Landscape Perception and Public Participation for the Conservation and Valorization of Cultural Landscapes: The Case of the Cinque Terre and Porto Venere UNESCO Site

Abstract

Europe retains a great variety of cultural landscapes that constitute a significant part of the European cultural heritage. In the last decades, these high-quality landscapes are facing several challenges due to socio-economic transformations that often compromise their integrity. This situation is even worse for terraced landscapes, as in the case of the Porto Venere and Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage List site. The Management Plan developed for this area needs to deal with different issues: abandonment of terraced cultivations and growth of secondary forests, hydrogeological risk and high touristic pressure. Public participation is increasingly important in the process of decision-making, for incorporating the ideas and the needs of the local communities, helping to find effective solutions for the valorization of historic landscapes and for improving the quality of life. This research has investigated the perception of the local community regarding the current landscape dynamics and other critical issues studying the opinions of two social groups: farmers and residents. The purpose was to identify the best management strategies for the Management Plan and to actively involve the population in the decisions. The involvement of the local community turned out to be a very effective tool for the development of the Management Plan, suggesting a focus on the conservation of dry-stone terraces and the reduction of reforestation processes, as the strongest perceived threat is the abandonment of cultivated terraces and the resulting risk of landslides. The methodology applied in this study can be reproduced in other cultural landscapes characterized by high quality, complexity and fragility, while an active involvement of the population turned out to be important also for increasing the feeling that institutions take care of its issues.

Coevolution between Terraced Landscapes and Rural Communities: An Integrated Approach Using Expert-Based Assessment and Evaluation of Winegrowers’ Perceptions (Northwest Piedmont, Italy)

“…They are aware of issues that threaten terraces, but at the same time, they seem to be quite optimistic about their future enhancement. These results also agree with Santoro et al [60], who reported that farmers in Cinque Terre recognized terraced vineyards as the most important land use.…”

“…Respondents were not identifiable by their answers and consented to the use of their anonymous answers. According to many authors who showed the efficacy of using images in questionnaires focusing on landscape perception, a series of images were presented to the respondents [60,61].…”

“…A basic descriptive analysis was carried out in the form of percentages, in line with Santoro et al [60]. The first part of the questionnaire was used to frame the sample and collect general information.…”

Forest Area Changes in Cinque Terre National Park in the Last 80 Years. Consequences on Landslides and Forest Fire Risks

“…Despite this, results of our survey are coherent with similar studies. Santoro et al [48] report for the UNESCO area (that is bigger than the 5TNP) an increase of woodlands and shrubland from 55% to 77% in the period 1973-2010. It is, in fact, recognized that, in the last decades, a significant reforestation trend is affecting European rural areas, mainly in Mediterranean countries [50][51][52], as a consequence of natural and human driven processes [53].…”

“…The local population, especially farmers, perceive the abandonment of terraced cultivations, and the consequent reforestation and hydrogeological risk, as the main factors threatening the identity of the place [48]. Regarding this, it is necessary to highlight that in the last years there has been a slow but perceptible return by some young people to agricultural activities, together with the spread of local associations of citizens who are involved in restoring dry-stone walls, removing shrubs from abandoned terraces and turning them back into cultivated areas.…”