This chapter describes the main public policies affecting urban land and property markets. The difference between stated public policies for the built environment and the outcome of their implementation is obviously a key issue in any country. In the 1950s and 1960s, the prevailing answer to the widespread need for housing was a quest for more and more new buildings and, in parallel, a strong incentive for home ownership. In Italy, environmental policies are the responsibility of the Ministry for the Environment, which was set up in 1986. The principal law governing policies for the quality of the water in Italy is that of 1976 and its subsequent amendments. The law on air pollution is the oldest of the Italian environmental laws, dating from 1966. In Italy the greatest share of freight services is undertaken by road transport. The construction of highways has been banned for years under the pressure of environmental concerns and also to curb public spending.