**5. Approaching planning and design scale**

The mapping and visualization of data in design culture has changed both in relationship with the advancement of technology [19]—in bringing about the possibility of greater proximity between the real and its representation—and in the way of building landscape idea. The trajectory of representation—of concept and context—has moved from the material and physical description of the ground toward the depiction of unseen and often immaterial fields, forces and flows.

Moving horizons is an advance for mapping, manipulating, and designing with geospatial gaze, with the goal of transcending the flat13 [19, 21, 22], static map into live documents that expand the representation of time and space—in order to better address the dynamic conditions for landscape project. The attempt is to develop a method capable of building a coherent relationship between planning and design scale, according to soil transformations.

The value of soil as spatial planning matrix lies in situating the parts in relation to the whole, by laying out the physical and spatial relationships at the dimension of a territory (mainly hydrogeological components both on surface both underground). The value of soil as design element lies in handling the physical dynamic matter, by preparing the ground across highly contextualized actions in terms of soil shape, coverage and composition.

Therefore, the interpretation of soil as a palimpsest14 [30] requires a critical comparison between: (1) the pre-existing structural and perceptual hydrogeological arrangement to identify the valuable components and the main issues; (2) the current planning framework according to their systemic inclusion; (3) a diachronic and synchronic analysis of the territorial transformations according to plan predictions [40], to define management, requalification and valorization criteria starting from the critical points; (4) understanding about paleo-climates, biota, geomorphology, changes in geologic substrates and soil residence times; (5) incorporate ecological dynamicity, connecting biological, hydrological and pedological processes.

## **6. A first application: Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan**

A first application of this approach has been developed and tested in the Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan [41, 42] (**Figures 5** and **6**), by identifying a planning procedure capable of integrating territorial adaptation measures to climate change through an approach based on soil's understanding and processing as fundamentals.

The whole research project for Ravenna assumes that climate change projections can only be described in probabilistic terms and over long-time horizons15 [43–48].

Extreme events linked to climate change sometimes evolve at a speed that is difficult to manage with the current tools of planning. This may require anticipating the complexity of uncertainty by imagining the future through scenarios (**Figures 9**–**11**), relied on the comparative analysis of exploratory meta-projects stage. In such perspective, the two main attitudes explored deal with alternative perspectives on the soil management and transformation.

<sup>14</sup> For global sea level rise forecasts, reference data shall be based on studies from the Fifth IPCC Assessment Report [43] with time reference to 2100. These forecasts have been translated at a regional scale by ENEA [44], which estimated how many and which areas will be below sea level, and which are at risk of sea ingression [45–47].

<sup>13</sup> According to Richter [30]: 'Understanding soils as polygenetic palimpsests requires much more understanding about paleo-climates, biota, geomorphology, changes in geologic substrates, and soil residence e times. While we can read the basics of many soils, we are far from understanding soil as an archive, and must realize that at some level the soil may always remain at least a bit shrouded in mystery.'

<sup>15</sup> For climate data, Climate Projection Data Sheets 2021–2050 have been produced for homogeneous areas in the Emilia Romagna Region as part of the Regional Strategy for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change, together with the ARPAE Climate Observatory and ART-ER [48].

*Moving Horizon, Design Praxis through Soil Transformation: A Landscape Manifesto DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110176*

#### **Figure 9.**

*SCENARIO TRANSFER 2050. Aerial view for Landscape evolution in Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2020. Authors. SECAP Ravenna 2020.*

#### **Figure 10.**

 *Scenario's Reference: Preserving land use or accommodating geomorphological characteristics? Representation of the two phases of the adaptation strategy and the long-term projections summarized in the 'rigid' and 'soft' scenarios at 2100 (south coast area). Source: SECAP Ravenna 2020.*

#### **Figure 11.**

*Scenarios comparison through schematic section in south coastal area for landscape evolution in Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2020. Authors. SECAP Ravenna 2020.*

In a future Rigid Scenario, the priority of defending inhabited and productive areas aimed at maintaining soil use and functionality. Instead, the dynamic one landscape transformations addressed to establish a new balance between human and environmental systems, by assuming geomorphology as a referential state for soilforming. The resultant synthesis—scenario transfer (**Figures 5**, **9**, **12** and **13**)—allows to represent in a more direct and better communicable way to the outside the consequences and the presuppositions of some actions on the territory.

