**5. Conclusions and perspectives for territorial cultural systems**

Italy and much of Europe enjoy an extraordinary polycentrism and a large and diverse network of small- and medium-sized historic centers. It is therefore necessary to be able to enhance this original settlement structure. It is essential to highlight the enormous territorial capital made up of the networks of historic centers and the territorial systems in which they are included [23], which has its strengths in natural and cultural resources, in agricultural and tourist production systems, and in the social energy of the local population and potential residents. In this context, the unused territorial capital represents an important latent resource to be reactivated. It is a measure of the development potential that can be implemented.

**49**

*Promoting Territorial Cultural Systems through Urban Planning*

Strengthening the demographic structure of these territorial systems and the quality of life, in terms of access to essential services, is an indispensable condition for the success of any development strategy one wishes to implement in these territories. Strengthening can be achieved through population growth or an increase in working-age population classes or at least a halt to decline. Overcoming the inertial demographic dynamics is a fundamental aspect for the success of local development

Strategies must therefore aim at improving the quality of life of residents, well-being, and social inclusion, increasing the demand for work and the use of territorial capital. No less important are the strategies aimed at the protection of the territory, the enhancement of natural and historical cultural resources, the promotion of sustainable tourism, the activation of agro-food systems, and the reevaluation of know-how and craftsmanship linked to traditions locals. Obviously, natural and cultural capital [23] is not the only outcome of history: it can be increased with appropriate modernization practices and policies through architecture, the reuse of disused urban containers, and the enhancement and integration in integrated itineraries and/or itineraries (e.g., food and wine or cultural). Natural and cultural capital then requires a necessary integration with the world of entrepreneurship to

There are numerous policies, programs, and actions capable of supporting a self-sustainable local development of this territorial capital, but to pursue them, it is necessary to change the cultural approach and governance models of this process

These purposes and these strategies are at the basis of the activities started to encourage the development process of numerous territorial realities in Italy, such as, for example, among many, the pilot project called "Live Villages," or that of the most beautiful villages in Italy which have now taken on the characteristics of a

By shifting even more attention to the territorial cultural systems, the goal becomes to plan individual territorial realities in the broader context in which they fall: the territorial cultural systems can in fact allow a unitary and systemic vision of

With these design purposes, however, the development prospects of the territorial cultural systems are outlined within the latest generation landscape plans, in line with what is defined in the European Landscape Convention. Cultural heritage is therefore interpreted as an integrated system related to the territory, in its historical structure defined by long-lasting territorialization processes, and by the identity

Planning is therefore understood here as an action-oriented project activity, an activity inclusive of the plurality of ideas and instances expressed by the settled communities, a different way of approaching, that is, looking for solutions aimed at promoting local development. This highlights the need to understand what the fundamental requirements of the planning process must be in order to be able to involve inhabitants and stakeholders, to manage the relationship between public and private entities, to use and administer significant quantities of georeferenced data and information, to promote the quality of the urban and territorial landscape, and to pursue a real quality of life for the users of the plan, in economically weak territorial areas, with a resident population dispersed over large territorial areas and

In taking cultural heritage as the driving force of development, the planning process must be able to construct shared development scenarios, in terms of complexity rather than according to simplified visions, in order to fully grasp the peculiarities and diversities of the places: peculiarities and diversity are the foundation

development activities based on the enhancement of resource locals.

characteristics of the territorial figures that compose it.

often characterized by infrastructural deficiencies.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91985*

be translated into economic opportunity.

and a medium long-term time horizon [23].

large area territorial project (**Figure 6**).

policies [24].

#### *Promoting Territorial Cultural Systems through Urban Planning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91985*

*Heritage*

**Figure 5.**

*photo).*

stage of their activities.

potential action.

At the operational level, the preparation of a "toolkit" was also extremely useful, a lean and easy-to-use manual that local partners could follow and consult at each

Furthermore, the involvement of the populations was transversal within the project, from the cognitive-reconnaissance phase to the planning phase, to draw on the one hand important elements of the diffuse knowledge necessary to create a map of values inherent in the territories and on the other to create an awareness of a place such as to develop awareness of the development potential of the territories themselves in the inhabitants, an essential condition for initiating effective processes of sustainable local development [5]. Drawing important lessons, in fact, from good and bad practices of the past, we tried to involve the local populations by directing all activities towards forms of active and inclusive participation, with the aim of exploiting and interpreting those codes and languages of the best transmission that are almost always behavioral and that as such escape codification through rules and documents but which represent an invaluable pool of knowledge and

