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Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Hazards and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 13107

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Diana Rolando

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy
Interests: real estate appraisal; project economic evaluation and enhancement; cultural heritage; problem structuring methods; spatial analyses; inner areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Manuela Rebaudengo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Responsible Risk Resilience Centre R3C, Interuniversity Departmentof Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Viale Pier Andrea Mattioli, 3910125 Torino, Italy
Interests: public–private partnerships; economic and financial sustainability; investment analysis; maintenance; green public procurement; inner areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alice Barreca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Turin Real Estate Market Observatory, Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, Viale Pier Andrea Mattioli, 39 10125 Torino, Italy
Interests: real estate appraisal; projects economic evaluation and enhancement; architectural and landscape heritage; econometrics; spatial statistics; GIS; KMS; inner areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Financial crises, pandemics, and environmental disasters always change important social, economic, territorial, and settlement dynamics. Important changes have to be faced during post-crisis periods in everyday habits and behaviors: ways of living, working, enjoying public spaces, spending free time, traveling, investing money, and looking for different kinds of services (mobility, touristic, etc.).

In these crucial situations, urban and rural contexts may react differently: On the one hand, established key drivers become inefficient and some economic sectors can be dramatically blocked or slowed, but on the other, new opportunities can emerge in different fields and change some critical conditions. New laws enacted by Governments and related consistent funding can concretely support actions and enhancement strategies to foster the reactivation of new economies and therefore represent new challenges for public and private actors.

The capability to react and adapt to new conditions represents an absolute strength, above all for the most vulnerable contexts such as inner areas: The more a territory is resilient, the more it is capable of transforming the crisis into a chance and a sustainable development opportunity.

The concept of urban and territorial resilience is widely studied in the literature, assuming different approaches. Nevertheless, a common assumption is that resilience is a driver which is capable of steering policies and investments of institutions, organizations, companies, and social groups.

Therefore, at the beginning of post-crisis periods, such as the current post-COVID-19 situation, it is crucial to monitor and analyze the socioeconomic transformations to address policies, support decision processes, and foster strategies and actions able to support the reactivation of economies and territorial dynamics.

Pivotal questions that can be addressed are:

  • How are local economies changing?
  • Are there new factors which are able to influence the real estate market, in terms of property values, transaction dynamicity, and housing typologies?
  • Are there new factors which are able to influence consumer preferences?
  • Which community networks, economic sectors, and services are becoming fundamental to foster territories’ attractiveness?
  • How is the role of tourism changing (in terms of supply and demand)?
  • Where is society addressing new needs and choices?
  • How does the digital divide in inner territories affect resident population and local development?
  • How can the elasticity of a territory be assessed?
  • Are there innovation strategies which are able to foster territorial reactivation processes?
  • How can cultural heritage be a key driver for territories’ sustainable development and local identity enhancement?

This Special Issue proposal aims to investigate how local governments and societies have reacted or are reacting to a critical situation, such as an economic or health crisis, by integrating multidisciplinary approaches to analyze the vulnerability and resilience of both urban and rural contexts and by highlighting redevelopment opportunities and weaknesses. All papers that provide research results, experiences, and applications on these topics are welcome.

Dr. Diana Rolando
Dr. Manuela Rebaudengo
Dr. Alice Barreca
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable development strategies
  • new economies
  • socioeconomic evaluation
  • territorial analyses
  • territorial vulnerability
  • territorial resilience
  • landscape and cultural heritage
  • local identity
  • territorial branding
  • post-COVID-19

