The Living Palimpsest Profile: An Integrated Assessment Framework for Vernacular Rural Settlements

Saja Kosanović, Evgenia Tousi (), Miloš Gvozdić, Đurica Marković, Panagiotis Papantoniou and George Hloupis
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Saja Kosanović: Department for Architecture, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
Evgenia Tousi: Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12241 Egaleo, Attica, Greece
Miloš Gvozdić: Department for Architecture, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
Đurica Marković: Department for Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
Panagiotis Papantoniou: Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12241 Egaleo, Attica, Greece
George Hloupis: Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12241 Egaleo, Attica, Greece

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-31

Abstract: Rural areas across Europe, particularly in the Balkans, are confronting a challenging and uneven negative transformation, marked by depopulation, economic stagnation and the degradation of their vernacular heritage. Assessing the unique dynamics and historical reality of these settlements proves difficult because conventional sustainability assessment systems are typically urban-focused and static. To address the methodological shortfall, this research introduces the Living Palimpsest Profile (LPP), a novel framework that conceptualizes rural settlements as layered landscapes in which time is treated as an endogenous variable in the sustainability equation. Employing the palimpsest metaphor, the LPP integrates a rigorous qualitative assessment, validated through convergent verification, with a hierarchical Framework of Visions. The framework was applied successfully to two Balkan case studies, demonstrating capacity to capture local specificity and inform contextual policy segmentation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given its significant transferability to other heritage-rich regions, the LPP is positioned as an essential methodological solution for the sustainable development of vernacular settlements worldwide.

Keywords: Balkans region; LPP methodology; layered adaptation; convergent validation; policy segmentation; GIS operationalization; cultural heritage; vernacular rural settlements; sustainable development goals (SDGs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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