Participatory governance and cultural rights have become increasingly important dimensions in addressing the vulnerability of cultural heritage in contemporary societies. Processes of degradation, abandonment, depopulation, social fragmentation, overtourism, and the weakening of local cultural ecosystems often produce not only material damage to heritage assets, but also the progressive erosion of the relationships between communities, places, memories, and cultural practices. In this perspective, cultural heritage vulnerability concerns the capacity of communities to access, interpret, transmit, and actively participate in cultural life.

Digital transformation, changing media ecosystems, demographic decline, social and territorial inequalities, migration processes, geopolitical tensions, and the growing difficulties faced by communities in maintaining their social and cultural presence within their territories are reshaping the ways in which cultural rights are exercised and heritage communities are formed, represented, and empowered. In this perspective, the emerging notion of a right to stay — understood as the possibility for individuals and communities to remain connected to their places, memories, knowledge systems, and cultural heritage — is becoming increasingly relevant for addressing processes of cultural displacement, depopulation, and territorial fragility. Therefore, this session will be aimed at exploring participatory governance models, reconnecting cultural heritage with local populations, supporting intergenerational transmission of knowledge, fostering social inclusion, promoting democratic participation, and enhancing the role of culture as a strategic resource for territorial cohesion and local sustainable development.

The session welcomes contributions from heritage studies, social sciences, anthropology, cultural policy, law, public administration, digital humanities, urban studies, media studies, geography, territorial studies, and related fields. Interdisciplinary perspectives and comparative approaches are particularly encouraged.

Cultural landscapes are increasingly exposed to structural vulnerabilities generated by climate change, demographic decline, tourism pressure, land consumption, and the fragmentation of local communities. This session invites geographers, territorialists, urban planners, heritage scholars and researchers from related disciplines to reflect on the role of planning and heritage policies in fostering the resilience of places and communities.
Contributions addressing inner areas, historic urban landscapes, rural heritage, and comparative experiences of integrated territorial management are especially encouraged.

These pressures rarely act in isolation. Climate change, land consumption, and demographic decline interact with tourism pressure and the weakening of local economies to reshape entire territorial systems, altering land-use patterns, settlement hierarchies, and the ecological and productive continuity of cultural landscapes. Understood in these terms, landscape vulnerability is a structural and multi-scalar condition that cannot be governed at the level of the single site or monument but requires coordinated action across administrative boundaries and planning tiers.

This session examines the role of spatial planning and heritage policies in building the resilience of places and communities, with particular attention to the articulation between global heritage frameworks and local territorial practices. Instruments such as the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, World Heritage management plans, and the European Landscape Convention promote a whole-territory, integrated approach, in which conservation is embedded within ordinary planning and land-use governance rather than confined to protected perimeters. The challenge lies in translating these frameworks into operational planning strategies — landscape and management plans, territorial and strategic planning, landscape observatories and quality objectives, capable of guiding transformation while safeguarding the identity and legibility of cultural landscapes.

Particular emphasis is placed on adaptive and anticipatory planning strategies for territories under stress: the regeneration of inner and marginal areas and the rebalancing of settlement systems; the management of rural and agrarian heritage and its productive landscapes; the mitigation of land consumption through ecosystem- and nature-based approaches at the landscape scale; and the territorial management of tourism pressure through the distribution of flows and carrying-capacity- based planning. While the social, participatory, and rights-based dimensions of heritage communities are addressed in Session A1, this session focuses on the planning, policy, and governance instruments through which resilient cultural landscapes can be designed, monitored, and managed over time.

Cultural heritage is an essential resource for collective memory, identity, social cohesion, knowledge production, and the sustainable development of territories. Historic architecture, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites, museums and works of art, archives, libraries, are increasingly exposed to complex risk factors, including loss of expertise, and the fragility of conservation and management systems. In this context, digital technologies are not merely tools for documentation or communication, but infrastructures for heritage resilience. They support the capacity of institutions, professionals, researchers, and communities to understand, monitor, protect, restore, interpret, and transmit cultural heritage, while also strengthening prevention, emergency response, and long-term planning.

This session aims to foster an interdisciplinary discussion on the role of digital technologies in supporting the protection, management, interpretation, and long-term resilience of cultural heritage. Their value lies in connecting data, expertise, places, and users, enabling more informed decisions and more adaptive forms of heritage stewardship. This issue embraces an understanding of digital transformation as a systemic and participatory process aimed at the collective production of “Digital Commons” that integrate data from multiple sources and disciplines, with the goal of fostering collaborative research and sustainable heritage governance, as in the case of the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) or the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage. The session welcomes contributions that explore how digital infrastructures can support conservation, risk assessment, knowledge integration, accessibility, public engagement, and sustainable heritage governance across different scales and types of cultural assets.

