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SPECIAL ISSUE: Bioregionalism

Crossing borders. Bioregional identity and governance across Cascadia

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  • Alessio Floris
Alessio Floris
University of Cagliari

Published 2026-06-25

Keywords

  • Cascadia,
  • transboundary governance,
  • bioregional identity,
  • conservation easements

How to Cite

Floris, A. (2026). Crossing borders. Bioregional identity and governance across Cascadia. Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti. Retrieved from https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/contesti/article/view/16965

Copyright (c) 2026 Alessio Floris

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Situated between ecological theory and territorial governance, the Cascadia bioregion provides a valuable lens for understanding how bioregionalism shifts from an ethical-political sensibility to an operational framework. In this transboundary setting, ecological boundaries, place-based identities and collaborative governance interact with established jurisdictions, revealing both tensions and opportunities for an ecologically grounded territorial paradigm. Cascadia operates as a laboratory of bioregional governance, where civic networks and megaregional strategies demonstrate the potential and limits of translating bioregional principles into practice. Within this dynamic, Conservation Easements (CEs) emerge as crucial legal mechanisms mediating between private landownership, collective interests and long-term ecosystem protection. By synthesizing insights from one of the most prominent transboundary bioregions, the study contributes to broader debates on bioregional planning, offering transferable models for integrating ecological coherence, community participation, and innovative mechanisms into contemporary territorial management.

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