RIGENERAZIONE DI CITTADINE RURALI MEDIANTE IL TURISMO SOSTENIBILE: UN MODELLO DI VALUTAZIONE

Rehabilitation of ancient towns poses special questions because of the existing complex physical and social ties that can be properly integrated in decisions on sustainable urban planning by multi-criteria evaluations. This work proposes a description model aiding actions and decisions for the rehabilitation of historic centres through tourism development in Sicilian hinterland areas. The decision problem concerns the town of Cianciana, which in recent years has been appreciated by strangers who stay on this town to live with the local inhabitants. Despite this international attention, at present, the town is undergoing local’s depopulation, gentrification and economic crisis. The proposed description model provides decision makers with a cognitive framework helpful in the identification of the best strategy of tourist accommodation involving unused historic real estate. The multi-criteria model is built by a methodology resulting from the integration of the constructive approach and the down-up approach. The evaluation model was inspired by the particular case of Cianciana, but it would be appropriate for decisions in analogous circumstances