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Concluding Remarks |
The built-up environment – and by extension, the landscape – is the memory, the ‘baton’ to be relayed to future generations, the vital material which nurtures the future. But it is also an economic resource. The increasing importance of leisure activities, physical well-being, tourism, aesthetical awareness and enjoyment are giving a more and more important status to landscape, the quality of which strongly contributes to, if not directly identifies with, the quality of life itself. The landscape therefore constitutes an economic value that can be used in ‘territorial marketing’, as demonstrated by the growing investments (public & private) around the world. These investments are based on the awareness of the importance that quality landscape will have in the coming decades, also in terms of employment.
The case of Italy is emblematic: out of 8000 cities, 7750 have historical centres. If we add to this those isolated historical areas such as hamlets, villages, religious and military installations, we can come to a total of 22,000 sites of cultural interest.
Thanks to tourism and its associated activities, the good state of conservation of Italian historical monuments and buildings contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP. But particularly for the building sector industry, it also represents an excellent springboard for exporting products and services destined for the purpose of the appreciation of cultural property around the world.
In recent years, some interesting practices have emerged, entailing collaborative efforts between local authorities, bio-architects and, more generally, those involved in the world of projects, who pay more attention to sustainable development issues. Such experiences provide practical examples of the use of technologies and soft methods in conservation and restoration.
It is now up to the companies in the building sector to include in their marketing strategies the added value of these good project-oriented practices, disseminating them with the help of the ‘stakeholders’ (from the planners, via the distributors, to the final consumer). |
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