Managing the landscape as a common good? Evidence from the case of “Mutonia” (Italy)

Abstract

This paper aims to verify from an interdisciplinary perspective the possible relationship between and the convergence of the categories of landscape and common goods. First, the international economic and managerial literature on the landscape as a common good is reviewed, with a focus on some recent innovations. Then, the Italian legal framework on cultural heritage and the landscape is discussed. In the second part of the paper, a case study is provided which analyses the regeneration of a disused quarry in the town of Santarcangelo di Romagna (Italy), where the artists’ association “Mutoid Waste Company” has created a theme park with works of art made from recycled materials. The field research investigated the administrative process carried out since the end of the 1990s, the current perception of the area’s value and its possible future development. The results are summarised in a SWOT analysis. The case study highlights the benefits of a bottom-up approach involving different stakeholders through a site-specific urban planning tool in terms of landscape protection, urban regeneration, community well-being and tangible and intangible externalities. The conclusions also point out how the case study could be a model for the sustainable management and use of the landscape.