LIFE IN-PLAN: integrated planning made possible
The European LIFE IN-PLAN project’s efforts to develop territorial plans integrating energy, climate, and mobility aspects are beginning to bear fruit by encouraging virtuous planning practices among municipalities aimed at achieving climate neutrality.
A notable example is the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento (PN), with which IN-PLAN is actively collaborating, supporting its team of experts alongside local officials in the integrated drafting of the Municipal General Urban Plan, the General Urban Traffic Plan, the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, the Green Masterplan, and the Plan for the Removal of Architectural Barriers.
“We warmly welcomed the IN-PLAN project because, as a municipality belonging to the Sustainable Municipalities Network, we recognise the importance of integrated and systemic planning involving multiple stakeholders with diverse sensitivities and expertise. This approach ensures a comprehensive vision and coherence that can only be achieved through dialogue, comparison, and collaboration, as we have already experienced during an initial meeting with all the planners supporting us in drafting the various plans,” states Federica Del Frè, delegated councillor for the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento.
Very useful tools in this direction include the IN-PLAN Practice, the IN-PLAN Checklist, and the Guidelines for a Data Management Plan, which provide concrete support for public administrations and sector operators in implementing multilevel governance.
“The IN-PLAN Practice offers a comprehensive guide with examples of good practices and a step-by-step approach to effectively integrate energy, climate, and territorial planning policies,” explains Fabrizia Salvi of Area Science Park. “The IN-PLAN Checklist provides a structured reference framework in the form of guiding questions to improve existing or developing plans by assessing the coherence of measures envisaged in various plans, as demonstrated by the ongoing work with the municipality of San Vito al Tagliamento. The checklist is designed to foster reflection on developing integrated measures that also consider the effects—both positive and negative—that these may have on sectors other than the primary focus. It can also be used in a preliminary phase of plan drafting to consider different aspects of an issue and choose to address them in a multidisciplinary way”.
The importance of these tools, with a particular focus on the “data-driven” approach, alongside experiences of various local authorities, universities, and research centres, was central to the event held on 2 April 2025 in Padua, within the framework of the Forum Duezerocinquezero, in collaboration with the LIFE NECPlatform project and the Coordination of Italian Local Agenda 21. The event, attended by experts and stakeholders, was not only an opportunity to present the IN-PLAN methodologies and tools but also a chance to discuss the challenges of integrated planning within the National Coalition Group (NCG) of IN-PLAN. This national discussion platform offers various stakeholders the chance to exchange views and formulate proposals and recommendations on integrated planning to be subsequently shared with national policymakers. The group involves several entities, including Area Science Park, the Coordination of Italian Local Agenda 21, and the municipalities of Padua, Prato, and Narni. During the event, proposals for the NCG were presented, focusing on the importance of “data-driven” integrated territorial planning and addressing barriers to integrated design, data management, and governance forms.
The LIFE IN-PLAN project, co-financed by the European Union, will continue its work until March 2026. There is still an opportunity for municipalities and provinces to join as pilots and receive support from Area Science Park experts in integrating plans by testing the methodology and tools developed by the project.