Heritage valorisation as a means of rural regeneration: the RURITAGE inventory of Lessons Learnt

Purpose Cultural and natural heritage play a crucial role in the enhancement of sustainable development strategies in rural areas, even though their full potential is still under-explored. Rural areas are currently facing common challenges related to depopulation, unemployment, poverty and ageing, making knowledge and experiences sharing a way to inspire and get insight on how to develop and implement rural regeneration strategies. The purpose of this study is to propose a knowledge framework assessment based on the analysis, documentation and mapping of successful heritage-led practices, to obtain and gather replicable lessons learnt in the form of inventory, to facilitate replicable regeneration strategies. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on good practices implemented by 20 Role Models and analysed in the context of the RURITAGE project, introducing the inventory of Lessons Learnt, a tool aimed at supporting and improving the use of evidence in decision-making processes and facilitating replication. Findings The multilevel analysis described in this paper allowed to identify 40 Lessons Learnt, which were clustered according to their main area of knowledge and cross-cutting issues, demonstrating and reinforcing the importance of culture and heritage in the sustainable development of rural areas. Originality/value This paper, through the structured analysis of information provided, contributes to support the decision-making process by improving the use of evidence and knowledge integration.