Giuseppina Cassalia

Territorial Cohesion: Evaluating the Urban-Rural Linkage Through the Lens of Public Investments

The paper deals with the significant issue of urban-rural linkage, concentrating on the less-developed regions of Europe, and in particular the case study of the Calabria Region (southern Italy). Despite the evolution of the urban-rural exchange, inner areas are facing economic, social and environmental problems, resulting in unemployment, depopulation, marginalization, disengagement or degradation of historic and architectural capital. Institutional bodies and policy makers, in particular at the local level, deal with the complexity of the choices that need to be faced, requiring the capacity to implement complex decision-making processes and tools capable of integrating the use of territorial resources, culture accessibility and social integration. Investigating the issues emerging from the academic literature and policy documents of the past 20 years, the paper presents the preliminary research step on the interpretation of the urban-rural dynamics through the lens of the 2007–2013 public investments made in this region. The preliminary results in terms of expenditure efficiency, private co-investments and geographical distribution highlight the need for an economic evaluation approach to support local authorities in addressing the challenge of the EU Territorial Agenda 2020.

Community Led Practices and Cultural Planning: Methodological Approaches and Practices for Sustainable Urban Development.

The purpose of this paper is to define a common framework of the Cultural Planning application, in order to provide a range of theoretical and practical tools to combine the conservation of cultural heritage and local development in urban and rural areas, where the management of cultural heritage can have a significant role improving the active participation of the community in the public decision making process. The idea of participation is, at different levels and in different contexts, strongly present in Europe; modern urban design and planning projects are increasingly including local communities in urban development planning activities. In conclusion, the paper argues the possibility of applying the Cultural Planning tool in the field of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria strategic planning.

Challenges and Opportunities for Assessing Cultural Landscape: an Ecomuseum for Cultural-Based Local Development

This study arises from applied research in regional contexts combined with a deep analysis of cultural landscape potential for socio-cultural and economic local development. In addition, it starts from a careful critical reflection on traditional governance models of naturalistic contexts located on the sidelines of metropolitan suburbs in delay development. It is aimed at deepening the theoretical recognition of the identifying characteristics of the Aspromonte National Park as an inseparable reality and to the definition of rurality as an important tourist attraction and as endogenous development. Moreover the paper present a summary of a pilot project for the definition, assessment and implementation of a model of Ecomuseum of the Cultural Landscape, through the identification of homogeneous territorial areas in which to conduct experimentation and implementation of management models able to trigger processes of exploitation and growth of the Aspromonte area thanks to an innovative strategic planning focused on the community involvement and heritage enhancement.

Economic Sustainability in the Management of Archaeological Sites: The Case of Bova Marina (Reggio Calabria, Italy)

This paper deals with the issue of economic sustainability in the management of cultural heritage. The first part is dedicated to theoretical aspects, while the second part presents a case study of an archaeological area in the province of Reggio Calabria (Italy). Regarding the theoretical aspects, the question of economic sustainability is placed in the debate on the so-called New Public Management, and highlights which variables affect the economic balance in the management phase of a site starting from the nature of the management entity and of the activities carried out.

Evaluation Approach to the Integrated Valorization of Territorial Resources: The Case Study of the Tyrrhenian Area of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria

The paper deals with the topic of integrated territorial valorization strategies, presenting the first step of a research project on the case study of the Tyrrhenian area of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. In a theoretical view that leads to rethinking European development models in areas characterized by considerable marginality, the paper copes with the weakness/opportunities of lagging areas and the vision of the territory as a system of social, cultural, economic, and natural features. The methodology is based on the definition of evaluative tools enabling the identification of effective and coherent concepts for understanding, and planning to enhance, territorial attractiveness. This preliminary stage of the project aims to verify the preconditions for the establishment of a local, attractive system, combining socioeconomic analysis, identification of thematic attractors, and the study of financial territorial allocation. The paper’s results contribute to the scientific debate on the role of the “knowledge phase” in the dynamics of sustainable development, highlighting critical elements and opportunities for implementing an integrated valorization strategy of the case-study area.

A Cultural Route on the Trail of Greek Monasticism in Calabria

The discovery of the greek origins of Calabria is critical to understand the cultural and social evolution of this Italian region. In some historical periods, the cultural richness of Calabria became landmark in the whole Europe for the production of precious codex, and gave birth to great philosophers and theologians. Further, the Greek culture, which was widespread in the area, has influenced the history of many regions across Europe.