Valorising in the Absence of Public Resources and Weak Markets: The Case of “Ivrea, the 20th Century Industrial City”

Abstract

The extensive architectural heritage of Italy often finds itself in conditions of severe deprivation and neglect or inactivity. Moreover, such heritage is often located in contexts characterized by the absence of public resources and the presence of weak markets. Their valorisation is linked to the possibilities of re-use. The identification of new locations is often treated in a minimalist manner: contrasting with public use to that of private individuals and contradicting the criteria identified by the economy to define the public or private nature of the assets. In many cases, the approach to re-use is critical and incomplete due to the lack of an in-depth analysis of the economic and financial feasibility of the interventions. This paper reviews the traditional approaches regarding the enhancement of public and private properties, taking into account the theories regarding the value and economic evaluation tools. From this point of view, the case study—“Ivrea, the 20th century Industrial City”, nominated in the UNESCO Tentative List—is emblematic. The authors intend to support the Public Administration of Ivrea in the concrete actions of valorisation of heritage, including the revision of the Management Plan already presented. Its valorization potential departs from the imbalance between supply and demand issues of spaces. In conclusion, this paper succeeds in reporting on the strategic importance of when cultural heritage, both immaterial and material, should be used, regardless of the state of its use and conservation. Attention is focused on IT capabilities with respect to their ability to reconnect the individual assets to systems and involve new audiences.