In this paper, we present an innovative data processing architecture, the Activation & Competitio... more In this paper, we present an innovative data processing architecture, the Activation & Competition System (ACS), and show how this methodology allows us to reconstruct in detail some aspects of the fine grained structure of global relationships in the world order perspective, on the basis of a minimal dataset only consisting of the values of five publicly available indicators for 2007 for the 118 countries for which they are jointly available. ACS seems in particular to qualify as a valuable tool for the analysis of inter-country patterns of conflict and alliances, which may prove of special interest in the current situation of global strategic uncertainty in international relations.
Building on the early works of Alfred Marshall, analyses of local economies have emphasized the s... more Building on the early works of Alfred Marshall, analyses of local economies have emphasized the spatial function of clusters and industrial districts in terms of external economies of localization and agglomeration. Recent literature has emphasized the importance of culture and the complementarities between culture and local tangible and intangible assets. This paper aims to provide an analytical foundation for these processes with a view to developing tools for policy design, analysis and evaluation. By " system-wide cultural districts, " we refer to a new approach to local development where cultural production and participation present significant strategic complementarities with other production chains. In this view, culture drives the accumulation of intangible assets such as human, social, and cultural/symbolic capital, thereby fostering economic and social growth and environmental sustainability.
This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their... more This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their impact on socio-cognitive assets – namely, social and human capital. It examines three major urban regeneration projects in the districts of Saint Michel (Montreal, Canada), Auburn (Sydney, Australia) and Bicocca (Milan, Italy), where culture has been invoked as a main transformational driver at the economic and socio-environmental levels, but with different approaches and results. Through comparative analysis, we develop a more general reflection on the social impact of culture-led urban transformation processes, questioning the actual role of cultural initiatives – particularly those related to the creation of new cultural facilities and the programming of big cultural flagship events – and participation as a means to improve the local social milieu. We find that a key role for social efficacy is played by projects' capacity to elicit the commitment of residents through inclusive cultural participation, as opposed to instrumental top-down initiatives mainly addressing city and neighbourhood branding and real estate marketing purposes.
For many spatial processes, there is a natural need to find out the point of origin on the basis ... more For many spatial processes, there is a natural need to find out the point of origin on the basis of the available scatter of observations; think, for instance, of finding out the home base of a criminal given the actual distribution of crime scenes, or the outbreak source of an epidemics. In this article, we build on the topological weighted centroid (TWC) methodology that has been applied in previous research to the reconstruction of space syntax problems, for example, of problems where all relevant entities are of spatial nature so that the relationships between them are inherently spatial and need to be properly reconstructed. In this article, we take this methodology to a new standard by tackling the new and challenging task of analyzing space semantics problems, where entities are characterized by properties of a nonspatial nature and must therefore be properly spatialized. We apply the space semantics version of the TWC methodology to a particularly hard problem: the reconstruction of global political and economic relationships on the basis of a small-dimensional qualitative dataset. The combination of a small set of spatial and nonspatial sources of information allows us to elucidate some intriguing and counterintuitive properties of the inherent global economic order and, in particular, to highlight its long-term structural features, which interestingly point toward the idea of longue durée developed by the distinguished French historian Fernand Braudel.
In this paper we carry out a meta-analytic review of the literature on culture-led local developm... more In this paper we carry out a meta-analytic review of the literature on culture-led local development models. We identify and discuss three typical fallacies characterising mono-causal culture-led development schemes: instrumentalism, over-engineering, and parochialism. We then discuss their analytical background, and provide examples illustrating the consequences of each. Based upon this critical discussion, we make a case for a 'new territorial thinking' approach that takes into account the tangled hierarchy of global and local viewpoints that is connatural to spatially situated cultural production, and focuses upon a non-linear, multi-causal scheme as the only possible framework for the policy design of credible, socially accountable, culture-led development strategies.
