Adaptive Incremental Approaches to Enhance Tourism Services in Minor Centers: A Case Study on Naro, Italy

Elvira Nicolini (), Antonella Mamì, Annalisa Giampino, Valentina Amato and Francesca Romano
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Elvira Nicolini: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Antonella Mamì: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Annalisa Giampino: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Valentina Amato: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Francesca Romano: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-28

Abstract: Over the past few years, minor centers have attracted interest from the scientific community and beyond as places to be re-inhabited. They have started being regarded as places of healthy and wholesome living, places that have kept resilience to anthropic actions as well as a sensitive architectural and landscape heritage that can act as a driver for the socioeconomic regeneration of their territories if enhanced. Several initiatives network small neighboring municipalities and link them to various types of tourism (cultural, mountain, experiential, etc.), depending on the areas’ traditions and specific characteristics. However, minor centers are often still unprepared to welcome tourists and struggle to implement services, especially due to the economic deficit resulting from years of abandonment and depopulation. The research described here returns possible expeditious solutions for improving the condition of tourism-related services. Starting from the historical and urban analysis and knowledge acquisition of a specific case study—the Municipality of Naro, in Sicily—we reflected on solutions to be repeated in similar contexts to improve the accessibility and use of the historic center. The aim of the research is to outline a place-based design to improve mobility, water and waste management services, affecting places’ attractiveness. The proposed interventions are modular, increasable in small steps, with budgets suited to the economic possibilities of small centers such as the examined one. This method, due to its incremental and adaptive nature, is working ‘on’ places and ‘for’ places, as well as functions as a possible tool and stimulus for the self-construction of a ‘sustainable society’ that helps the governance of these centers toward a vision of urban valorization. Territories like Naro represent a large part of Italy. They are endowed with resources lacking in heavily urbanized areas yet involved in numerous revitalization policies, including international ones.

Keywords: minor centers; sustainable cities; smart services; historical urban landscape; urban regeneration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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