The urbanization of nature. Conflict and Participation along the Seveso River

Abstract

This book explores how urbanization reshapes nature, governance, and participation through the case of the Seveso river basin, in the area of Milan. Combining Urban Political Ecology and Post-Ecologist theory, the book examines how environmental degradation and flood risks are managed through participatory processes that often mask deeper socio-ecological contradictions. It critically engages with EU environmental policies, questioning their capacity to foster genuine democratic involvement and ecological justice. Through in-depth fieldwork and analysis, this book reveals the limits of sustainability politics and the contested terrain of urban nature in contemporary Europe.