A Decision Support Framework for a Collaborative Network Strategy of Cultural Heritage Enhancement: The Co-HEva Approach

The European and international debate recognises reusing and enhancing Cultural Heritage as critical in sustainable and circular urban regeneration strategies. In addition, some categories of assets, such as former religious buildings, suggest activating network strategies to consider complex values and implement multi-method and multi-actor approaches that encourage different stakeholders’ engagement in innovation reuse processes. The paper describes a Decision Support Framework’s proposal, the Collaborative Heritage Evaluation (Co-HEva), based on a multi-methodological decision-making process tested in actual experience. The aim is to identify the potential driving assets in structuring a collaborative network strategy for cultural heritage enhancement and elaborating heritage-led urban regeneration processes. The application of multi-criteria analysis, characterised by selecting and defining site-specific criteria and indicators, generates a priorities map useful in implementing collaborative and cooperative regeneration processes. The action-research case activated in Salerno’s historical centre in Italy has allowed verifying the approach effectiveness in supporting the elaboration of public policies oriented to the regeneration of unused or abandoned religious and cultural heritage as a new catalyst of vibrancy and vitality.