A rapid evolution of techniques and methods that provide innovative planning instruments and contribute to conservation projects involving cities and territories is now being witnessed in urban planning. Actors involved in the planning process use an organic and multidisciplinary vision of techniques and methods to understand the relation between the historic-cultural goods and their settlement context. Through urban archaeology it is now possible to orient-in a systematic way-interventions in the historic centers of European cities and document the origin and evolution of the urban shape, to reconcile renewal demand and preservation of ancient heritage.