Defense, adaptation and relocation. Three strategies for urban planning of coastal areas at risk of flooding

The term Anthropocene was coined in the 80s of last century to indicate the current geological era. This stands out from those that preceded it for the decisive impact of man on the climate and the environment. In order to understand how it is possible to direct a sustainable development of the planet, it is worth considering that for at least twenty years there has been a considerable increase in the world population and that this tends to concentrate, with increasing percentages, in urban areas. It is therefore understandable that urban areas will be the part of the planet where the major social costs of global warming will be paid (Musco, Zanchini, 2014). The purpose of this contribution is to frame the strategies adopted in contexts degraded by the action of climate change, which respond to the guidelines suggested by the European Union regarding territorial adaptation. Starting from studies on the subject so far, at least three differential approaches have been identifed, and these are applied to as many specifc manifestations of the phenomenon: defense, adaptation and relocation. The authors’ intention is to underline the relevance of the issue and to stimulate debate on the adaptation of cities to disasters, proposing, even in a very