Housing quality and ecological transition: practices of rehabilitation and maintenance of public housing in Italian inner areas

The theme of small towns, which representthe lifeblood of Italy, is the subject of attention ofthe European Union, which is laying the foundations for the revitalisation and enhancement of this widespread heritage through policies and programmes. The globalcrisis, descibedby Edgar Morinas a multilevel crisis, poses new challenges to these territories and demands thathousing projects undergoamethodologicaland conceptual revision to better address changingconditions. The challenge lies in defining design solutions, both technical and technological, to respond to the poly-crisis system througha logic thatconnectsmaterial culture withinnovation. Thispaper presents part of the findings fromresearch conductedby an interdisciplinary team atthe Department of Architecture of the University of Naples within the framework of the PINQuA programme. Specifically, the paper focuses on exploring potentialecological transition strategies capable of fosteringenvironmental awarenessby leveragingthe environmental, social and economic potential ofspecificplaces. The process considersboth exogenous and endogenous factors, and emphasisestherenewed care of built heritage, both existing structures and newly developed ones, through rehabilitation and planned maintenancestrategies.