The social value of living historical space

Concerning the very topical issue of cities in emergencies due to several kinds of hazards such as natural disasters or armed conflicts and their related impacts, nowadays, many actions and strategies are being researched, mainly focusing on risk mitigation and assets conservation applied to the built heritage. On the other hand, another kind of emergency – equally crucial – is affecting urban environments and heritage: a social and cultural emergency, related to the loss of identity values and the historical memory of places. The identity of a place with a rich historical context has great influence on individuals, playing a vital role in developing and maintaining self and community identity, giving the chance to live the space in a broader sense. By recognizing the correlation between the contemporary trends of urbanization, lifestyles, and climate change with psychologically taxing circumstances due to environmental stressors, this study seeks to investigate if living in an environment rich in both natural features and culturally significant artificial elements (e.g., historical architecture, art) is relevant for health and psychophysical well-being of the citizens. As part of the multidisciplinary project iNEST (Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem), funded under PNRR Program, this research explores the connection between natural and built historical environment, using new technologies to improve mitigation solutions thanks to the opportunity to collect digital data related to different kinds of features and conditions (urban, territorial, social, cultural).