Abstracts will be considered for papers or posters presenting research, experiences, and proposals with a solid scientific basis on issues such as digital twins, GIS, 3D survey, photogrammetry, laser scanning, sensors, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, interoperable databases, predictive systems, and collaborative platforms for heritage knowledge and management, or any other topic coherent with this area of discussion, research and development, with a specific focus on infrastructural approaches and solutions. Attention will be given to contributions that address interoperability, FAIR data principles, and Open Science practices as conditions for the long-term sustainability of digital heritage infrastructures.

Tourism is one of the main drivers of the global economy, the third largest socioeconomic activity in Europe, and, overall, the leading national industry.
The large-scale spread of tourism represents a social and economic achievement of the past century; its devaluation and deregulation represent the negation of its positive prerequisites. Tourism is therefore a resource, but it also constitutes a threat when the phenomenon reaches uncontrollable proportions. This dual nature of the tourism phenomenon and the opposing pairs of heritage/tourism, protection/accessibility, and conservation/enjoyment require attention, analysing data and developing project experiments.

Positive effects of tourism on local areas and its ability to generate economic, employment, and social benefits, also contributing to the economic and social repositioning of disadvantaged areas, are widely recognised. At the same time, a vast literature exists on the phenomenon of overtourism, and on the critical issues of tourism transformation into a "productive monoculture."

The concept of "Disneyfication" has become consolidated, along with a heightened awareness that the phenomenon, when it exceeds the carrying capacity of a region, generates significant problems and negative impacts on local communities, leading to a "consumption of places." Consumption is discussed both in its physical component, as the consumption of non-always renewable resources, such as heritage, landscape, and climate, and in its intangible component, as the visual consumption of places. Relevant issues on which to focus proactive reflections and contributions are:

Given the dual nature of tourism as both a critical issue and a resource, it is essential to strengthen research and strategies aimed at promoting the development of sustainable tourism, rebalancing flows, and balancing the relationships between mass tourism destinations, where the largest number of visitors are concentrated, and local areas, often with high potential for attraction but rarely visited. In this regard, it is important to emphasise the desire to support the transition of the Italian and global tourism system toward a more sustainable model, consistent with the main objectives, particularly the ecological transition.
Abstracts for papers are welcome, preferably accompanied by illustrative material, as well as poster proposals presenting theoretical reflections, applied research, experiences and best practices, experimental and innovative initiatives, intended to serve as inspiration and examples for policies, programs, and projects aimed at developing new management models for this phenomenon.

Arts and media, closely intertwined with memory-making processes, play a crucial role in the revitalisation of areas affected by degradation and depopulation, as well as by conflicts and extreme climatic or seismic events. Across the world, numerous artistic initiatives and experimental projects, often supported by advanced technologies, have contributed to mitigating the effects of such conditions, preventing or exposing the damage caused by human activities, and preserving the memories of local communities through the recovery and enhancement of cultural and territorial heritage.

Proposals for panel presentations will be selected in relation to the following three areas of investigation:

Abstracts preferably accompanied by videos are welcome, as well as poster proposals presenting research projects, practical experiences, and innovative initiatives grounded in sound scientific methodologies and clearly related to one or more of the three thematic areas.

Climate change is emerging as one of the most critical challenges for the conservation and management of cultural heritage. Increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, and the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are accelerating deterioration processes and exposing cultural assets to unprecedented risks. These impacts affect archaeological sites, historic buildings, cultural landscapes, museum collections, and other forms of tangible heritage, highlighting the need for advanced scientific knowledge and innovative technical solutions to support their long-term preservation. At the same time, the transition towards low-carbon and energy-efficient built environments poses new challenges and opportunities for the conservation and adaptive management of historic buildings, requiring a careful balance between heritage values and sustainability objectives.
This session aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform for discussing the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage and exploring state-of-the-art approaches for risk assessment, monitoring, adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable management.

The session seeks to bring together researchers and professionals working in heritage conservation, environmental sciences, engineering, geosciences, architecture, building physics, geomatics, computer science, and related fields, fostering the exchange of methodologies, tools, and applications for understanding and addressing climate-related threats.
Attention will be devoted to the identification and quantification of climatic and environmental stressors, the assessment of vulnerability and exposure, and the development of innovative strategies to improve the resilience and sustainability of cultural heritage assets. Contributions presenting methodological advances, experimental studies, modelling approaches, and technology-driven solutions are especially encouraged.

Cultural heritage assets, historic buildings, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, and museum infrastructures, are increasingly exposed to seismic hazards that threaten their structural integrity and long‐term preservation. Enhancing their resilience requires the integration of advanced technologies, interdisciplinary methodologies, and innovative governance models. However, the challenge lies in integrating new technologies with safe and sustainable conservation practices while remaining rooted in a deep understanding of the built environment in terms of its materials, structural and architectural features.

Scholars, researchers, practitioners, and institutions are invited to submit original contributions on state of the art research and field applications addressing technological, methodological, and policy‐driven solutions for improving the seismic resilience of cultural heritage.