*Rural houses in the municipal area of Dilijan in the Tavush region of Armenia which, in the strategies of the integrated cultural plan developed during the VIVA project, represent a connection of a physical but also immaterial territorial character between the villages and small towns that dot the region (source: author's* 

**5. Conclusions and perspectives for territorial cultural systems**

Italy and much of Europe enjoy an extraordinary polycentrism and a large and diverse network of small- and medium-sized historic centers. It is therefore necessary to be able to enhance this original settlement structure. It is essential to highlight the enormous territorial capital made up of the networks of historic centers and the territorial systems in which they are included [23], which has its strengths in natural and cultural resources, in agricultural and tourist production systems, and in the social energy of the local population and potential residents. In this context, the unused territorial capital represents an important latent resource to be reactivated. It is a measure of the development potential that can be implemented.

**48**

Strengthening the demographic structure of these territorial systems and the quality of life, in terms of access to essential services, is an indispensable condition for the success of any development strategy one wishes to implement in these territories. Strengthening can be achieved through population growth or an increase in working-age population classes or at least a halt to decline. Overcoming the inertial demographic dynamics is a fundamental aspect for the success of local development policies [24].

Strategies must therefore aim at improving the quality of life of residents, well-being, and social inclusion, increasing the demand for work and the use of territorial capital. No less important are the strategies aimed at the protection of the territory, the enhancement of natural and historical cultural resources, the promotion of sustainable tourism, the activation of agro-food systems, and the reevaluation of know-how and craftsmanship linked to traditions locals. Obviously, natural and cultural capital [23] is not the only outcome of history: it can be increased with appropriate modernization practices and policies through architecture, the reuse of disused urban containers, and the enhancement and integration in integrated itineraries and/or itineraries (e.g., food and wine or cultural). Natural and cultural capital then requires a necessary integration with the world of entrepreneurship to be translated into economic opportunity.

There are numerous policies, programs, and actions capable of supporting a self-sustainable local development of this territorial capital, but to pursue them, it is necessary to change the cultural approach and governance models of this process and a medium long-term time horizon [23].

These purposes and these strategies are at the basis of the activities started to encourage the development process of numerous territorial realities in Italy, such as, for example, among many, the pilot project called "Live Villages," or that of the most beautiful villages in Italy which have now taken on the characteristics of a large area territorial project (**Figure 6**).

By shifting even more attention to the territorial cultural systems, the goal becomes to plan individual territorial realities in the broader context in which they fall: the territorial cultural systems can in fact allow a unitary and systemic vision of development activities based on the enhancement of resource locals.

With these design purposes, however, the development prospects of the territorial cultural systems are outlined within the latest generation landscape plans, in line with what is defined in the European Landscape Convention. Cultural heritage is therefore interpreted as an integrated system related to the territory, in its historical structure defined by long-lasting territorialization processes, and by the identity characteristics of the territorial figures that compose it.

Planning is therefore understood here as an action-oriented project activity, an activity inclusive of the plurality of ideas and instances expressed by the settled communities, a different way of approaching, that is, looking for solutions aimed at promoting local development. This highlights the need to understand what the fundamental requirements of the planning process must be in order to be able to involve inhabitants and stakeholders, to manage the relationship between public and private entities, to use and administer significant quantities of georeferenced data and information, to promote the quality of the urban and territorial landscape, and to pursue a real quality of life for the users of the plan, in economically weak territorial areas, with a resident population dispersed over large territorial areas and often characterized by infrastructural deficiencies.

In taking cultural heritage as the driving force of development, the planning process must be able to construct shared development scenarios, in terms of complexity rather than according to simplified visions, in order to fully grasp the peculiarities and diversities of the places: peculiarities and diversity are the foundation

#### **Figure 6.**

*Typical glimpse of historic urban landscape in the municipality of Sarnano in the Sibillini Mountains in the province of Macerata in the Marche region in central Italy. The municipality has been admitted to the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy, born on the impulse of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (photo by the author).*

of development. It is therefore a matter of supporting and consolidating, on the one hand, the internal "short relationships" between local subjects, that is, the set of shared knowledge, cooperative skills, and habits that produce geographically diverse territories and cultural characters, and to promote, on the other, the "long relationships" between the local and the super flat [25]. It is in these latter relationships that the process of self-determination of the local society can take place [5]: "local" and "global" must have a dimension of constant dialectic.