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 19680 KiB  
Article
Reactivating Built Heritage with Shared, Creative, and Transcalar Approaches: An Exploration of the Marche Apennine Inner Area
by Maddalena Ferretti, Maria Giada Di Baldassarre and Caterina Rigo
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16196; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142316196 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
The article investigates the possibilities of re-activating the built heritage of the Marche Apennine through shared, creative, and transcalar approaches. This is a particularly challenging task for marginal inner areas, which during the pandemic have been even more isolated due to previous structural [...] Read more.
The article investigates the possibilities of re-activating the built heritage of the Marche Apennine through shared, creative, and transcalar approaches. This is a particularly challenging task for marginal inner areas, which during the pandemic have been even more isolated due to previous structural issues such as lack of services, poor accessibility, economic stagnation, and depopulation. Italian inner areas are also facing an increase in environmental risks linked to ongoing climate change. This work focuses on the Appennino Basso Pesarese Anconetano in the Marche Region as part of the national project “Branding4Resilience”. The research methodological approach entails an exploration of the territory through quantitative and qualitative tools to investigate the possibility of a new reading of the Marche inner area and suggest operation at a local level, without losing the wider perspective on global challenges. This interpretation is synthesized in a territorial portrait that supports visions for the sustainable transformation of the area, and shows the need for shared collaborative approaches for more inclusive forms of living together. Finally, the work proposes built heritage as a trigger for development processes in marginalized territories, thus highlighting the crucial role of design and creativity, through transcalar approaches, to unveil relevant and often hidden resources and to envisage resilient futures for inner areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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28 pages, 10947 KiB  
Article
“Mapping the Extreme Terres”: A Socio-Ecological Strategy in Response to the Critical Condition of the Italian Hinterland of Val di Sole
by Margherita Pasquali and Mathilde Marengo
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12641; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912641 - 05 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1100
Abstract
Vulnerable topographies and morphologies are reservoirs of resilience in reacting to social, economic, and environmental crises in the Italian Hinterlands. Moreover, the pandemic situation of recent years has influenced people’s values and priorities, allowing us to reconsider the value of lands outside urban [...] Read more.
Vulnerable topographies and morphologies are reservoirs of resilience in reacting to social, economic, and environmental crises in the Italian Hinterlands. Moreover, the pandemic situation of recent years has influenced people’s values and priorities, allowing us to reconsider the value of lands outside urban centres. In Italy, overcoming a contrasting vision between cities and inland areas brings out a relationship of interdependence between territories, a fragile balance to be investigated and reconnected. The contribution of this paper aims to investigate the current state of vulnerability of these hinterlands, crossed by continuous phenomena and by discrete or sudden phenomena, to represent the tangible and intangible space to fully understand the performativity of these territories. The methodology used lies in an intermediate space between the values process of landscape ecology, which sees as its starting point the investigation of tangible land effects, and the quantitative-qualitative approach of mapping. A scale of values is assigned through the use of GIS-assisted multi-criteria evaluation. The proposed methodology is set and applied in the case of Val di Sole, Trentino, to spatialise the relationship between risk and resources in Italy’s hinterlands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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23 pages, 15541 KiB  
Article
Water Resources and Health Tourism in Val di Sole: Key Elements for Innovating with Nature in the Italian Inner Territories
by Sara Favargiotti, Margherita Pasquali, Chiara Chioni and Angelica Pianegonda
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11294; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811294 - 08 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
The contexts addressed by the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI) often lack successful regional policies and systemic territorial approaches to achieve effective transformations towards resilient territories. These issues are addressed by the ongoing project “B4R Branding4Resilience.” This contribution aims to present [...] Read more.
The contexts addressed by the Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI) often lack successful regional policies and systemic territorial approaches to achieve effective transformations towards resilient territories. These issues are addressed by the ongoing project “B4R Branding4Resilience.” This contribution aims to present and discuss its first results in the focus area of Val di Sole, Trentino-Alto Adige Region (Italy). The main goal of the University of Trento unit is to pursue leadership in innovating with nature in small thermal villages. The aim is to create a territorial strategy based on the value of the water resources and thermal systems by promoting the enhancement of their natural capital. An interdisciplinary and multi-scalar methodology has been adopted to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches; a data collection process was used to explore the natural identity of Val di Sole to comprehend the ecological and spatial elements; a co-design activity was conducted with the local community’s engagement to propose a resilient territorial strategic vision. As a result, the “Val di Sole Blueprint” represents a strategic tool to implement thermal landscapes as ecological design resources for the territory and to support sustainable territorial development for a better quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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33 pages, 6231 KiB  
Article
Branding4Resilience: Explorative and Collaborative Approaches for Inner Territories