This paper focuses on the role of cultural participation as a source of individual subjective wel... more This paper focuses on the role of cultural participation as a source of individual subjective well-being in terms of the sociability orientation of different cultural activities. In previous works, we have found a strong association between subjective well-being and cultural participation. Here, we want to test to what extent such as association can be ascribed to the fact that cultural participation allows individuals to engage in non instrumental forms of social interaction, which are conducive to genuine forms of interpersonal relations. The test is conducted through two different evidence bases: on a survey covering Italian population and focused on the relation between culture and well-being; and an online survey of experts, ranking the 14 culturally related activities of the previous survey in terms of their sociability orientation. Our findings show that cultural participation tends to be oriented preferentially toward relatively sociable activities, thereby contributing to the production of relational goods and social capital.
Working on the top 100 Interbrand world corporate brands dataset over the 10-years period 2001–10... more Working on the top 100 Interbrand world corporate brands dataset over the 10-years period 2001–10, we analyze the relative positioning of country brands as derived from the structural characteristics of the corresponding portfolios of top corporate brands. We find that the structural complexity of both sector and country variables are not correlated with brand equity. Moreover, we apply an innovative ANN methodology, AutoCM, to build the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) of the multi-dimensional similarities among the top corporate brands structures at country level, and carry out a further related analysis in terms of the so called Maximum Regular Graph (MRG). We find that while the USA dominates the ranking of top brands at a global level, it does not have a central positioning in the MST and MRG, whereas Germany and other European and Far-Eastern countries do. We show how these results may have significant implications for the strategic intelligence analysis of country and corporate brands, and of their inter-relatedness. Moreover, we illustrate how AutoCM qualifies as a new computational approach that usefully expands the toolbox of scholars and analysts in corporate and country branding in a relevant, as yet unexplored direction.
We introduce a taxonomy of museum environments, based upon three dimensions: the auratic/non-aura... more We introduce a taxonomy of museum environments, based upon three dimensions: the auratic/non-auratic character of the environment, visitors' cultural attendance, and level of cultural attendance of the social context. We consider a case study of a museum environment characterized by the least favourable sociocognitive conditions, and conduct a study on 102 museum visitors about their cognitive performance in terms of attention and recall, cultural habits, evaluation of museum services, and psychological well-being. In spite of a fair cognitive performance in terms of attention and recall and a general satisfaction with the museum environment features, a weak relationship between performance and cultural habits, and between cultural habits and psychological well-being, is found. We conclude that museum policies for lowattendance museum environments should be carefully reconsidered in order to stimulate visitors to develop more culturally oriented habits, with possible positive impacts also in terms of well-being.
We carry out a critical analysis of current participation practices in urban regeneration process... more We carry out a critical analysis of current participation practices in urban regeneration processes. Many concrete examples suffer from major flaws in terms of instrumental or ineffective involvement of parts of the community, and especially of the weakest and most deprived constituencies, at the advantage of more affluent and experienced ones, which are familiar enough with institutionalized public decision making to surf and manipulate the deliberation dynamics at their own advantage. Below a superficial rhetoric of inclusion, cosmetic forms of participation are therefore at risk of perpetuating and even exacerbating existing inequalities. We then explore new possibilities for more effective and sustainable forms of participation, most notably social storytelling, community informatics, and relational public art and culture projects. A new, interesting frontier of future experimentation in participation practices can be found in innovative forms of coalescence among these three streams of activity, as testified by a few state of the art pilot projects and experiences.
What is the role of culture in contemporary urban life? Can culture function as an urban planning... more What is the role of culture in contemporary urban life? Can culture function as an urban planning tool for individual and social well-being? Two elements are of special relevance in this regard: cultural vibrancy in terms of level of initiative in policies, use of facilities and activities, and individual and social propensities towards the participation in, and consumption of, cultural activities and goods. This paper takes the recent path of research on the impact of cultural participation on the social and economic sustainability of urban processes, with a specific focus on the individual subjective well-being dimension. Two Italian cities, one endowed with a high stock of cultural facilities, activities, and access (Bolzano/Bozen) and the other with a comparatively much lower stock in all respects (Siracusa), are examined. Comparative analysis suggests that the impact of culture on subjective well-being in a context of high cultural supply and substantial cultural participation is much more relevant with respect to low-endowment and low-participation cases, thus suggesting the possibility of a culture/well-being positive feedback dynamics leading to urban 'cultural poverty traps'. On the basis of these results, we draw some implications for cultural policy design in urban contexts.
is paper evaluates the independent e ect of the spatial proximity of green urban areas upon the i... more is paper evaluates the independent e ect of the spatial proximity of green urban areas upon the individual subjective well-being of the Milan population (Italy). e methodology is based on a survey undertaken in using a sample of , of Milan citizens. Univariate and multivariate analyses and GIS localization have been employed in order to rank the major individual well-being determinants and the relationship between citizens and urban green areas. Results show that the residential proximity of citizens to urban green areas seems to have little bearing on individual subjective well-being.
