Towards a nature-culture relationship in historic centres. Evidence of public spaces beyond tourism in Florence (Italy)

Corinna Del Bianco

doi:10.35784/odk.3568

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Published: Dec 16, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35784/odk.3568

Issue No. 16 (2023)

Articles

Contemporary revitalization of public spaces in Łódź. The role of squares, streets and courtyards in creating the genius loci based on the historical heritage
Łukasz Mikołaj Sadowski, Aleksandra Sumorok

7-20
Towards a nature-culture relationship in historic centres. Evidence of public spaces beyond tourism in Florence (Italy)
Corinna Del Bianco

21-34
From Beneficiation Haciendas to Heritage Public Spaces in the City of Guanajuato. Plaza de los Ángeles Case
Enya Cerca Cervantes, Velia Yolanda Ordaz Zubia

35-43
Figure and ground: an English view of the conservation of historic public spaces
Nigel Walter

45-58
Intangible values and touristification of public spaces in the ancient centre of Naples (Italy)
Rita Gagliardi

59-71
The heart of public interventions in historic cities: reflections on the HRIDAY scheme
Swapna Kothari, Shivangi Thakur

75-85
Courtyards of castles partially reconstructed in historic towns
Kamila Boguszewska, Katarzyna Drobek

87-109

DOI

https://doi.org/10.35784/odk.3568

Authors

Corinna Del Bianco

corinnadelbianco@gmail.com

Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Italy

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1271-0790

Abstract

Historic centres globally are facing issues they have never encountered before, such as climate change and, for some, mass tourism. Over time, the relationship between nature and culture is one of conflict, with nature seen as a threat to the conservation of tangible heritage; at the same time, tourism has upset the reality of historic centres, compromising their fruition for both residents and tourists.

In this context of great changes, the public space role of historic centres has been overturned. These public spaces, conceived as a set of elements that make up the urban scene and represent the identity of a community, have already changed significantly; on the one hand, they must respond to the needs of users who are mainly tourists and who arrive in larger numbers than originally envisaged, while on the other hand, they are experiencing the effects of climate change, with rising temperatures, heat islands, variations in the distribution and consistency of rainfall, and other site-specific issues.

Historic centres and culture can contribute to sustainable development goals, and conservation plays an important role in creating projects in synergistic relationships with the natural environment. Following an overview of the themes and current literature on tourism in historic centres and on experiences with nature-based solutions applied to conservation, this paper reports two positive instances of conservation and the regeneration of public space in the UNESCO Historic Centre of Florence, which were aimed at responding to the critical issues of the area and to enhancing its historic urban landscape.

Keywords:

nature-culture relationship, historic centres, tourism, public space, nature-based solutions

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Towards a nature-culture relationship in historic centres. Evidence of public spaces beyond tourism in Florence (Italy)

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