Scaling the Transition. Bridging the Gap Between European Governance and Local Inertia

Abstract

Within the framework of Europe’s ecological transition, a disconnect is emerging between supranational cli- mate goals and local implementation tools. Although the European Green Deal and the European Climate Law set binding targets for carbon neutrality by 2050, their morphological translation follows timelines and approaches that diverge from those of General Urban Development Plans (PRG). The latter, historically de- signed to govern urban expansion, are now inadequate for managing the complexity of climate-focused regeneration in established urban areas.

This study examines the architecture of adaptation by analyzing the regulatory gap that arises between these two paces. The study highlights how European funding - particularly the Horizon Europe and LIFE programs - often operates in isolation from routine planning, resulting in the design of interventions that struggle to integrate into local regulatory frameworks. Through an analysis of the pilot case in Turin and international comparisons (Paris, Barcelona), the study demonstrates how the impact of these funds on urban morpholo- gy generates spatial transformations whose implementation timelines are not reflected in local administrativeprocedures. The design of public space thus emerges as the only calibrating mechanism capable of mediating between the macroscopic scale of climate policies and the micro-urban dimension of the built environment. In conclusion, this research proposes interpreting public space as a socio-ecological infrastructure to establish congruence between global ecological imperatives and the experiential dimension of the territory. In this sense, the gap between funding and planning is transformed into a design condition for seeking the ‘right measure’ (fitting), where small- and medium-scale interventions prove to be essential tools for achieving spatial justice.