Living Amidst the Ruins in Rome: Archaeological Sites as Hubs for Sustainable Development

Abstract

In Rome, the intertwining of natural and built environments is structural, and has consolidated over the centuries. In the contemporary fabric, the overabundant presence of archaeology, always in symbiosis with vegetation, plays an important role for the image of the city and has helped maintain the alternation of voids and solids. Porosity can be seen therefore as a permanent morphological urban character of the city, particularly significant nowadays for environmental considerations. Ruins, which only a few years ago were perceived more as a brake to urban transformation, in recent years are emerging as an interesting potential in terms of biodiversity spots and social catalysts to implement more sustainable development. Out of the concept of sustainability, we can in fact recognize new and more cutting-edge ways of planning and designing heritage territory. This article describes a different approach to the enhancement of archaeological areas, through three case studies—The Appian Way Park, Rome’s City Walls and ArchaeoGRAB—that consider heritage as a sustainable integrated system. These projects present, through a holistic and multidisciplinary perspective, possible ways in which landscape design can contribute to the preservation of natural and heritage environments, as well as the development of healthier lifestyles and strengthening of local culture for the communities that dwell therein.

Sustainable Development Efficiency of Cultural Landscape Heritage in Urban Fringe Based on GIS-DEA-MI, a Case Study of Wuhan, China

“…Alessandra Capuano explored more advanced Roman archaeological sites and urban sustainability based on sustainable concepts [ 16 ]. Janjira Sukwai used GIS and computer-generated 3D modeling to support a visual integrity assessment of change management in the Chiang Mai Historical City buffer zone [ 17 ]. In the study of the sustainable coordinated development of cultural landscape heritage and tourism, UNESCO launched the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Program in 2001 in response to the opportunities and threats posed by tourism activities in World Heritage sites [ 18 ].…”