Circular Enhancement of the Cultural Heritage: An Adaptive Reuse Strategy for Ercolano Heritagescape

The circular economy paradigm identifies the need for rational use and adequate reuse of all resources, including cultural heritage. This study explores the opportunity to apply a circular economy model to culture-led regeneration processes oriented to cultural heritage valorisation. The methodological process identified tries to structure an integrated approach, able to combine the tools of building renovation and that of multidimensional evaluation to define a circular enhancement strategy for cultural heritage. Starting from the local cultural values and the changing uses of urban spaces related to the case study of the municipality of Ercolano (Italy), the structured decisionmaking process analyse how to optimise tangible/intangible cultural resources for local and sustainable development; to generate values and activate the engagement of communities through new sustainable uses; to build widespread and capillary complex networks among people, values, and spaces. In this interdisciplinary approach, the role of cultural and creative industries (CCI) is ever more significant, with the ability to create communication between management models, sustainability assessments, deliberative approaches and conservation strategies, regeneration and enhancement of cultural heritage.