Uso e consumo del suolo in prospettiva storica Definizioni, concetti e metodi / Usage et consommation des sols dans une perspective historique Définitions, concepts et méthodes

Background and rationale of the project: The relationship between societies and 'the soil' is an integral part of human history. Closely linked to food production and consumption, and to issues of land tenure and rent, it continues to evolve in response to global challenges and questions of sustainability.This relationship is now strongly defined by land use and consumption practices that, at different scales, increasingly threaten the common good and the conservation of biodiversity. Urban planning practices, intensive forms of production and environmental pressures are tending to fragment, erode and ultimately turn soil into a commodity, a 'raw material' that can be freely used, rather than considering it as a nonreproducible good. It is therefore necessary to question what soil is, what its functions are, and what the consequences of its consumption are, starting from its historical significance.Overall objectives and specific aims:Based on these considerations, the Laboratory of Alpine History (Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, University of Italian Switzerland), in collaboration with the University of Lille, is organizing a conference that, from an interdisciplinary perspective, intends to explore three main issues, namely: (1) the definition of soil and its services and characteristics of land consumption; (2) current perspectives for the development of an urban planning capable of taking care of the soils; (3) the concepts of property and rights, in relation to the land use and consumption in a historical perspective.Methods:As far as the working method is concerned, a certain degree of freedom was left to the conference participants, also in view of the fact that the conference proposes an important interdisciplinary dimension, which has to be seen in the context of the issue of land use and land consumption, which in itself involves a number of different disciplines, from history to urban planning, sociology, architecture, and so on.Expected results and their impact:Knowledge of the evolution of the concept of 'soil' and the history of 'soil consumption' can contribute to a broader understanding of the perspectives and rhetoric developed over time and the challenges of the present.