The potential of ecomuseums in strategies for local sustainable development in rural areas

ABSTRACT Given the increasing polarization between intensively used and abandoned land and the profound social, cultural, ecological and economic consequences of this transformation, landscape planning can provide a strategic approach through which to improve sustainability. A methodological approach to the cultural landscape aimed at devising strategies for local sustainable development is proposed. The approach is based first on a process of analysis and diagnosis of the landscape and the functions it serves for the local community in terms of its needs and expectations. The aim here is to promote communication between researchers and the local community in order to increase its awareness of and participation in local decision-making processes. The method then proceeds to the identification of possible strategies by which this communicative process can be implemented in the promotion of sustainable rural development. In this study we focus on the ecomuseum as an exemplary tool for the concrete realization of the goals established through planning dialogue. The research is carried out in the territory of Comunita` Montana Esino-Frasassi, a rural area in Marche (central Italy). Work in the field is still in progress. KEY WORDS: Cultural landscape, landscape functions, sustainable development, ecomuseum