The construction industry does not want to lose the challenge of environmental sustainability. He is well aware that a complex game has been played for some time, where investments for living comfort lead to the choice of houses and condominiums with certain characteristics. Those that increasingly guide the real estate market. It is a sign of the times, an unstoppable change in the mentality of buyers who are looking for answers in the housing offer. What happened in Germany, Denmark, France in the restructuring of entire districts, in Italy is taken as a model for obviously doing more and better.
The game, however, is played in perimeters with an average backlog in terms of appreciable energy classes. In European rankings, Italy is rarely in the first places for low environmental impacts. All included, mind you: construction, greenery, mobility, street furniture. A list of unsatisfactory things, to be improved, but with public and private money. This is the framework in which the third edition of the Cities of the Future forum opens in Rome on Tuesday 25 September. The meeting dedicated to urban development and environmental sustainability, organized by the Road to Green 2020 and Active House Italia associations, with the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment and the Municipality of Rome.
The main theme this year is green construction with the transformation of the construction sector, for new generation buildings. Best practices from different countries will be compared, also presenting regulatory and technological innovations. After all, the City of the Future is that meeting place between individuals, associations, companies and institutions, to manage a progressive change in the way of living in cities. Barbara Molinario, President of Road to Green 2020, is right in saying that the game has a horizon of the next decades. Who doesn't aspire to live in houses and cities on a human scale? Aspirations that must be supported by measures and policies consistent with the objectives. To reduce the polluting impact of Italian cities, it is certainly not enough to rely solely on private individuals. We need suitable long-term policies, negotiated on the territory, with the business and professional world. New buildings must use clean, renewable and continuously available energy sources. Their installation requires costs and skilled design. And you're not wrong when you argue that the building bonuses hitherto granted for various reasons need to be renewed and increased. A direction contrary to the hypothesis of urban amnesty at the hands of the government, which we hear about in recent weeks.
The Italian building stock - says a study by Enea - suffers from two ancient evils: the need for renovation, efficiency, safety measures and excessive illegal use. Why, says Aeneas, are sanctions not applied to those who have transgressed with urban planning regulations that would oblige them to comply by paying very high bills? Part of the fine to be paid - we add here - could benefit the energy innovation of the former abusive house or flow into a public fund to finance renovations. Tuesday's forum will provide useful information. Someone will have to pick them up.