In this paper, we study the cultural geography of the Veneto Region on the basis of a pseudo-diff... more In this paper, we study the cultural geography of the Veneto Region on the basis of a pseudo-diffusion approach to the analysis of the inherent semantic spatial data. We find somewhat surprising results, and, in particular, that Venice, indisputably the Region's cultural hub in terms of concentration of activities and facilities, global visibility and attraction of resources, plays a marginal role in determining the momentum of cultural initiative at the regional level as of 2007 data. The areas with the greater momentum are relatively marginal ones but characterized by a strong presence of design-oriented companies that are actively engaging in culture-driven innovation in a context of gradually horizontally-integrated clusters. Our findings call for a revision of the traditional policy approaches that identify centralities in terms of concentration of activities and facilities based on past dynamics, and to design policies accordingly. We argue in favour of a more forward-looking, evidence-based approach.
This paper analyzes the global geography of open society orientations in the sense of Karl Popper... more This paper analyzes the global geography of open society orientations in the sense of Karl Popper's notion of open society, by means of a database consisting of five common, public and widely used indicators such as UNDP's Human Development Index, the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index, the Heritage Foundation's Economic Freedom Index, Reporters Sans Frontières' Press Freedom Index, and Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. We carry out a cluster analysis based on the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) technique, and find that the geography of open society orientation organizes globally into four main clusters with distinctive socioeconomic characteristics. We discuss the implications of the clusterization and find that it provides interesting insight also as to the post-2008 response of countries to the global financial crisis.
Management of cultural heritage is an issue that is attracting increasing attention worldwide, as... more Management of cultural heritage is an issue that is attracting increasing attention worldwide, as emphasis shifts from pure conservation issues to issues of future sustainability of heritage sites. Experience seems to suggest that it is difficult to preserve heritage sites without embedding them into a cultural vital social and economic environment, whereas at the same time there is the risk that, by putting excessive focus on the economic dimension, they are turned into theme parks with gradual loss of authenticity and progressive disintegration of their cultural and historical value. This paper tackles these issues through a comparative study of two Japanese heritage cities, Otaru and Y ubari, both in the Hokkaido Island of the Japanese archipelago. The case study is of interest in that the two cities are representative of two opposite attitudes toward heritage management: in Otaru, the revaluation of local cultural assets has been conducted through the involvement of the local population and a socially inclusive approach, whereas in Y ubari a top-down, financially driven approach has been developed in order to improve the city's attractiveness for tourists. The results of such opposite strategies have gained international attention. The Municipality of Y ubari has gone bankrupt and its tourist attraction policy has been largely ineffective, whereas the bottom up approach of the City of Otaru has led to a rejuvenation of the city, that is now attracting tourists from abroad and has witnessed a considerable improvement in the local quality of life and in the sustainable use of local cultural heritage. Recent, successful new policy developments in Y ubari to rescue the town from its deep crisis by means of direct dialog with citizens provide further evidence that active involvement of the local population makes the difference. This comparative analysis suggests that socially inclusive policies seem to be an essential component of viable heritage management models, and that failure to integrate such dimension into the strategic approach may be a fatal flaw.
