Among the themes addressed in public health, environmental hygiene represents a good example of how certain questions can be resolved through the construction of strongly integrated operative networks. In particular when one speaks of air quality in urban centers there must be an awareness that there should be coordination of all actors involved. In this way the Department of Prevention can transform itself into the essential part of the hub thanks to its specific skills and expertise. In this discussion, some experiences of the Local Health Agency of Bologna where the Department of Prevention could become the hub of the system will be presented.