SPADES Releases Diagnosis Workbook for Pilot Regions
The SPADES consortium has released its Diagnosis Workbook, a major milestone in the project’s mission to integrate soil into spatial planning and design across Europe. Developed collectively during the Connectivity and Integration workshops held in Frankfurt in February 2025, the workbook gives pilot regions a practical tool to start their diagnosis phase, helping them better understand local soil conditions, planning systems, and stakeholder landscapes.
At its core, the workbook is much more than a questionnaire. It offers a structured, step-by-step framework for pilots to analyse where they are, who is involved, and how soil health connects to broader planning and policy challenges. Chapters guide teams through stakeholder mapping, policy review, spatial and soil analysis, and local reflections. This process is not only about data collection but also about building dialogue by bringing together planners, soil scientists, local authorities, and community actors around a shared goal of soil-inclusive development.
Over these months, SPADES’ 17 pilot regions in 10 EU member states are using the workbook to complete their diagnosis. Each chapter is introduced in six-week cycles, supported by project partners, and the outcomes will culminate in October 2025 with a cross-fertilisation workshop where pilots will present their findings. These diagnosis reports will form the foundation for the next project phase: co-creating strategies that can restore soil health, reduce degradation, and support climate-resilient futures.
Importantly, the Diagnosis Workbook not only offers practical insights to the pilots themselves but also feeds directly into the wider SPADES research. The outcomes gathered across the 17 regions will inform comparative analysis, support cross-learning among partners, and provide essential input for the development of the SPADES Navigator. In this way, the workbook acts as both a local tool and a collective research instrument, ensuring that knowledge generated in the pilots contributes to broader soil-inclusive planning practices across Europe.
The launch of the Diagnosis Workbook marks an important step in placing soil health at the heart of sustainable spatial development, positioning it as a cornerstone for resilient and regenerative planning across Europe.
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