La cultura è divenuta, con gli anni, un fattore importante per le società postindustriali; essa e... more La cultura è divenuta, con gli anni, un fattore importante per le società postindustriali; essa entra sempre più massicciamente all'interno dei nuovi processi di creazione del valore economico e ha aperto un nuovo terreno di competizione internazionale, quello della creatività. Tutti i centri urbani che perseguono oggi una strategia minimamente coerente e ambiziosa di sviluppo economico locale fanno della cultura un punto di forza, inaugurando musei, sperimentando forme sempre più avanzate di divulgazione delle attività culturali nel tessuto della città, favorendo l'insediamento di artisti, costruendo i processi di riqualificazione urbana intorno a sempre più grandi e complessi interventi culturali che hanno una funzione pilota. Questo risultato va attribuito alla crescente competizione dei Paesi più avanzati in cui le economie che si sviluppano non sono generate dai classici mercati culturali, quanto dalle attività creative che possono crescere e svilupparsi nell'integrazione con le varie dimensioni della vita sociale ed economica quotidiana. È su queste basi che nasce il modello del distretto culturale evoluto: un modello nel quale la dimensione di sistema è ancora più forte e decisiva rispetto a quella del vecchio distretto industriale, e che richiede un'integrazione complessa tra una molteplicità di attori (pubblica amministrazione, imprenditorialità, sistema formativo e università, operatori culturali e società civile).
Nel corso dell'ultimo decennio del secolo scorso, è emerso con sempre maggiore insistenza un part... more Nel corso dell'ultimo decennio del secolo scorso, è emerso con sempre maggiore insistenza un particolare interesse da parte sia di esperti che di policy-makers nei confronti della cultura. Il termine cultura è stato nel corso del tempo declinato rispetto a differenti discipline, e ancora oggi è per molti un concetto sfumato ed estremamente complesso, al quale sono legate svariate definizioni che rispondono in maniera non esaustiva alla fondamentale domanda di cosa questa risorsa rappresenti per il genere umano. Se dal punto di vista umanistico la cultura è un sinonimo di "erudizione" [1], dal punto di vista antropologico è invece considerata come un insieme complesso che include qualsiasi capacità e abitudine acquisita dall'uomo in quanto membro di una società [2]. La sociologia la considera come un "patrimonio di conoscenze sociali tramandato ed acquisito passivamente" e ancora come "l'insieme delle attività coscienti e deliberate dell'uomo come essere razionale e come membro di una società" .
In this paper, we present an innovative data processing architecture, the Activation & Competitio... more In this paper, we present an innovative data processing architecture, the Activation & Competition System (ACS), and show how this methodology allows us to reconstruct in detail some aspects of the fine grained structure of global relationships in the world order perspective, on the basis of a minimal dataset only consisting of the values of five publicly available indicators for 2007 for the 118 countries for which they are jointly available. ACS seems in particular to qualify as a valuable tool for the analysis of inter-country patterns of conflict and alliances, which may prove of special interest in the current situation of global strategic uncertainty in international relations.
Building on the early works of Alfred Marshall, analyses of local economies have emphasized the s... more Building on the early works of Alfred Marshall, analyses of local economies have emphasized the spatial function of clusters and industrial districts in terms of external economies of localization and agglomeration. Recent literature has emphasized the importance of culture and the complementarities between culture and local tangible and intangible assets. This paper aims to provide an analytical foundation for these processes with a view to developing tools for policy design, analysis and evaluation. By " system-wide cultural districts, " we refer to a new approach to local development where cultural production and participation present significant strategic complementarities with other production chains. In this view, culture drives the accumulation of intangible assets such as human, social, and cultural/symbolic capital, thereby fostering economic and social growth and environmental sustainability.
This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their... more This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their impact on socio-cognitive assets – namely, social and human capital. It examines three major urban regeneration projects in the districts of Saint Michel (Montreal, Canada), Auburn (Sydney, Australia) and Bicocca (Milan, Italy), where culture has been invoked as a main transformational driver at the economic and socio-environmental levels, but with different approaches and results. Through comparative analysis, we develop a more general reflection on the social impact of culture-led urban transformation processes, questioning the actual role of cultural initiatives – particularly those related to the creation of new cultural facilities and the programming of big cultural flagship events – and participation as a means to improve the local social milieu. We find that a key role for social efficacy is played by projects' capacity to elicit the commitment of residents through inclusive cultural participation, as opposed to instrumental top-down initiatives mainly addressing city and neighbourhood branding and real estate marketing purposes.
