The laboratory's research is situated within the global context of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the growing socio-ecological vulnerability of urban regions. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the Lab investigates the potential of ecological and nature-based approaches to urbanism, architectural design and landscape planning, contributing to the development of desirable futures for both humans and the more-than-human world.

Key objectives include:

• To investigate pathways through which ecocentric nature-based approaches can reshape urban form, spatial structure, and planning practices.
• To analyse the morphological characteristics of green space systems and their capacity to generate positive socio-ecological entanglements.
• To provide both theoretical contributions and applied guidance that support planners, designers, and policy-makers in implementing ecocentric principles to design across scales

The research group is actively engaged in national and international research networks and collaborates with a wide range of partner institutions, primarily through externally funded research projects. Members of the group are highly active in national and international conferences, participating as speakers, keynote speakers, and guest lecturers in academic and institutional contexts worldwide.

Research topics

The Lab’s research themes centre on the development and application of nature-based and ecocentric approaches to design across scales, from urban and landscape to architectural.
Research topics include, but are not limited to:
Ecocentric urbanism and architectural design

• New theories and approaches to ecological urbanism
• Nature-based solutions in urban and landscape planning
• Ecosystem-services assessment, monitoring and evaluation
• Comparative processes and methods for futuring cities
• Scenario planning and desirable futures for human-nature relationships in cities

Expertise

The Lab has extensive international experience in research, teaching, and consultancy in the fields of urban and landscape planning and architectural design. Its areas of expertise include ecocentric approaches to urban and architectural design; the development and application of green space planning models; ecosystem services assessment and modelling; governance of nature-based solutions; futures methods—including scenario development, visioning, and backcasting applied to urban planning—as well as public policy analysis and formulation.

Research networks and collaborations

U+N Lab ha relazione consolidate e attive con diversi partner internazionali, come la Tongji University, Cina, e con vari paesi europei, tra cui Norvegia, Portogallo, Polonia, Irlanda, Lettonia e Svizzera.

Selected research projects

• NatureScape - Enhancing Urban Sustainability for Environmental Quality and Human Well-being through Nature-BAsed Solutions Transformation Labs; Biodiversa+ Vai al sito
• NBSouth_Nature-Based Solutions via retrofitting for Climate Adaptation: a case in the Global South, Polisocial Award Vai al sito

(Last updated: August 25, 2026)