A Logical-Mathematical Approach for the Implementation of Ecologically Equipped Productive Urban Areas

Abstract

Sustainability is a complex phenomenon that refers to economic, environmental, and social aspects. Any concept of sustainable urban development must incorporate sectoral concepts; these must be well integrated into the overarching urban, regional, and governance policies. One sectoral policy of great importance is the redevelopment processes of disused industrial areas into Sustainable Industrial Areas (AIS), Ecologically Equipped Productive Areas (APEA), or Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP). These territories, as socioeconomic systems that are being observed in the framework of the development of sustainability monitoring, are complex objects for evaluation due to the presence of a large number of interconnections between the constituent elements and hierarchical levels (sectors and spheres). For this reason, it is necessary that a new interpretation of economical, natural, and social phenomena, following a systemic and integrated approach, is able to reinterpret them for the dissemination of an ecologically and socially sustainable economy. The purpose of this work is to analyse the state of realisation of APEA on the Italian national territory, in order to understand the real benefits of production areas managed through eco-efficiency standards and to guarantee an integrated management system of environmental aspects. An additional aim is to consider a logical-mathematical model that would be able to support territorial policies in the identification of suitable areas to be converted into APEA, in order to promote sustainable development of the territory.