The valorisation of the resource system in rural and peri-urban areas

The awareness of the importance of ecosystem services and their value also in economic terms, adds today to the understanding of being able to contribute with appropriate interventions for the transformation of land use not only to the enhancement of existing ecosystem services, but also to the creation of new ones. In this scenario, the role of peri-urban and rural areas acquires a central position also considering their possible positive impacts on urban areas. In particular, rural and peri-urban areas must not be considered as reality to be safeguarded or frozen. They are not only one of the most representative areas to handle the problems with regard to the relations between built environment and natural elements, they represent an important opportunity to implement the uses of soil toward most sustainable and efficient ways to valorise the existing local resources.