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Several threats are affecting the abandoned vernacular houses of the Traras Mountains region (NW Algeria). The disappearance of this heritage, reflecting the culture of the Traras ancient community is near. Thus, this empirical research aims at producing useful and practical information to avoid the disappearing of a valuable knowledge. It should raise awareness about Traras cultural resources and offer a context for preservation programmes. Our research approach is exploratory, with which general information about the built environment was collected through a windshield and web-mapping survey. An in-depth inquiry is carried out in the most relevant sites, gathering more accurate information. Also, Informal talks and interviews were essential to our research to understand the locals' interpretations. This study revealed that Traras is homogeneous in terms of vernacular-built features; two typologies are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm buildings play a central role in the sustainability of the rural environment. Conceived to host biological productions, the farm building constitutes indeed an unparalleled example in the wide epistemological construction sector. Due to its peculiar interactions with the indoor and outdoor built environment, it raises architectural and technical issues different from other buildings. The role that these buildings have historically played is strictly connected with the surrounding context, due to the need of the farmer to live in close contact with agricultural land and animal husbandry. Human activities have then decisively influenced the rural environment as well as the visual perception of its landscape. The increasing sensitivity to the concept of sustainable development of the built environment is currently stimulating the valorization of farm buildings. In the present review paper, a general literature analysis of the peculiarity of farm buildings and their internal and external environmental conditions is presented. Several cases of survey, reuse and valorization of farm buildings around the world are reported as well, with special attention being paid to Southern Italy, where the results are extrapolated or generalized to other regions. Focus is also given to the wider opportunities enabled by the implementation of new technologies for the survey, analysis and planning of the interactions between farm buildings and the rural environment. The main conclusions are that farm buildings play a driving role in the rural environment, thanks to the ecological function they perform, as well as to their socio-economic and cultural heritage at the base of the rural development.

The rural built heritage constitutes a unique example, due to architectural and technical issues, which plays a central role in the formation of rural landscape. In this research, interactions between rural buildings and the surrounding land have been examined. Two case studies exemplifying some of typical dynamics of some internal mountain areas of Mediterranean region have been considered. These areas are located in Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) and suffer from land and rural buildings heritage abandonment, as well as from the concurrent disappearance of agroforestry systems with high ecological value. A multi-chronological geo-database incorporating different land cover datasets over a period of 62 years (1955–1988–2008–2017) has been implemented into a GIS to assess relationships between some rural buildings and the surrounding land have been then assessed. This has been achieved by integrating different types of remote-sensed geodata: historical aerial photos, digital orthophotos and satellite images. The analyses carried out have shown that the intensity of land abandonment can also be related to the type of rural building and prevalent agricultural activity. Moreover, thanks to this methodology, it has been possible to produce several spatial information useful to support public decisionmakers at different level.

The rural built heritage constitutes a unique example, due to architectural and technical issues, which plays a central role in the formation of rural landscape. In this research, interactions between rural buildings and the surrounding land have been examined. Two case studies exemplifying some of typical dynamics of some internal mountain areas of Mediterranean region have been considered. These areas are located in Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) and suffer from land and rural buildings heritage abandonment, as well as from the concurrent disappearance of agroforestry systems with high ecological value. A multi-chronological geo-database incorporating different land cover datasets over a period of 62 years (1955-1988-2008-2017) has been implemented into a GIS to assess relationships between some rural buildings and the surrounding land have been then assessed. This has been achieved by integrating different types of remote-sensed geodata: historical aerial photos, digital orthophotos and satellite images. The analyses carried out have shown that the intensity of land abandonment can also be related to the type of rural building and prevalent agricultural activity. Moreover, thanks to this methodology, it has been possible to produce several spatial information useful to support public decisionmakers at different level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to agricultural abandonment and the urban preference for ‘wilderness’ over ‘rural’ areas, abandoned settlements and rewilding grasslands are often the last traces of agriculture in today’s protected areas of the Northern Apennines. However, since the late 1990s, an increasing number of policy makers have appreciated these spatial manifestations of the nature/culture gestalt and developed projects to conserve the last grasslands in rewilding protected areas. Does the land cover reflect these changing attitudes? Using the Foreste Casentinesi National Park as our case in point, we aim to (1) detect land cover changes during 1990-2001 and 2001-2010; (2) analyse change trajectories; and (3) reveal potential discrepancies between the conservation of biodiversity and rural built heritage. Our results show that grassland loss dominated 1990-2001, whereas grassland maintenance/restoration can be observed for 2001-2010. However, the decadence of the rural built heritage seems to continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]