Water and Territory

Abstract

The text examines how water affects land-use regulation in the Italian legal system. Paolo Stella Richter identifies two main areas: landscape protection for territories near seas, lakes, and rivers, and soil protection against risks such as erosion, flooding, and pollution. The author criticizes the proliferation of sector-specific plans and authorities, arguing that this weakens general urban planning and creates regulatory confusion. He concludes that traditional territorial planning has been replaced by a fragmented system of thematic plans.