Beyond food: Framing ecosystem services value in peri-urban farming in the post-Covid era with a multidimensional perspective. The case of Cascina Biblioteca in Milan (Italy)

ABSTRACT

The idea that it is possible to overcome the post-covid crisis starting from urban projects is becoming increasingly popular (Balducci, 2020). This moment becomes a precious opportunity to experiment with innovative, multidisciplinary and multi-scalar methodologies for an urban planning and design capable of condensing apparently distant concepts and approaches that are nonetheless congenial to the same goals. In this sense, multifunctional agriculture (MFA) recognizes multiple functions including food production, environmental preservation and social inclusion, which can be identified as Ecosystem Services (ESs). In our contribution, the case study of a multifunctional farmhouse in the Milan suburban area is proposed as an opportunity to test an integrated preliminary evaluation model to support decisions concerning urban planning and design, with the goal of maximizing the performance of the ecosystem services provided in MFA field.