Review study of current soil assessment tools and methods with a potential of integration in spatial planning in EU

Abstract

Achieving the EU’s soil health targets by 2050 requires bridging the gap between planners and soil experts through better use of existing soil inventories and decision-support tools. While planners and soil experts in most countries employ GIS-based platforms and national soil databases, challenges persist, including fragmented and outdated data, limited access to high-resolution information, and tools requiring specialised expertise.

This study reviews existing soil assessment tools and methods across multiple European countries, including those from the SPADES consortium (Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania). The aim is to identify current practices, gaps, and priorities to ensure a better integration of soil in planning. Data on soil assessment tools and methods currently used by soil experts and/or planners in their practices were collected through series of interviews, workshops and surveys of consortium members and relevant actors to build a large inventory.

The results show a lack of integrated, user-friendly solutions that consolidate dispersed datasets, for simplified interpretation for non-specialists, and for embedded soil considerations into planning and governance frameworks. Key priorities include centralised GIS-based soil databases, parcel-level screening tools, decision-support systems for ecological transition, and dashboards for awareness-raising among officials and the public. To address soil and planning challenges—such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, and land take including soil sealing, the study proposes a systematised portfolio of existing soil instruments to guide planners, policymakers, and land managers in sustainable soil-inclusive practices from strategic to operation.

This portfolio will be made available to SPADES pilots, and further adapted to generic user needs through an online webtool called Navigator, fostering mutual capacity building between planners and soil experts. Ultimately, these efforts aim to improve soil literacy, support the provision of the soil ecosystem services, and enable the transition toward soil-inclusive spatial planning, contributing to EU sustainability and Soil Mission objectives.

Keywords: soil assessment, spatial planning, data, decision-support