Depaving's Lost Radical Edge: From Portland to Italy, a Critical Practice Diluted

Born in Portland, Oregon, in 2008 as a radical, disobedient act of removing impermeable surfaces to plant trees, depaving has lost its critical spirit in its European translation. In Italy, it is often presented as a panacea for urban climate issues but without the accompanying sacrifices—such as car reduction or urban contraction—that made it transformative. The practice has been co-opted into a form of fast-green appeasement, maintaining the status quo rather than challenging it. Italian examples like Piazzale Borri in Parma (122 trees) and Genoa's timid regulatory inclusion are episodic, not strategic. The article argues for a broader vision of green infrastructure as a planned, connective network, not mere square meters of vegetation. Gabriele Mulè warns that depaving risks becoming an alibi for inaction on climate change, prioritizing comfort over genuine change.