Ambiente e cultura in alcune proposte per lo sviluppo locale delle aree periferiche del Mezzogiorno: un'applicazione didattica

The contribution aims to assess the interconnections between environment and cultural heritage, aspects recently highlighted by the international community that recognized the strategic role of cultural heritage for sustainable development, affirming the need for a new mix between tradition (material and intangible cultural heritage), and innovation for the resilience of communities against environmental disasters and climate change, also considering the importance of disadvantaged and peripheral areas, to achieve local development and tourism, adopting an integrated and sustainable political approach that takes into account cultural, biological aspects, geological and landscape. The first experience refers to the planning of the Structural Funds (2007-2013) and to the European Regional Development Fund of the Puglia Region, with the creation of SAC (Environmental and Cultural Systems). The choice was made on the basis of the results obtained, as evidenced by the visits on the ground with students of the Human Geography Course (a.y. 2017/2018), of the University of Bari Aldo Moro and from meetings with the operators. The second research experience, also didactic, concerns the city of Taranto for the enhancement of natural and cultural aspects, and for a new approach related to tourism development, included as an application in the Geography of Tourism course (a.y. 2018/2019) of the same University.