Nature and human health: sustainable urban drainage systems (suds) projects for spatial justice

In the context of public space redesign projects and urban regeneration, disused or degraded urban areas resulting from the conversion of industrial, railway or military sites are highlighted as a strategic opportunity to implement urban green infrastructure with a focus on climate change adaptation. This study explores the potential of reconverting such spaces into public green areas, designed to enhance urban water management (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems), as a means to improve the physical and mental health of the population. Today, academic research shows that in urban areas, the presence of green and blue elements are crucial in reducing diseases due to air pollution, extreme heat, promoting physical activity and spaces for socialising, fostering biodiversity and contributing to climate change adaptation. Our research examines a selection of public space redesign projects, in Milan Urban Region in Italy, linked by the integration of green and blue spaces within the urban texture, exploiting unused or degraded areas. These projects, partly realised and partly planned, are promoted by the local ‘Integrated Urban Water Management Agencies’, which were created to manage water issues. Through a comparative analysis of the projects, the aim is to investigate the territorial and social context in which they are included, the populations involved, the urban needs they meet, and the potential impact on the individual and collective wellbeing. By highlighting their spatial distribution within the city and the effects produced, we will assess how far they contribute to climate change adaptation by investigating the creation of inequalities, such as so-called ‘green gentrification’, or conversely, pursue socio-spatial justice targets. The aim is to understand how these projects, today still exceptional, can contribute to the promotion of health and social justice, and become ordinary practices in urban planning.