Landscapes of Industrial Production: Resources between Conservation and Transformation

This article introduces the research project “Landscapes of Industrial Production: Documenting and Assessing 20th century (post)Industrial Landscapes as Resources (Land-In-Pro)” that deals with the tangible and intangible legacy left by the 20th-century (de)industrialization processes in the landscape of the Liguria region, Italy, envisioning it as a living testimony of the past and a potential resource for a sustainable and resilient future. The conservation and management of modern architectural heritage and landscape dilemma has been a pivotal discourse since the last decades of the 20th-century, increasing its importance up to present whilst seeking to embrace urban planning and socio-economic sustainable development perspectives in an integrated strategy towards a conscious conservation/transformation approach. The (post)industrial heritage and landscapes are part of this discourse and should be addressed not as relics of the past, but as local resources for the future able to trigger conscious transformation that creates liveable and sustainable places for their communities. To address Land-In-Pro overall questions, the Bormida Valley located in the Savona district, North-West of Italy, has been chosen as a case study due to its peculiar industrial past in the chemical industrial sector since the very beginning of the 20th-century that also coincided with the development of the roads and rail networks in support of the industries. In order to reach its objectives, Land-In-Pro will explore, document, and assess the legacy of the (de)industrialization processes in the selected case study aiming at critically unfolding new perspectives on conservation and adaptive re-use strategies of (post)industrial heritage for a sustainable development that consider both conservation and transformation needs. This contribution intends to illustrate an overview about Land-In-Pro methodology, objectives, and case study by combining different perspectives and providing preliminary insights to question, initiate, and advance further research developments within the project’s field of study.