# GI Guidelines for the Metropolitan City of Cagliari (Italy): A Method for Implementing Green Areas
## 4 Application and Results: A Proposal of GI Guidelines for the Metropolitan City of Cagliari
### Context Analysis  
According to [PERSON] and [PERSON] [19] and [PERSON] et al. [21], we performed a context analysis concerning the MC of Cagliari. The MC includes marine and coastal zones, wetlands of international importance, hilly, mountain and forest areas of considerable value, Natura 2000 sites, and mosaics of landscapes in part well preserved. The wetland system is one of the most important in Italy and in the Mediterranean basin, and is an integral part of social, cultural, and economic  
Figure 1: Location of the case study in the Italian and Sardinian context: the red line bounds the Metropolitan City of Cagliari. activities. The context analysis has been developed through a SWOT analysis (schematized in Figure 2) by the MC of Cagliari in its strategic plan [34]. The SWOT analysis focused on four main themes: environment, society, economy, and infrastructure. In this study, we consider the strengths and weakness relating to the environmental theme. The strengths include a high ecological value due to different protected areas, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA), sites set by Directive 92/43/EEC \"Habitats\" and 79/409/EEC \"Birds\". The main weaknesses concern the governance of adaptation to climate change and the need for improving coordination among the stakeholders involved in the adaptation planning. The MC of Cagliari also has to focus on adequate management and enhancement of wetlands, which are often affected by hydrogeological risk. In addition, the wetlands of the MC of Cagliari include abandoned and ruined buildings that could be restored and used to host research centers and eco-tourism activities [34]. The findings of the SWOT analysis suggest the need to focus on Natura 2000 sites, geological and hydrological risk zones, and areas affected by landscape fragmentation, since they can be included in a GI (Figure 3). In order to describe the sub-regional geographical context under investigation, we consider the following datasets concerning: (i) areas affected by flood and landslide hazard, (ii) Natura 2000 sites, and (iii) landscape fragmentation. The administrative boundaries of the MC of Cagliari, partially or totally, include eight landscape units set by the Regional Landscape Plan (RLP) of Sardinia: Serpeddi- Monte Genis, Sulcis, Valle del Cixerri, Nora, Parteolla Trexenta, Golfo Orientale di Cagliari, Basso Campidano, and Golfo di Cagliari (Table 2). Figure 2: Metropolitan city of Cagliari: SWOT analysis. Nora, Sulcis, Valle del Cixerri, Serpeddi-Monte Genis, and part of Golfo Orientale di Cagliari are characterized by forest and seminatural areas (e.g., broad-leaved forest and Mediterranean maquis), while Basso Campidano and part of Golfo di Cagliari mainly show agricultural areas (e.g., olive groves and horticultural crops). Golfo di Cagliari and Golfo Orientale di Cagliari, respectively, include the most populous cities in the south of Sardinia: Cagliari (about 150,000 inhabitants) and Quartu Sant'Elena (about 70,000 inhabitants) [36]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline
**Landscape Unit (Code)** & **Landscape Unit (Name)** \\ \hline
31 & Serpeddi–Monte Genis \\
28 & Sulcis \\
29 & Valle del Civerri \\
2 & Nora \\
33 & Parteolla Trexenta \\
27 & Golfo Orientale di Cagliari \\
30 & Basso Campidano \\
1 & Golfo di Cagliari \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: The landscape units included in the MC of Cagliari. Figure 3: Metropolitan city of Cagliari. (**A**) Natura 2000 sites. (**B**) Areas characterized by different degree of landslide and flood hazard. (**C**) Degree of landscape fragmentation measured by using CILF. The darker the color, the more fragmented the landscape. Finally, Golfo di Cagliari and Golfo Orientale di Cagliari host water bodies (ponds) relevant to birdlife, such as the pink flamingo or greater flamingo (_Phoenicopterus roseus_) [37]. The hydrogeological regional plan classifies the region into seven basins.