The XI edition of the International Forum Le Vie dei Mercanti entitled Heritage, Architecture, LanDesign aims to promote an international debate on local experiences relating to the issues of conservation, regeneration and innovation in heritage, architecture, landscape and design.

In recent years, technological developments have revolutionized not only the forms that surround us but also our daily routines. However, this new global language often does not take into consideration the identity and vocation of the area, which require appropriate courses of action in relation to both the individual context and local traditions.

The historical memory of the characteristics of the identity, local materials, building traditions as well as the tangible and intangible cultural heritage is a repertoire of signs to draw from in order to operate within each historical context and consequently enhance its uniqueness.

The recovery of the authentic vocations of a place does not mean inaction, but rather regeneration through measures to enhance an area by increasing its natural strengths, transforming the weaknesses into opportunities for future development based on innovation.

The international comparison can be an opportunity to share good examples of conservation, regeneration and innovation related to the tangible and intangible heritage in its broadest sense; architecture intended as the identity of the places that shapes the landscape, from traditional to global forms; design at all scales, from the object to the territory, in a sustainable way to start a process of regeneration through a new relationship between man and the environment.

The conference is open to multidisciplinary experiences of one or more of the proposed themes. Scholars are invited to submit research on theoretical and methodological aspects as well as present experiences and practical applications carried out on these issues.

Carmine Gambardella