Beyond Historic Urban Cores : Moving from Conservation Planning to Heritage Policies in Italy

Italy’s contribution to the conservation of historic urban cores at the international level is widely appreciated both in theoretical and practical terms, as much as its rich urban heritage. But after decades of experiments and reforms in the field of planning, new policies appear necessary. Various phenomenons, including economic recession, mass tourism, climate change and demographic evolutions have had a strong impact on Italian cities and towns, emphasising a critical relationship between their inhabitants and fabric. Meanwhile, policies originally unrelated to urban heritage meddled with this relationship. Conservation areas and listing now appear as inefficient tools, and only recently has sustainable development been seized as an opportunity for historic cities and towns. Is a new approach imposing itself? After a short illustration of the urban heritage governance framework in Italy, this paper will expose and discuss recent policies introduced at the national and local level, including in particular the design of a ‘Landscape Charter’ (Carta del Paesaggio) promoted by the Ministry of Culture in occasion of the ‘Landscape States General’ (Stati Generali del Paesaggio, held in Rome on October 25-26, 2017)