In Italy, it is estimated that the total area of brownfield land—i.e., abandoned former industrial sites—amounts to about 3,000 km², a figure comparable to the entire extent of the Aosta Valley. At the same time, soil consumption—defined as the conversion of natural land into built-up areas—increases by approximately 56 km² per year, progressively reducing the land available for agriculture, forests, wetlands, and parks.
It is paradoxical to reforest natural areas to combat climate change while virgin soil is allocated for new constructions, infrastructures, and industrial zones. The immense brownfield heritage represents a precious opportunity: these spaces could be redeveloped to support urban growth and, at the same time, repurposed for reforestation efforts, thereby storing CO₂ and safeguarding the richness and balance of natural systems.
The Bosco di Montopoli demonstrates that it can be done. The creation of the Bosco transformed a degraded area of about 7 hectares—previously dedicated to intensive livestock farming—into a sustainable park through a large-scale reforestation intervention. This effort will ensure CO₂ storage, improve air quality, and restore biodiversity, concretely demonstrating that environmental recovery is possible with a targeted and well-planned approach.
