addressed, by also considering GIs’ identity & cultural values
LUIGI aims to implement the EUSALP political declaration of Alpine States and Regions on “Alpine GIs” (2017) calling for setting up transnational pilot projects addressing EU-relevant GIs. LUIGI also aligns to the thematic actions of the Green Economy Action Plan of the Alpine Convention, adopted by the 15th Alpine Conference (2019).Level of integration of the ecosystem services approach in the policy systems of the Alpine Space- Improved land-planning capabilities of regional and local policy-makers in managing GI-networks between mountain/rural/metropolitan/peri-urban & urban areas through an interregional, transnational approach and knowledge exchange.
- Empowered regional and local decision-makers in using ESS & GIs through new knowledge, management and financial tools.
- Strengthened partnerships between rural & urban actors through innovative management approaches & business models, payments/compensations, & shared governance tools.
-Implementation of regional pilot-actions & developing guidance for transnational sharing and replication of good practices, based on sound management tools, business models & analytical instruments.