smart paths for advanced management of cultural heritage

Internet and mobile communication has transformed the manner of conventionally interacting with cultural heritage, creating dynamic networks for all those involved. It provides opportunities to experiment with innovative mobile applications that, valorizing historical and environmental resources, complement the broader context of smart cities/regions. This paper aims to study an advanced virtual on-site fruition of cultural heritage by users–consumers, applied in the region of Sardinia, through the simulation of computer-based relational augmented reality (AR) applications. This case study, which is a unique regional attempt at promoting regional cultural heritage using AR technologies, is interesting because of its tourist offerings that today remain fragmented

Industrial Landscapes Between Environmental Sustainability and Landscape Constraints: The Case Study of Euralluminia in the Sulcis Area of Sardinia (Italy)

In Italy, industrialization had a remarkable development in the 1950s and 1960s, and aimed with priority of ensuring economic growth and development. The location of the industrial complexes was determined by the dynamics of the production that required a territory equipped to supply specific infrastructures such as water connections, sewers, gas pipelines and the electricity grid, and above all areas where to build transport terminals capable of mitigating the costs of handling the product. This led Italy to locate industrial activities in many coastal sites, close to pre-existing urban contexts, resulting in a well-defined coastal industrial landscape especially in the areas of Southern Italy that were chosen as centers of development. Today, the determining factor for location choices is the cost of the workforce and this has made more and more frequent the processes of delocalization of the companies with worrying repercussions both for the direct and induced occupation and for the degradation of the landscape. This process, linked to the safety regulations, to the updating of the systems and to an increasingly more rigorous landscape legislation, makes critical the framework of the existing and not yet abandoned disused industrial realities. For these reasons, the main objective of this article is to evaluate the compatibility between existing industrial areas at risk of delocalization and new interpretations of the environment and the landscape to be reconstituted, in order to allow the realization of goods that maintain the levels of industrial production within a framework ofecological protection rules and recently adopted landscape constraints. In this regard, in this paper the authors use the Eurallumina industry in Sulcis in Sardinia (Italy) as a case study, in order to analyze the problem that concerns the uses in the territories with an industrial vocation and the landscape components, that deserve particular attention to safeguard not only for the economic and social context but also for the quality of the coastal environment. The case study is particularly significant because the Euralluminia industry for some years was at risk of delocalization because it needs of a conversion of some parts of the plants, blocked due to the landscape regulation imposed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage ofSouthern Sardinia for the expected changes in the coastal environment. Therefore, keeping in mind the theories of localization and the pushes for the delocalization of the industrial contexts, the study discusses the importance of the interconnection between economic and landscape factors paying particular attention to the coastal areas

Smart Cities between ethics and aesthetics

Smart cities are systems of knowledge. If on the one hand they maintain an identity that prevents repetition - given the uniqueness of their historical-evolutionary path – on the other hand they can be classified according to the criteria of representation adopted for interaction with the urban reality. However, rather than adhering to a single paradigm (modernity, postmodernism or complexity), it may be useful to develop an “eclectic” perspective, in order to identify the conceptual intersections that show the existence of areas in which it is important to intervene, regardless of the diversity of paradigms. In this context, researchers and practitioners can help in establishing a link between the development of collective identities and activities of public institutions interested in activating participatory decision-making processes. Thus, it is possible to appreciate geographical scales and elements of scarse interest at an institutional level, which, however, may prove to be of great value in citizens’ individual background. Citizens become “daily life explorers” who can communicate with the institutions or share contents with them on the web. Instead, geographers and institutions have the task of integrating the individual opinions in order to produce “ethical frameworks” which are responsive to the living experience of people that animate everyday life. On the basis of these premises, the aim of this work is to research an equitable and sustainable pattern of development, in the ambivalent tension between ethics and aesthetics of the urban contexts, “mediated” by the system of knowledge that characterises the smart cities

Urban Policies and Mobility Trends in Italian Smart Cities

This study uses indicators to evaluate the progress made by Italian cities in the smart mobility sector, in order to understand how these cities have approached the new guidelines imposed by the European Union, and how they have implemented the European changes. Specifically, this study analyses the evolution of public transportation systems, using a sample of twenty-two Italian cities for three successive time periods (2005, 2010, and 2015). The outcomes identified are then linked to funding provided for the implementation of projects related to smart mobility in the cities studied, in order to verify possible correlations between the growth of these services and European and national financial investments. The data analysis shows remarkable progress in the field of sustainable mobility, especially between 2010 and 2015 as well as how this progress is linked to significant financial support that favours the realization of projects related to smart mobilit

The Paths of History for Multicultural Tourism: a Smart Real World in the Metropolitan City of Cagliari (Italy)

Recently, the ways of visiting and enjoying the city have changed substantially, as well as the interest in places which are less visited in the classic points of interest - POIs (Matoga et al., 2018). This brings to light new forms of a multicultural tourism, which however activate fruition processes not yet planned and managed within the classic rules of sustainable development, resilience and the protection of cultural and historical authenticity of places. For these reasons, the main objective of this article is to focus on cultural integration in the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, constituted by 17 Municipalities in the South of Sardinia (Italy), in order to provide smart tourism solutions in a real context. The territory of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari is characterised by different types of undervalued or little known POIs (nuraghes, churches, historic centres, religious manifestations, religious festivals, and manifestations of identitarian tradition), which, however, are part of a heritage of absolute value that cannot be compared. Therefore, the working hypothesis is to redefine the concept of cultural good in its tangible or intangible form, in order to constitute a system with other POIs located in the metropolitan context. In relation to these assumptions, the paper wants to propose an integrated model of singular POIs and habitats, after describing the historical and cultural peculiarities of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari

Street Puppet Theatre Shows on the Façades of Commercial Buildings as a Novel Stimulator for Social Gatherings in Smart Cities

This study investigates the innovative use of street puppet theatre performances on the façades of commercial buildings to stimulate social gatherings in smart cities. This research investigates the impact of a unique musical puppet show held throughout the 2024 holiday season in the well-known shopping mall El Corte Inglés in Madrid, Spain. This study utilises both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, such as space syntax analysis and empirical observations. It uses the UCL Depthmap 10 software program to assess urban morphology and identify integrated and segregated areas. Observations and video recordings were conducted to analyse social gatherings and behaviours during the performances. The findings reveal that these performances attract diverse audiences and foster social engagement, transforming commercial façades into vibrant public spaces. The study concludes that such innovative uses of urban architecture can significantly enhance the sociability of detached and segregated urban spaces. The research demonstrates that this particular dynamic façade not only fosters social sustainability by creating lively urban spaces but also contributes to economic sustainability by attracting potential customers to commercial centres. This research advances the discourse on smart city development and public space utilisation, offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers on leveraging interactive urban façades to enhance public engagement and revitalise underutilised spaces

Exploring Economic and Ethical Challenges of Implementing Demand-Responsive Transport Systems (DRT) in Italy

In recent years, a change in demand trends has influenced the development of public passenger transport, causing a number of critical issues and consequences for the environment, the management policies of these services and, especially, the users. Various passenger transport services have evolved to reduce the use of private vehicles, including DRT systems that consider technological developments like Mobility ad a Service (MaaS). This article focuses on a European literature review on user-oriented research development. The overall objective is to: i) highlight, among all the critical aspects of service development, the factors influencing the economic and ethical aspects; ii) finally identify a discrepancy between the perception of DRT and the empirical research design. The study concludes by providing some potential suggestions for improving DRT service deployment and reducing some of the factors influencing users' modal choices. Finally, the paper proposes implications for policy makers and operators