The synthesis between these two long-run perspectives—both plausible in terms of scenario thinking [49]—results in an intermediate strategy, to be developed in the next few years, open to alternative futures.

The soil is strategically transformed into levels of essential infrastructures for an organic vision of the territory, capable of evolving in the space–time relationship. Thus, it acquires a new role following the international focus of adaptation to global challenges.

This step brings out the interdependence between spatial, anthropogenic, environmental and ecosystem aspects of the context, and how from these relationships arises the complexity of the city-territory system to which it refers, by considering soil as a primer in territorial arrangement. By analyzing this information through the cartographic study of biophysical and geospatial systems (geomorphology, topography, soil composition, etc.) (**Figures 6**–**8**), they have been reworked in the maps presented in the research and synthesized in some GIS cartographies through mapping overlay process.

*Moving Horizon, Design Praxis through Soil Transformation: A Landscape Manifesto DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110176*

#### **Figure 12.**

*Scenario transfer 2050, South coastal area focus. Cartographic landscape evolution in Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2020, supported by the geomorphological reshape and soil coverage. Authors. SECAP Ravenna 2020.*

#### **Figure 13.**

*Scenario transfer 2050, South coastal area focus. Aerial view for landscape evolution in Ravenna Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2020, supported by the geomorphological reshape and soil coverage. Authors. SECAP Ravenna 2020.* The evidence of this process lies in the identification of the transformation bands suitable to host interventions to increase resilient infrastructures and naturalness in those zones of friction between risks exposure, soil vocation and pressures, pointed out in the reference pattern outlined in the analytical phase (**Figures 7** and **12**).

The related actions, as well as the overall approach, can be summarized in the propositions presented in the next paragraph in the form of a landscape manifesto.

## **7. A landscape manifesto**

The strategy we have utilized in outlining the manifesto is the result of an effort to describe, in a simplified and understandable way, the soil as an emerging component of landscape complexity toward design praxis. Each statement is also inspired by the critical reading of transdisciplinary literature of prominent authors that are reported for each related point of the manifesto.

#### **7.1 Screening the landscape imagery**

Screening the landscape imagery since the landscape is not a passive scene anymore but is in fact an active working system connected to the human habitat, which it also supports [12, 13, 18, 21, 50–52].

The territorial structure is subject to a constant evolution, and so the aspect we perceive. Its components of fixity or dynamism are related to the vision and sharing of values that redefine the relationships between the parts in a logic of necessity. Visions that change in time along with the conformation that the territory are involved in an ongoing adaptation process that passes through the soil.

#### **7.2 Crossing layer**

Crossing layer refers to sharing information among manifold depths [52–56].

Landscape evolution does not proceed with regular continuity but is presented as a series of steps in height, age, value and size. The ability to driving decisions passes through the comprehension, codification and contextualization of those signs, signals and related meaning. Therefore, the model implies a series of steps that should bring to outline compressed and decompressed information that crosses the ground depths.

#### **7.3 Crossing time**

Crossing time refers to a diachronic and synchronic analysis of the territorial transformations according to plan predictions [57, 58].

In dynamic systems, we can only study and predict some behaviors of this process, but the real consequence can only be forecasted. The predictability is sensitive to initial conditions, and beyond a certain time it can no longer be predictable. Complexity of a system is not an internal characteristic, and it can only be analyzed and represented across time horizons.

#### **7.4 Crossing scale**

Because landscapes themselves are spatially heterogeneous entities, their structure, function and dynamics are scale dependent [20, 37, 59].

Scale generally refers to the spatial–temporal dimensions in which organisms, patterns or processes are recognizable. A worthwhile perspective can represent these different scales not as a nested hierarchy, but assuming the concept of multiscale. In this concept the global scale is not placed above the local one, but rather each scale is present and operates at the same time.