For many spatial processes, there is a natural need to find out the point of origin on the basis ... more For many spatial processes, there is a natural need to find out the point of origin on the basis of the available scatter of observations; think, for instance, of finding out the home base of a criminal given the actual distribution of crime scenes, or the outbreak source of an epidemics. In this article, we build on the topological weighted centroid (TWC) methodology that has been applied in previous research to the reconstruction of space syntax problems, for example, of problems where all relevant entities are of spatial nature so that the relationships between them are inherently spatial and need to be properly reconstructed. In this article, we take this methodology to a new standard by tackling the new and challenging task of analyzing space semantics problems, where entities are characterized by properties of a nonspatial nature and must therefore be properly spatialized. We apply the space semantics version of the TWC methodology to a particularly hard problem: the reconstruction of global political and economic relationships on the basis of a small-dimensional qualitative dataset. The combination of a small set of spatial and nonspatial sources of information allows us to elucidate some intriguing and counterintuitive properties of the inherent global economic order and, in particular, to highlight its long-term structural features, which interestingly point toward the idea of longue durée developed by the distinguished French historian Fernand Braudel.
In this paper we carry out a meta-analytic review of the literature on culture-led local developm... more In this paper we carry out a meta-analytic review of the literature on culture-led local development models. We identify and discuss three typical fallacies characterising mono-causal culture-led development schemes: instrumentalism, over-engineering, and parochialism. We then discuss their analytical background, and provide examples illustrating the consequences of each. Based upon this critical discussion, we make a case for a 'new territorial thinking' approach that takes into account the tangled hierarchy of global and local viewpoints that is connatural to spatially situated cultural production, and focuses upon a non-linear, multi-causal scheme as the only possible framework for the policy design of credible, socially accountable, culture-led development strategies.
This paper focuses on the role of cultural participation as a source of individual subjective wel... more This paper focuses on the role of cultural participation as a source of individual subjective well-being in terms of the sociability orientation of different cultural activities. In previous works, we have found a strong association between subjective well-being and cultural participation. Here, we want to test to what extent such as association can be ascribed to the fact that cultural participation allows individuals to engage in non instrumental forms of social interaction, which are conducive to genuine forms of interpersonal relations. The test is conducted through two different evidence bases: on a survey covering Italian population and focused on the relation between culture and well-being; and an online survey of experts, ranking the 14 culturally related activities of the previous survey in terms of their sociability orientation. Our findings show that cultural participation tends to be oriented preferentially toward relatively sociable activities, thereby contributing to the production of relational goods and social capital.
Working on the top 100 Interbrand world corporate brands dataset over the 10-years period 2001–10... more Working on the top 100 Interbrand world corporate brands dataset over the 10-years period 2001–10, we analyze the relative positioning of country brands as derived from the structural characteristics of the corresponding portfolios of top corporate brands. We find that the structural complexity of both sector and country variables are not correlated with brand equity. Moreover, we apply an innovative ANN methodology, AutoCM, to build the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) of the multi-dimensional similarities among the top corporate brands structures at country level, and carry out a further related analysis in terms of the so called Maximum Regular Graph (MRG). We find that while the USA dominates the ranking of top brands at a global level, it does not have a central positioning in the MST and MRG, whereas Germany and other European and Far-Eastern countries do. We show how these results may have significant implications for the strategic intelligence analysis of country and corporate brands, and of their inter-relatedness. Moreover, we illustrate how AutoCM qualifies as a new computational approach that usefully expands the toolbox of scholars and analysts in corporate and country branding in a relevant, as yet unexplored direction.
We introduce a taxonomy of museum environments, based upon three dimensions: the auratic/non-aura... more We introduce a taxonomy of museum environments, based upon three dimensions: the auratic/non-auratic character of the environment, visitors' cultural attendance, and level of cultural attendance of the social context. We consider a case study of a museum environment characterized by the least favourable sociocognitive conditions, and conduct a study on 102 museum visitors about their cognitive performance in terms of attention and recall, cultural habits, evaluation of museum services, and psychological well-being. In spite of a fair cognitive performance in terms of attention and recall and a general satisfaction with the museum environment features, a weak relationship between performance and cultural habits, and between cultural habits and psychological well-being, is found. We conclude that museum policies for lowattendance museum environments should be carefully reconsidered in order to stimulate visitors to develop more culturally oriented habits, with possible positive impacts also in terms of well-being.
