Complex Analysis for the Sustainable Planning and Construction of the Place Identity: the Sensitive Relief Method

The contemporary city is characterised by complexity, simultaneity and instability, producing situations of transience and transformation. As a matter of fact, the mutations in interpersonal relationships and intergenerational gaps, technological development, mass migrations and globalisation, have transformed the spaces in the urban landscape; new types of place have arisen and the use made of existing spaces has been modified. These transformations have contributed to an increasing urban identity crisis and transformed cities into heterogeneous, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies. The new urban features of the territory are not easily identifiable, and cannot be represented by a traditional planimetric relief, often remaining “invisible”; other elements can only be identified by sense perception, which becomes a measure of analysis and a reference for planning. In order to give suitable terms and explain such new sites, several academics have tested maps, words and multimedia images, hypertext and software able to render this complexity and to permit readability, which have created in most cases new interpretations of urban features. Starting from this premises, aim of this work, is that of illustrating the analytical method of the Sensitive Relief. This method individualizes those elements which have value for the identification of the place identity, are able to provocate transformations also cultural and to influence the sustainable urban complexity construction. The final product is a complex map and the relative legend, designed to integrate the traditional planimetry and support the sustainable urban identity planning and construction. The Sensitive Relief method has been tested in various European cities and beyond; in this paper, the results of the application to an urban area of Napoli are presented.