THE ITALIAN CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT
THE ITALIAN CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT

Summary/Abstract: Considering the growing importance acquired by the intangible elements coupled with the unprecedented prevalence of the intellectual component of goods over their physical production, this research investigates the capacity of culture to foster identities, strengthen communities, support businesses and propel sustainable territorial development. Following the introductory presentation of cultural districts and clusters in general with special attention to the Italian understanding of the concept, the paper focuses on the dedicated program promoted by Fundazione Cariplo together with the projects developed in this context. Two case studies are investigated in particular, namely il Distretto Culturale dell’Oltrepò Mantovano - DOMINUS and il Distretto culturale “Le Regge dei Gonzaga”. Despite their close location and identical legislative / administrative framework, they started and evolved in very different ways, mainly because of their specific endogenous conditions, but somehow reached the same main objectives. Starting from these relevant examples evaluated from a broader international perspective and recalling the outputs of various researches done by Politecnico di Milano in this field, some pivotal conclusions are derived concerning the mechanism of culture-led development, its main pitfalls and achievements.

• Details
• Contents