This means, therefore, that the planning process must assume the identity characteristics of cultural heritage as central factors in development policies to produce new territorial qualities, such as to attribute high levels of competitiveness to local resources on a global scale.

Planning and subsequently designing cultural heritage as a resource for the territory is fundamental to allow its reuse and reintegration into the life cycle of its communities. In order to be protected and enhanced, the cultural heritage that preserves the history and identity of places, it must be part of a project capable of making it contemporary.

**51**

identities.

**Figure 7.**

*the possible panoramic shots.*

spatial whole (**Figure 7**).

*Promoting Territorial Cultural Systems through Urban Planning*

The time is also ripe to work on a territorial project capable of combining protection and conservation with actions of "re-signification and modification" of the places; a project capable of clearly outlining future scenarios that address issues related to the protection of cultural heritage and landscape but also the inclusion of services, in their close interdependence; and the promotion of cultural occasions and events related to the specificity of the individual territorial polarities, as well as to settlement development, mobility, and accessibility. It is a matter of promoting a project that refers to a grid of qualitative parameters and not only, and no longer—as usual—simply quantitative. The search for an overall quality of the project lies in the ability to interpret the constitutive logics of the territory, to recognize its training laws and to propose itself as part of a physical and social

*Hilly landscape on the edge of the municipality of Sarnano at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains in the Marche region. The small stone artifacts are integrated into the mountains interrupted only by isolated trees that delimit* 

This is reinforced today by the same reference legislation, consequent to the European Landscape Convention, increasingly oriented towards expanding the range of action of the project activity to ensure specific territorial quality objectives for each territory. In the development scenarios, the project invests all landscapes, even those whose quality is only latent if not absent, and considers their potential not only in relation to forms and signs inherited from history but also to the value of change, when it is coherent with those signs and with those forms. Signs and forms therefore become driving factors of regeneration processes and renewed

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91985*

#### **Figure 7.**

*Heritage*

**50**

**Figure 6.**

resources on a global scale.

*Italian Municipalities (photo by the author).*

making it contemporary.

of development. It is therefore a matter of supporting and consolidating, on the one hand, the internal "short relationships" between local subjects, that is, the set of shared knowledge, cooperative skills, and habits that produce geographically diverse territories and cultural characters, and to promote, on the other, the "long relationships" between the local and the super flat [25]. It is in these latter relationships that the process of self-determination of the local society can take place [5]:

*Typical glimpse of historic urban landscape in the municipality of Sarnano in the Sibillini Mountains in the province of Macerata in the Marche region in central Italy. The municipality has been admitted to the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy, born on the impulse of the Tourism Council of the National Association of* 

This means, therefore, that the planning process must assume the identity characteristics of cultural heritage as central factors in development policies to produce new territorial qualities, such as to attribute high levels of competitiveness to local

Planning and subsequently designing cultural heritage as a resource for the territory is fundamental to allow its reuse and reintegration into the life cycle of its communities. In order to be protected and enhanced, the cultural heritage that preserves the history and identity of places, it must be part of a project capable of

"local" and "global" must have a dimension of constant dialectic.

*Hilly landscape on the edge of the municipality of Sarnano at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains in the Marche region. The small stone artifacts are integrated into the mountains interrupted only by isolated trees that delimit the possible panoramic shots.*

The time is also ripe to work on a territorial project capable of combining protection and conservation with actions of "re-signification and modification" of the places; a project capable of clearly outlining future scenarios that address issues related to the protection of cultural heritage and landscape but also the inclusion of services, in their close interdependence; and the promotion of cultural occasions and events related to the specificity of the individual territorial polarities, as well as to settlement development, mobility, and accessibility. It is a matter of promoting a project that refers to a grid of qualitative parameters and not only, and no longer—as usual—simply quantitative. The search for an overall quality of the project lies in the ability to interpret the constitutive logics of the territory, to recognize its training laws and to propose itself as part of a physical and social spatial whole (**Figure 7**).

This is reinforced today by the same reference legislation, consequent to the European Landscape Convention, increasingly oriented towards expanding the range of action of the project activity to ensure specific territorial quality objectives for each territory. In the development scenarios, the project invests all landscapes, even those whose quality is only latent if not absent, and considers their potential not only in relation to forms and signs inherited from history but also to the value of change, when it is coherent with those signs and with those forms. Signs and forms therefore become driving factors of regeneration processes and renewed identities.
