Cultural Ecosystems in Practice: Italian Case Studies
A Comparative Place-Based Analysis of Cultural Infrastructure in Northwest Italy
This working paper documents a structured, place-based analysis of cultural ecosystems across northwest Italy, focusing on case studies in Liguria and Piedmont. The research applies Pollen’s POETS framework, Population, Organization, Environment, Technology, and Subtle Influences, to examine how cultural activity is spatially organized and operationally sustained across different settlement scales.
The study includes rural hill towns, alpine villages, coastal comunes, UNESCO-designated cultural landscapes, and the port city of Genova. By documenting each location using a consistent observational template, the report identifies cross-case structural patterns in how culture functions within civic and environmental systems.
Rather than evaluating artistic output or economic impact alone, the analysis centers on observable infrastructure:
Built heritage and religious institutions
Civic and municipal assets
Landscape systems (waterfronts, trails, terraced vineyards, alpine corridors)
Public-realm networks (piazzas, promenades, pedestrian routes)
Event-based programming and seasonal rhythms
Italy’s participation in 61 UNESCO World Heritage listings provides macro-level preservation context. Within Liguria and Piedmont, six UNESCO properties are located. However, one of the central findings of this study is that core structural characteristics of cultural ecosystems, public-realm integration, heritage anchoring, and landscape continuity, are present in both designated and non-designated communities.
Across the cases, several consistent patterns emerge:
Public realm functions as primary cultural infrastructure. Streets, waterfronts, trails, and piazzas operate as everyday platforms for both incidental cultural encounter and scheduled programming.
Heritage assets act as structural anchors. Historic buildings and landscapes shape identity, circulation, and spatial organization.
Institutional density varies by scale. Larger cities demonstrate layered governance and formal staffing structures, while smaller towns rely on municipal and parish coordination embedded within daily civic life.
Seasonality shapes operating conditions. Tourism, pilgrimage, and agricultural cycles influence visibility, programming intensity, and public-space activation.
The findings suggest that cultural ecosystems in northwest Italy are embedded within existing civic and environmental infrastructure rather than organized as stand-alone cultural districts. UNESCO designation corresponds with formal recognition and visitor infrastructure in some locations, but does not fundamentally alter the underlying structural integration of culture within settlement form.
This research contributes a structured, comparative observational model that can support future regional or cross-national ecosystem analysis, including ongoing comparative work in Minnesota and other U.S. contexts.
Read the full working paper:
Cultural Ecosystems in Practice: A Comparative Place-Based Analysis of Cultural Infrastructure in Northwest Italy