PlaceMaker: a method for the integrated enhancement of cultural resources and urban identities

The essay illustrates the results of the research project Innovative TEchnologies for the COnservation and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage - Italian acronym: TECON@ BC - carried out in the framework of the ROP - Regional Operative Programme, with attention to the study of the medieval burgh of Sovana and its updating in the framework of the Bilateral project Valorisation-Tourism-Participation: Developing al- ternative integrated solutions for less promoted historic sites with ICVBC-CNR of Rome (Italy) and CACH: Department of Cultural Relics Research of Beijing (China). The aim of the TECON@BC project (2010-2013) was to develop methods and tech- nologies for the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage to the end of promoting and improving the enjoyment of the Tuscan (Central Italy) cultural heri- tage, with special regard for heritage located in underdeveloped areas, as a means to favour progress in these areas. In continuity with this project, the aim of the CACH Bilateral project (2016-2018) has been the identification of models and computer sci- ence tools for the planning and enhancement of the historical sites for a more dura- ble sustainable development to be investigated in Sovana as one of the emblematic cases to be used in China. By using the PlaceMaker method (Sepe 2013, 2015, 2016) – see table 1 - spe- cifically devoted to the identification and design of place identity resources (Lynch 1960; Hague, Jenkins 2005), I was able to highlight identity-related features of the town of Sovana. The results and relative updating are explained below.