Urbanization and soil sealing are among the leading causes of soil degradation in Europe. In recent years, many European countries have activated policies aimed at reducing the processes of land consumption and soil sealing and supporting urban regeneration actions. Urban regeneration represents a complex system of interventions that can renew an urban space at the level of infrastructure, buildings, and services. Regeneration must act on the existing, without leading to new land consumption. Urban regeneration actions can make cities more sustainable and resilient by improving the ability to provide ecosystem services. The strategies adopted in other European countries highlight how effective action to curb urbanization processes requires an integrated approach, capable of combining forms of land use regulation ("green belt," environmental constraints, ecological corridors, green networks), with mitigation, ecological compensation, and monitoring of the impacts generated by transformations.

In Italy, there is no national law regarding the reduction of land consumption or the use of urban regeneration. Almost all Italian regions and autonomous provinces have their own laws regarding land use planning, but the contents are often uneven. In particular, the concepts of "land consumption" and “urban regeneration" are often treated in a discordant manner. Although the laws are heterogeneous, they are accumulated with the goal of providing tools and policies to limit land urbanization.

This work aims to compare existing laws regarding urban regeneration in the largest European countries and in Italy, making a comparative analysis. The best practices adopted are examined. A SWOT analysis was also carried out, used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the “Nature restoration law”, approved by The European Commission on July 12, 2023.