We carry out a critical analysis of current participation practices in urban regeneration process... more We carry out a critical analysis of current participation practices in urban regeneration processes. Many concrete examples suffer from major flaws in terms of instrumental or ineffective involvement of parts of the community, and especially of the weakest and most deprived constituencies, at the advantage of more affluent and experienced ones, which are familiar enough with institutionalized public decision making to surf and manipulate the deliberation dynamics at their own advantage. Below a superficial rhetoric of inclusion, cosmetic forms of participation are therefore at risk of perpetuating and even exacerbating existing inequalities. We then explore new possibilities for more effective and sustainable forms of participation, most notably social storytelling, community informatics, and relational public art and culture projects. A new, interesting frontier of future experimentation in participation practices can be found in innovative forms of coalescence among these three streams of activity, as testified by a few state of the art pilot projects and experiences.
What is the role of culture in contemporary urban life? Can culture function as an urban planning... more What is the role of culture in contemporary urban life? Can culture function as an urban planning tool for individual and social well-being? Two elements are of special relevance in this regard: cultural vibrancy in terms of level of initiative in policies, use of facilities and activities, and individual and social propensities towards the participation in, and consumption of, cultural activities and goods. This paper takes the recent path of research on the impact of cultural participation on the social and economic sustainability of urban processes, with a specific focus on the individual subjective well-being dimension. Two Italian cities, one endowed with a high stock of cultural facilities, activities, and access (Bolzano/Bozen) and the other with a comparatively much lower stock in all respects (Siracusa), are examined. Comparative analysis suggests that the impact of culture on subjective well-being in a context of high cultural supply and substantial cultural participation is much more relevant with respect to low-endowment and low-participation cases, thus suggesting the possibility of a culture/well-being positive feedback dynamics leading to urban 'cultural poverty traps'. On the basis of these results, we draw some implications for cultural policy design in urban contexts.
is paper evaluates the independent e ect of the spatial proximity of green urban areas upon the i... more is paper evaluates the independent e ect of the spatial proximity of green urban areas upon the individual subjective well-being of the Milan population (Italy). e methodology is based on a survey undertaken in using a sample of , of Milan citizens. Univariate and multivariate analyses and GIS localization have been employed in order to rank the major individual well-being determinants and the relationship between citizens and urban green areas. Results show that the residential proximity of citizens to urban green areas seems to have little bearing on individual subjective well-being.
In this paper, we study the cultural geography of the Veneto Region on the basis of a pseudo-diff... more In this paper, we study the cultural geography of the Veneto Region on the basis of a pseudo-diffusion approach to the analysis of the inherent semantic spatial data. We find somewhat surprising results, and, in particular, that Venice, indisputably the Region's cultural hub in terms of concentration of activities and facilities, global visibility and attraction of resources, plays a marginal role in determining the momentum of cultural initiative at the regional level as of 2007 data. The areas with the greater momentum are relatively marginal ones but characterized by a strong presence of design-oriented companies that are actively engaging in culture-driven innovation in a context of gradually horizontally-integrated clusters. Our findings call for a revision of the traditional policy approaches that identify centralities in terms of concentration of activities and facilities based on past dynamics, and to design policies accordingly. We argue in favour of a more forward-looking, evidence-based approach.
This paper analyzes the global geography of open society orientations in the sense of Karl Popper... more This paper analyzes the global geography of open society orientations in the sense of Karl Popper's notion of open society, by means of a database consisting of five common, public and widely used indicators such as UNDP's Human Development Index, the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index, the Heritage Foundation's Economic Freedom Index, Reporters Sans Frontières' Press Freedom Index, and Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. We carry out a cluster analysis based on the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) technique, and find that the geography of open society orientation organizes globally into four main clusters with distinctive socioeconomic characteristics. We discuss the implications of the clusterization and find that it provides interesting insight also as to the post-2008 response of countries to the global financial crisis.
