2 years of the SPADES project
This September marks the two-year anniversary of SPADES, and we couldn’t be more proud of the progress we have made alongside our 18 partners! Launched in September 2024 as part of the EU Mission A Soil Deal for Europe, SPADES is dedicated to developing and implementing spatial planning strategies that support the transition toward healthy soils across Europe.
As we reach this mid-point milestone, we are excited to announce the delivery of two major research outputs, led and coordinated by iUE, this August, representing a significant step in bridging the gap between soil science and spatial design.
SPADES Portfolio of Sustainable Planning and Design Concepts
SPADES Portfolio of Sustainable Planning and Design Concepts for Soil Health (Deliverable 1.2) provides a comprehensive review of the state of the art of sustainability concepts within current spatial strategies. Developed together with colleagues at TU Delft, this report identifies practical options and pathways to mainstream soil considerations directly into established planning concepts and strategies. The objective is to move soil from a late-stage engineering topic to a foundational starting point for all land-use decisions.
SPADES Compilation of Best Practices for Soil Health
Our second major output, SPADES Compilation of Best Practices to Enhance Soil-Inclusive Planning Strategies, is a curated systematic inventory of solutions and practices designed to address soil functions and optimise ecosystem services. It features 325 cases and solutions, ranging from de-sealing and wetland restoration to sustainable agroforestry, that demonstrate how to reconcile societal demands for land with soil health objectives. This compilation includes specific recommendations for integrating these practices into planning processes, providing municipalities with evidence-based material.
SPADES Portfolio of Sustainable Planning and Design Concepts
SPADES Portfolio of Sustainable Planning and Design Concepts for Soil Health (Deliverable 1.2) provides a comprehensive review of the state of the art of sustainability concepts within current spatial strategies. Developed together with colleagues at TU Delft, this report identifies practical options and pathways to mainstream soil considerations directly into established planning concepts and strategies. The objective is to move soil from a late-stage engineering topic to a foundational starting point for all land-use decisions.
SPADES Compilation of Best Practices for Soil Health
Our second major output, SPADES Compilation of Best Practices to Enhance Soil-Inclusive Planning Strategies, is a curated systematic inventory of solutions and practices designed to address soil functions and optimise ecosystem services. It features 325 cases and solutions, ranging from de-sealing and wetland restoration to sustainable agroforestry, that demonstrate how to reconcile societal demands for land with soil health objectives. This compilation includes specific recommendations for integrating these practices into planning processes, providing municipalities with evidence-based material.
These two portfolios do not stand alone. They are supported by:
» a rigorous Systematisation of Soil Assessment Instruments led by the Chalmers University of Technology, which categorises available data, maps, and tools to help planners value soil performance during different phases of the planning process
» a European inventory of policies that impact soil health
» an inventory of boundary-spanning instruments, covering methods and approaches that concretely help bring the worlds of soil and planning together
Together, these outputs form a robust framework for improving soil literacy among planning practitioners, supporting the European objectives of No Net Land Take (NNLT) by 2050 and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).
All of this guiding material has been integrated into the SPADES Inspiration Porftolio, a user-friendly, preliminary version of our online decision-support system. This prefigures the more complex SPADES Navigator, which will ultimately help users find the right instruments for the right purposes at the right time.
Looking ahead
As we enter year three, our focus shifts toward the implementation and testing of these strategies within our 17 pilot sites across 10 Member States. We look forward to contrasting SPADES methodological basis with the real-world issues of SPADES’ pilots!
With the adoption of the EU Soil Monitoring Law last year, SPADES work is more relevant than ever, ensuring that municipalities have the tools they need to protect and restore our most vital non-renewable resource: soil.
SUMMARY OF SPADES RECENT OUTPUTS
D1.2: Portfolio of sustainable planning and design concepts (Lead: iUE)
D2.2: Compilation of best practices to enhance soil-inclusive planning strategies (Lead: iUE)
D2.1: Systematisation of instruments for soil assessment (Contributor: iUE)
D1.3: Portfolio of planners instruments for integration of societal challenges
Online SPADES Inspiration Porfolio
SUMMARY OF SPADES RECENT OUTPUTS
D1.2: Portfolio of sustainable planning and design concepts (Lead: iUE)
D2.2: Compilation of best practices to enhance soil-inclusive planning strategies (Lead: iUE)
D2.1: Systematisation of instruments for soil assessment (Contributor: iUE)
D1.3: Portfolio of planners instruments for integration of societal challenges
Online SPADES Inspiration Porfolio