by Maddalena Ferretti, Sara Favargiotti, Barbara Lino and Diana Rolando
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11235; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811235 - 07 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1845
Abstract
This article analyzes inner and marginal territories in four Italian peripheral contexts by first discussing some of the results and future steps of the “B4R Branding4Resilience” research project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research from 2020 to 2023. The overall research is [...] Read more.
This article analyzes inner and marginal territories in four Italian peripheral contexts by first discussing some of the results and future steps of the “B4R Branding4Resilience” research project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research from 2020 to 2023. The overall research is based on three phases: (1) the exploration phase to analyze socio-economic data and territorial dynamics; (2) the co-design phase involving local actors to develop ideas for a selected pilot case; (3) the co-visioning phase where a future transformative perspective for the whole area was shared with the institutions. The article focuses on phase 1 and presents some first results achieved by the application of a methodological approach based on the integration of different qualitative and quantitative tools and methods. The results outline the exploration of the four selected territories through data analyses and mapping, perceptive-narrative explorations, field research, and explorative designs. The concept of peripherality is addressed in a critical way, trying to go beyond standardized definitions, including interdisciplinarity as an essential tool for territorial enhancement and branding. The main interpretation findings not only outline possible strategies and actions for the four analyzed inner territories, but also foster the application of the proposed methodological approach in other complex socio-economic contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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33 pages, 5968 KiB  
Article
Re-Inhabiting Inner Areas Triggering New Regeneration Trajectories: The Case Study of Sicani in Sicily
by Barbara Lino, Annalisa Contato, Mauro Ferrante, Giovanni Frazzica, Luciana Macaluso and Francesca Sabatini
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 976; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14020976 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2721
Abstract
The Italian debate on the so-called ‘inner areas’ has received a much-needed boost, following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further highlighted the differences between metropolitan and inner areas. While the progressive depopulation of inner areas is a worrying phenomenon, the limits of incessant [...] Read more.
The Italian debate on the so-called ‘inner areas’ has received a much-needed boost, following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further highlighted the differences between metropolitan and inner areas. While the progressive depopulation of inner areas is a worrying phenomenon, the limits of incessant urbanisation and the concentration of settlement and infrastructure policies in large conurbations have become evident. Departing from the framework of the B4R-Branding4Resilience research project of national interest and, by continuing in the furrow initiated by the SNAI, but also surpassing it, the aim of the University of Palermo’s research is to define the requirement for a more inclusive settlement model in the Sicani area in Sicily (Italy) to re-balance existing asymmetries by recharging peripheral areas with new centrality. The aims of the research are to demonstrate that inner areas could be an engine for innovation, thereby outlining a roadmap through which to encourage the resilience of new sustainable lifestyles. These aims would be achieved by working on new perspectives and projects, which are capable of radically modifying production, consumption, and tourism dynamics and work/life models, and which are gleaned from a study regarding the Sicani area in Sicily. The paper discusses case study quantitative and qualitative analyses and first results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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22 pages, 5458 KiB  
Article
A Spatial Decision Support System for Multifunctional Landscape Assessment: A Transformative Resilience Perspective for Vulnerable Inland Areas
by Maria Cerreta, Simona Panaro and Giuliano Poli
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2748; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13052748 - 03 Mar 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2765
Abstract
The concept of transformative resilience has emerged from the recent literature and represents a way to interpret the potential opportunities for change in vulnerable territories, where a socioeconomic change is required. This article extends the perspective of transformative resilience to an assessment of [...] Read more.
The concept of transformative resilience has emerged from the recent literature and represents a way to interpret the potential opportunities for change in vulnerable territories, where a socioeconomic change is required. This article extends the perspective of transformative resilience to an assessment of the landscape multifunctionality of inland areas, exploring the potential of identifying a network of synergies among the different municipalities that is able to trigger a process of territorial resilience. A spatial decision support system (SDSS) for multifunctionality landscape assessment aims to help local actors understand local resources and multifunctional values of the Partenio Regional Park (PRP) and surrounding municipalities, in the South of Italy, stimulating their cooperation in the management of environmental and cultural sites and the codesign of new strategies of enhancement. The elaboration of spatial indicators according to Landscape Services classification and the interaction between the “Analytic Network Process” (ANP) method, spatial weighted overly and geographic information system (GIS) support the identification of a preferable scenario able to activate a transformative resilience strategy in selected vulnerable inland areas, which can be scaled up in other similar contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reacting to a Crisis—Design and Enhancement Strategies to Foster a Redevelopment in Fragile Territories and Vulnerable Contexts)
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