Nuove forme dell’abitare e sostenibilità

The average number of inhabitants per room in Italy has risen from 1.31 in 1951 to 0.62 inhabitants in 2001 (ISTAT, 2014). Until 2006 construction has fueled the waste of land. The most part of the new buildings built in the last decades are low density housing. Housing shortage, especially for economically impaired population (young, unemployed, immigrants, senior citizens) is common. On the other hand, the amount of empty homes, in Italy and in Europe is quite large and definitely higher than needed. The model of urban development that has been implemented in recent decades has often been characterized by development programs by municipal bodies in competition between municipalities without regards to real economic needs. The construction industry followed this trend leading to the present crisis of the real estate sector. The home availability doesn't match the real economic needs and many homes are empty around Europe. Moreover, in Italy the most part of buildings are occupied by the owner. In this way a rational use of the housing stock is not allowed. On the other hand, homes are the most important item in household wealth. Incentive schemes to energy saving in old and obsolete buildings collide with the difficulty of creating an efficient market for the retrofit and rehabilitation of buildings. Moreover the real estate suffer a deep crisis. The current level of refurbishment and energy improvement of buildings, mainly carried out by privates was in recent years limited, in most cases, to the replacement of windows and boilers. However these interventions were quite widespread in the last years in Italy fulfilling the milestones by the EU energy saving programmes. The paper, on one hand, discusses the policies both in the field of housing demand, in Italy and in Europe, in a qualitative as well as in a quantitative way. On the other hand, the role of the supply chain of the construction industry, suffering a deep crisis, is discussed. Possible actions are represented by incentives schemes for a better use of the housing stock, to a more accurate planning of the new construction as well as of the refurbishing. We must think of the city as an integrated system of public and private spaces that can accommodate and develop in a sustainable manner the economic and social activities. Specific policies according to the territories and their socio-economic and environmental characteristics have to be carried out. New perspectives can be given by innovative ways of cooperation both by the owners both by the construction firms and in the maintenance of the built environment. We must however overcome the traditional paradigms both economic and normative and develop more appropriate design and planning skills.