Physical and structural vulnerability represents one of the most urgent dimensions in the long-term protection of cultural heritage. Architectural, archaeological, and artistic heritage is increasingly exposed to multiple and interacting risk factors: natural hazards, seismic and hydrogeological events, environmental stress, material degradation, pollution, ageing processes, inadequate maintenance, and the progressive loss of knowledge concerning construction techniques, historical materials, and conservation histories. These factors do not act in isolation, but often combine over time, producing complex deterioration patterns that affect the stability, legibility, accessibility, and transmission of heritage assets.
This sub-theme will address technologies, methods, and strategies for understanding, monitoring, assessing, and mitigating the physical and structural vulnerability of cultural heritage.

Attention will be devoted to diagnostic and monitoring techniques, including non-invasive and minimally invasive methods, sensor-based systems, imaging technologies, material characterization, structural assessment, digital modelling, and integrated approaches for evaluating conservation status. Contributions may also explore the effects of thermo-hygrometric stress, microclimatic variations, extreme events, and environmental fluctuations on heritage ecosystems, with specific reference to the resilience of historical structures and fragile materials.

The session aims to promote an interdisciplinary dialogue among material sciences, engineering, conservation studies, architecture, archaeology, chemistry, physics, environmental sciences, and heritage management. It will consider both methodological advances and operational experiences, including preventive conservation, adaptation strategies, emergency planning, risk management, maintenance protocols, and predictive models for long-term protection. A specific focus will be placed on approaches capable of connecting scientific analysis, technological innovation, conservation practice, and decision-making processes.

The conference welcomes abstracts addressing this sub-theme from scholars, research centers, cultural institutions, heritage authorities, laboratories, professionals, enterprises, and stakeholders involved in the protection and management of cultural heritage. Proposals may present theoretical reflections, methodological frameworks, technological applications, experimental research, case studies, comparative analyses, pilot projects, or transferable operational models. Interdisciplinary contributions and experiences able to connect diagnostics, monitoring, conservation strategies, and sustainable risk management are particularly encouraged.

Abstracts selected through the call will contribute to the workshop panels dedicated to the vulnerability of cultural heritage and to the development of shared perspectives on prevention, resilience, and long-term safeguarding.

Armed conflicts, geopolitical realignments, and systemic instability represent some of the most visible and devastating threats to the integrity of global cultural heritage. Far from being isolated emergencies, the destruction, looting, and illicit trafficking of cultural property during wartime constitute a continuous and endemic assault that reshapes entire physical, digital, and anthropic landscapes. In this context, cultural heritage vulnerability becomes a deeply geopolitical issue, where the loss of tangible and intangible assets directly affects the identity, memory, and social fabric of local communities.

Addressing this structural condition requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach capable of bridging geopolitical analysis, international law, advanced technologies, and community-led restoration practices. This session also aims to explore the multifaceted relationship between conflict and heritage, focusing not only on risk assessment and emergency documentation, but also on the complex processes of reconnecting, restoring, and reconstituting heritage within its original communities.

Contributions are encouraged from researchers and professionals in heritage studies, international relations, geomatics, digital humanities, archaeology, law, and related fields. Proposals examining these challenges through theoretical reflections, technological innovations, and operational case studies are welcomed.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

The digital cultural heritage is today a critical infrastructure of knowledge in each country, for European institutions and at international level, relevant for collective identities, for social inclusion, and for democracy. Its compromise erodes the capacity of communities in recognizing a shared memory and passing it to future generations. At the same time, its protection implies not only technical knowledge based on sectorial domains but also interdisciplinary approaches both in the creation and management phase and in the long-term preservation period. In this advanced technological dimension, the worldwide challenge includes demanding risks, too large for anyone to solve alone: data security and privacy, data abuse and misuse, copyright protection, long-term digital preservation, storage-media degradation, software and hardware obsolescence, insufficient or inconsistent metadata, cyber threats, platform dependency. Furthermore, other risks are less obvious but not less relevant to ensure qualified information and cultural content as well as their original meaning for future generations: authenticity, reliability, correct valorisation, safeguard of data and content ownership.

How digital technologies can both mitigate and intensify risk in relation to tangible, intangible, and born-digital cultural heritage? New cross skills and competencies must be included in the professional portfolios for all cultural domains. Artificial Intelligence applications are opening new possibilities for documentation, risk assessment, monitoring, and decision support, while also raising questions of transparency, bias, provenance, ethics, and trust.

Contributions are welcome on:

Submissions may present case studies, theoretical or methodological papers, tool and workflow demonstrations, policy and governance analyses, comparative studies, and pedagogical or curricular proposals. Interdisciplinary contributions are especially encouraged, particularly those that connect heritage research with archives, libraries, museums, computer science, information science, digital humanities, and education.
The session aims to generate a focused body of contributions capable of clarifying current digital risk factors, identifying robust preservation and metadata practices, assessing responsible uses of AI, and strengthening the training ecosystem required to build the next generation of digital-preservation professionals.