The feature of the integrated approach adopted for the “Urban sustainable development” priority axis consists of selecting several primary investments and its relatives actions. It is expected they will be fulfilled simultaneously and by reinforcing each other. The overall aim of such an integrated approach must be to improve the management and control of industrial processes so as to ensure a high level of protection for the environment as a whole and for the run-down areas, in compliance with the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. Besides, it guarantees the competitiveness of the productive system along with the environmental protection, people’s health and safety.

It is worth mentioning that this approach permits a more efficient use of the economic resources invested in redevelopment and reconversion. Indeed, it is clear that a property renovation aimed at the energy efficiency of a building enables savings, compared to uncoordinated interventions, whether it provides for the hydraulic and geomorphologic danger reduction in compliance with the Hydrogeological Management Plan (PAI) and the strategic and sensible buildings safeguards, in compliance with the Seismic Vulnerability standards (Decreto del Capo della Protezione Civile n. 3685/2003). Similarly, it is evident that the Re-pearmeabilization and greening of artificial surfaces, whether conveniently planned, allows the prevention or reduction of the hydrogeological risk and the decrease of hydraulic danger. Moreover, the wooded areas increase permits the dust abatement, the CO2 production balance and the noise pollution minimisation related to the external receptors.

In Apulia, the ecological redevelopment and reconversion of productive areas acquires relevance both for the extension of the potencially concerned areas and their vulnerability and in the end, for the decommissioning phenomenons dimensions. In particular, according to the landscaping plan (PPTR) assessment the potentially environmentally and ecologically equipped convertible areas (APPEA) exceed 25.000 hectares: the Productive Settlements Plan Areas (PIP areas) 4.589 ha, ASI Consortiums areas 10.158 ha, Productive Areas 11.053 ha. Relevant productive areas of towns (Taranto, Brindisi, Barletta, Trani) are located along the coast and some of them are characterized by decommissioning processes. Wide areas are concerned by mining activities. The Mining Activities Apulia 2011-2012 Report (Rapporto sullo Stato delle Attività Estrattive in Puglia 2011-20 12) cured by Apulia Region, Service for consumers economic activities Servizio Attività Economiche Consumatori, Ufficio controllo e gestione del PRAE (Piano Regionale Attività Estrattive) Office Management on Regional Plan Mining Activities at the end of 2012 notices the presence of quarries approved for a global extension of 3.665 ha. To this information, it has to be added the one emerged from an agreement established with ARPA, The Regional Environmental Protection Agency that counts 3.961 disused quarries in the apulian territory.

These are some examples of activities to do:

• building renovation of public buildings, aimed at energy efficiency, intelligent energy management for the control of consumption and energy production from renewable sources, by having positive effects not only from an environmental point of view, but also from an economic and competitive one, in terms of reducing supply costs, improving working conditions and contributing to the innovation that these systems provide.  (ROP Action 4.1 - Interventions for the energy efficiency of public buildings; Programme Agreement 4.1.1);
   
• implementation of public services with bioclimatic design methods to optimise the relationship between buildings and natural resources, thermohygrometric well-being conditions such as ventilation, natural lighting and sunshine in open and confined spaces and, last but not least, the operation and comfort of buildings through the use of passive systems for air conditioning, passive and hybrid technologies, environmentally friendly materials and building components. (ROP Action 4.1 - Interventions for the energy efficiency of public buildings; Programme Agreement 4.1.1)

These actions will be accompanied by interventions of promotion of the participation of economic operators, of workers and their representation in the planning and management of such interventions.

This process will be led in a way that the environmental renovation will not be confined to the physical conversion of places, but it will affect people behaviour and ways of using and managing also through innovative and technological facilities (in line with the logic of the smart city).

These actions will have a high co-ordination level with the ones envisaged from EFS, with a particular focus on the skills enhancement.

These actions are intended both for economic operators, productive areas workers and for inhabitants of residential areas living near these zones and the beneficiaries are public undertakings and local authorities.

The target areas are the industrial ones or the IDZ zones (ASI areas), located in urban areas on the basis of criteria concerning the previous politics and the presence of consortiums, associations or other institutions that permit also the adoption of unified private measurement in synergy with the public intervention.

The implementation of the axis will take place through negociated procedures with local authorities identified in the target areas.

The fulfilment of a maximum of five complex programs is expected, each of them composed of several integrated interventions aimed towards the environmental regeneration of productive areas. This will consist of a pilot intervention useful as an example for future similar situations occurring in the whole regional territory. This will help to achieve the biggest sustainable development goal of the urban reference area.