Innovative Methods and Approaches for the Evaluation and Valorisation of Historical and Architectural Heritage

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue entitled “Innovative Methods and Approaches for the Evaluation and Valorisation of Historical and Architectural Heritage”.

The evaluation and valorisation of historical and architectural heritage have long represented a crucial and complex field of study. Traditionally regarded primarily as values to be safeguarded and transmitted to future generations, historical and architectural assets are now increasingly seen also as resources capable of generating cultural, social, and economic benefits for communities. This dual nature—cultural identity and economic potential—makes their evaluation particularly intricate, raising questions about how to measure and make explicit both the tangible and intangible contributions these assets provide to society. Although their uniqueness often eludes conventional market metrics, recent decades have seen the development of innovative methodologies aimed at capturing both the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of heritage value.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to stimulate discussion on how to integrate traditional appraisal tools with more recent approaches capable of encompassing cultural, social, and sustainability dimensions. By fostering dialogue among different disciplinary perspectives—from economics to architecture, from engineering to urban planning, as well as cultural studies and heritage management—the issue aims to offer new insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with heritage evaluation.

The research area covered by the Special Issue is broad and interdisciplinary. Contributions are welcome that address: (i) methodological innovations in the economic evaluation of historical and architectural assets; (ii) approaches for assessing the socio-cultural and environmental impacts of valorisation processes; (iii) models for integrating heritage evaluation into urban regeneration and sustainable development strategies; (iv) case studies highlighting practical applications and experiences in different contexts.

Combining theory and practice, the Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how innovative evaluation approaches can contribute to advancing appraisal methodologies, fostering a more rigorous quantification and interpretation of the economic and cultural values of historical and architectural heritage.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Paolo Del Giudice
Prof. Dr. Benedetto Manganelli
Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola
Prof. Dr. Daniela Tavano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.