Cultural Heritage Resilient to Climate Change: Strategies for Microclimatic Adaptation of Public Spaces in Historic Centres

Abstract

In the era of green transition, the processes of “adaptive manipulation” contribute, as highlighted in the latest report of IPCC (AR6 SYR 2023), to strengthening the response of cities to changes and climate hazards. Although the term heritage itself is used relatively rarely across all IPCC reports (ICOMOS, 2022), recent scientific literature shows that climate change has a negative impact on cultural heritage, its resilience levels, and its tangible and intangible entity. This emergency issue is central at the international level in line with many European reports (ICSM CHC White Paper III 2022, JPI White Paper 2022, Horizon Europe WP 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility and WP 5. Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society).

The state of the art related to the most recurrent experimentation on the topic concerns: user-driven climate adaptation strategies that include modelling processes and simulation of predictive climate scenarios, regenerative processes related to solutions based on the nature and use of adaptive devices capable of generating positive socio-economic and environmental impacts.

In this context, the objective of the contribution is to identify the main research experiences at the European level on strategies for microclimate adaptation and mitigation of public spaces in relation to the main climate hazards. The methodology is based on a critical review of research experiences to obtain useful data and characteristics for the testing of adaptive and technologically efficient devices with application in the public spaces of historic centres. In particular, the result, which is part of the study of ongoing PhD research, is focused on testing smart and user-driven technologies aimed at increasing urban resilience to climate change. The study will present partial conclusions from the ongoing research, highlighting open issues and future directions for investigation.