Abstract Despite their success, the so-called Italian Industrial Districts (IIDs) have to face the crisis caused by the phenomenon of globalization. The paper presents the interventions carried out in two industrial districts, tannery district of Arzignano and artistic glass district of Murano, in order to help the public administrations to improve the environmental situation. Introducing strategic and social considerations in environmental initiatives and implementing ?radical? environmental policies, the approach used in both case studies resulted in not only environmental quality improvement, but also led to sustainable solutions with revitalization effects. Its efficacy will improve if, above all, merges with strong research and development investments. Moreover, they should have obtained the same effects if they had applied the same effects to other countries with the same local peculiarities as IIDs.