Management of cultural heritage is an issue that is attracting increasing attention worldwide, as... more Management of cultural heritage is an issue that is attracting increasing attention worldwide, as emphasis shifts from pure conservation issues to issues of future sustainability of heritage sites. Experience seems to suggest that it is difficult to preserve heritage sites without embedding them into a cultural vital social and economic environment, whereas at the same time there is the risk that, by putting excessive focus on the economic dimension, they are turned into theme parks with gradual loss of authenticity and progressive disintegration of their cultural and historical value. This paper tackles these issues through a comparative study of two Japanese heritage cities, Otaru and Y ubari, both in the Hokkaido Island of the Japanese archipelago. The case study is of interest in that the two cities are representative of two opposite attitudes toward heritage management: in Otaru, the revaluation of local cultural assets has been conducted through the involvement of the local population and a socially inclusive approach, whereas in Y ubari a top-down, financially driven approach has been developed in order to improve the city's attractiveness for tourists. The results of such opposite strategies have gained international attention. The Municipality of Y ubari has gone bankrupt and its tourist attraction policy has been largely ineffective, whereas the bottom up approach of the City of Otaru has led to a rejuvenation of the city, that is now attracting tourists from abroad and has witnessed a considerable improvement in the local quality of life and in the sustainable use of local cultural heritage. Recent, successful new policy developments in Y ubari to rescue the town from its deep crisis by means of direct dialog with citizens provide further evidence that active involvement of the local population makes the difference. This comparative analysis suggests that socially inclusive policies seem to be an essential component of viable heritage management models, and that failure to integrate such dimension into the strategic approach may be a fatal flaw.
La cultura è divenuta, con gli anni, un fattore importante per le società postindustriali; essa e... more La cultura è divenuta, con gli anni, un fattore importante per le società postindustriali; essa entra sempre più massicciamente all'interno dei nuovi processi di creazione del valore economico e ha aperto un nuovo terreno di competizione internazionale, quello della creatività. Tutti i centri urbani che perseguono oggi una strategia minimamente coerente e ambiziosa di sviluppo economico locale fanno della cultura un punto di forza, inaugurando musei, sperimentando forme sempre più avanzate di divulgazione delle attività culturali nel tessuto della città, favorendo l'insediamento di artisti, costruendo i processi di riqualificazione urbana intorno a sempre più grandi e complessi interventi culturali che hanno una funzione pilota. Questo risultato va attribuito alla crescente competizione dei Paesi più avanzati in cui le economie che si sviluppano non sono generate dai classici mercati culturali, quanto dalle attività creative che possono crescere e svilupparsi nell'integrazione con le varie dimensioni della vita sociale ed economica quotidiana. È su queste basi che nasce il modello del distretto culturale evoluto: un modello nel quale la dimensione di sistema è ancora più forte e decisiva rispetto a quella del vecchio distretto industriale, e che richiede un'integrazione complessa tra una molteplicità di attori (pubblica amministrazione, imprenditorialità, sistema formativo e università, operatori culturali e società civile).
Nel corso dell'ultimo decennio del secolo scorso, è emerso con sempre maggiore insistenza un part... more Nel corso dell'ultimo decennio del secolo scorso, è emerso con sempre maggiore insistenza un particolare interesse da parte sia di esperti che di policy-makers nei confronti della cultura. Il termine cultura è stato nel corso del tempo declinato rispetto a differenti discipline, e ancora oggi è per molti un concetto sfumato ed estremamente complesso, al quale sono legate svariate definizioni che rispondono in maniera non esaustiva alla fondamentale domanda di cosa questa risorsa rappresenti per il genere umano. Se dal punto di vista umanistico la cultura è un sinonimo di "erudizione" [1], dal punto di vista antropologico è invece considerata come un insieme complesso che include qualsiasi capacità e abitudine acquisita dall'uomo in quanto membro di una società [2]. La sociologia la considera come un "patrimonio di conoscenze sociali tramandato ed acquisito passivamente" e ancora come "l'insieme delle attività coscienti e deliberate dell'uomo come essere razionale e come membro di una società" .
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Papers by Guido Ferilli