Planning, restoration and management of urban and rural landscapes and historical gardens

The team carries out research in historical garden, rural landscape and ecosystem services for landscape and urban horticulture. All the researches are based on Inter- and transdisciplinary approach.

Concerning HISTORICAL GARDEN, the research team carries out projects with the aim to protect and conserve cultural and botanical heritage. With the idea that the protection and conservation of historic designs and compositional features have to be balanced against socio and economical needs, the recognition of historical documents and cartography allows to develop management dynamic measures and policies.

Concerning RURAL LANDSCAPE, the research team links quantitative and model-based information with often more qualitative and normative approaches of decision-makers, address key uncertainties by scenario analysis and conduct research across scales and sectors. In order to identify best practices and shared criteria formulation a methodological framework was developed to understand if the participatory approach can contribute to landscape management according to agro-ecological values. Focus group technique and interviews system were applied as methodologies.

We are improving our portfolio of methods for practical landscape planning, facing challenges such as climate and environmental changes, cultural ecosystem services, and associated policy frameworks. How management and governance can support the capacity to supply ecosystem services by urban and rural landscapes is an important focus area of the group.

• 2018-2020 "Valorisation of Abbey of Santa Fede’s complex and its landscape between the Monferrato and the Turin hills"(Research project, Compagnia di San Paolo)
• 2016-2018 "Ludwig Winter’s Gardens in Liguria Region: valorisation and enhancement of botanical and ornamental heritage" (Research project Compagnia di San Paolo) with Bordighera Municipality and Ventimiglia Municipality
• 2015-2016 "Photovoltaic greenhouses can be made productive and socially sustainable?"(Research project, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino – Scientific research 2014)
• 2015-2016 "Design green areas and definition of mitigation landscape guidelines" (Scientific project in collaboration with Piedmont Province and municipalities)
• 2015-2016 "From the landscape of subsistence to wilderness. The territory of the Valgrande national park as a laboratory for reading and diachronic interpretation of the landscape" – DIST Politecnico di Torino e Val Grande National Park
• 2013-2015 "Traditional agricultural landscapes in Piedmont: multidisciplinary evaluation for the safeguarding, enhancement and integrated planning of the territory" (National Research project, 2012).

• Gottero E., Cassatella C., Larcher F. (2021). Planning Peri-Urban Open Spaces: Methods and Tools for Interpretation and Classification. Land,10,802.
• Gullino P., Mellano M.G., Beccaro G.L., Devecchi M., and Larcher F. (2020). Strategies for the Management of Traditional Chestnut Landscapes in Pesio Valley, Italy: A Participatory Approach. LAND, p.1-13, 9, 536; doi:10.3390/land9120536
• Gullino P., Pomatto E., Gaino W., Devecchi M., and Larcher F. (2020). New Challenges for Historic Gardens’ Restoration: A Holistic Approach for the Royal Park of Moncalieri Castle (Turin Metropolitan Area, Italy). SUSTAINABILITY, p.1-22, 12, 10067; doi:10.3390/su122310067
• Frontuto V., Corsi A., Novelli S., Gullino P., Larcher F. (2019). The visual impact of agricultural sheds on rural landscapes: The willingness to pay for mitigation solutions and treatment effects LAND USE POLICY doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104337
• Gullino P., Fornaris A., Devecchi M., Larcher F. (2019). The interpretation of the English landscape garden between 1815 and 1840 through Xavier Kurten’s work in Piedmont (north-west Italy). LANDSCAPE RESEARCH, p. 1-15, doi: 10.1080/01426397.2017.1414168

Recently, the group was involved in several research projects on landscape topics, in collaboration with Italian and European Universities.
Since 2008, the research team is involved in the UNISCAPE, the European Network of Universities for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention. The aim of UNISCAPE is to support and reinforce scientific interdisciplinary co-operation among European universities regarding landscape issues, especially in the areas of research and teaching.
The groups collaborates with INRA Sad-Pajsage Rennes (France).