A Statistical Model Representation and Analysis of Cultural Heritage Adaptive Reuse Practices Based on Latent Variables for Circularity Assessment

Cultural heritage is a non-reproducible cultural resource, contributing to communities’ identity and wellbeing, to be preserved for present and future generations ensuring cultural identity and diversity as human right. However, cultural heritage buildings, sites and often entire historic urban areas or villages can be subject to abandonment and degradation, if not used and maintained over time. Between diverse approaches to preserve cultural heritage (e.g. restoration, recovery, maintenance), adaptive reuse is a process of re-use of buildings and sites that have lost their original function, identifying new functions/uses, compatible with heritage values. Adaptive reuse can be a valid solution to keep cultural heritage in a proper conservation state, preserving cultural values at risk of irreversible loss due to abandonment, and ensuring access and enjoyment of heritage assets. Re-use is also considered the key process through which implementing the circular economy, not only in manufacturing industry but also in the construction industry and urban/regional development, thus the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage can represent an effective approach to realise circular cities and regions, bringing abandoned and underused historic buildings and sites to new life. However, from the point of view of conservation, adaptive reuse implies possible changes to adapt heritage to new uses, ranging from structural modifications, to technological improvements or lighter, reversible interventions. The degree of change of cultural heritage needed for implementing new uses can vary, and should be carefully assessed in a multidimensional perspective, to avoid the risk of threatening or reducing cultural value through the reuse process. Thus, appropriate evaluation methods and tools should be identified to support the decision-making process, particularly when multiple stakeholders are involved and different solutions can be proposed. The aim of this chapter is to propose an innovative methodology to assess the circularity of cultural heritage adaptive reuse best practice, and testing, at the same time, the validity of the theoretical framework discussed in the previous chapters. The evaluation of several practices on the base of suitable indicators collected through a European survey allowed to validate specific circularity criteria and definitions that can support decision-makers.