Values-Led Digital Design for the Post-Disaster Recovery of Heritage and Sense of Place

Disasters batter places, heritage and sense of place. The application of 3D technologies in rebuilding these elements offers a promising means to support affected communities by strengthening their resilience through a focus on intangible heritage. The article explores how a human-centred, values-led design approach can guide the ethical development of 3D technological interventions, ensuring respect for the voices of affected communities and leading to more responsible digital heritage practices. The study presents the analysis of the REPLACE (Rebuilding a Sense of Place) project, a research programme aimed at advancing the transformative deployment of 3D technologies in rebuilding heritage and sense of place after disasters, focusing on areas in Italy affected by recurrent earthquakes. This article illustrates how a values-led design framework was applied to a technological ethnography methodology to create an ethical foundation for the project’s digital practices. The discussion addresses the complexities, benefits, and limitations of this framework in navigating ethical tensions, facilitating knowledge exchange, and fostering critical reflections on digital heritage practices in support of places and communities in crisis. By focusing on intangible heritage and post-disaster contexts, this article offers new insights into ethical practices in the heritage field.