Cultural heritage as a driver of port cities’ sustainable development

The role of cultural heritage as a driver for the sustainable development of port cities is the central topic of the International conference that will be held on the web next Tuesday 24th November, as part of the initiatives envisaged by the European project REMEMBER “Restoring the Memory of Adriatic ports sites. Maritime culture to foster Balanced Territorial growth”.
A project that involves 8 maritime cities on both sides of the Adriatic (Ancona, Ravenna, Venice, Trieste, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik) with the aim of enhancing the value of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage connected to the sea, a resource that has been capable of generating economic, cultural and artistic wealth over the centuries.
 
Thanks to the contribution of the 2014-2020 Italy-Croatia cross-border cooperation programme, the Port Authorities of the Central and Northern Adriatic Sea and six other partners (the Port Authorities of the Central-Northern Adriatic Sea, of the Eastern Adriatic Sea, the Polytechnic University of Marche, the Port Authorities of Zadar and Dubrovnik, the National Museum of Zadar, the Regional Development Agency of the Split-Dalmatia County and the Intermodal Transport Cluster of Rijeka) are working together to propose a new narrative on the past, the present and the future of each of them, highlighting new aspects with the aim of proposing a new way of using contents and knowledge paths on maritime history and traditions, as well as on structures and infrastructures connected to the life and functionality of ports.
 
A narrative that will be made appealing by using new technologies and a guaranteed accessibility at 360°, thanks to the latest generation devices: these will be the hallmarks of a network of eight "virtual experiences" on the Italian and Croatian maritime-port culture.
The case of the virtualization of the intangible heritage of the Adriatic is therefore the starting point for the Conference. Speakers will start from this concept to discuss much broader topics, with a specific focus on sustainable cities of the new generation.
 
Such a debate will see the participation of very important experts, including Ernesto Ottone RAMÍREZ, Director for Culture of UNESCO, who will have the task – as keynote speaker – of contextualizing the initiative at a global level, aligning it with the UN documents of the past decade that give culture the role of the real driver for the sustainable development of cities, and then shifting to the analysis of port cities with the intervention of two of the most authoritative entities at international level on the theme of the relationship between port and urban soul of maritime cities, namely TUDelft University, represented by Professor Carola Hein, who will address the issue mostly from the point of view of architecture and urban planning and AIVP-International Association of Port Cities, represented by José Sanchez, the International Project Manager, who will talk about the so-called Port Centers scattered around the world as a successful tool for the enhancement and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage.
 
The conference will begin at 10 am and will be moderated by professor emeritus Franco FARINELLI, Professor of Geography at the University of Bologna. The speakers for the institutional greetings will include Pino MUSOLINO, Special Commissioner of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, Rodolfo GIAMPIERI, President of the Port Authority of the Central Adriatic Sea and Representative of  Veneto Region, the Managing Authority of the Italy-Croatia Programme. The conclusions will be made by Valeria MANCINELLI, Mayor of Ancona, ANCI delegate for port cities.
 
 
To participate in the event, please register at www.adrijotalks.com