The paper aims to combine the analysis of urban changes generated by the dynamics of socio-economic transition with the study of the transformations of industrial landscapes and the emergence of signs and meanings of new innovation ones. Starting from evolutionary approaches applied in the geographic field and adopting some historical-cultural approaches elaborated by the literature about landscape, the work reconstructs the history of the processes of industrialization, abandonment and recovery of three spaces, in the province of Pisa, and their transformation into places for the university, for cultural activities and for high-tech entrepreneurship. In addition to the discussion about the contents of the projects and the role of the involved organizations, the paper also highlights the new forms of materiality linked to the innovation landscape
and the interconnections with post-fordist development trends and local strategies.