The Living Palimpsest Profile: An Integrated Assessment Framework for Vernacular Rural Settlements

Rural areas across Europe, particularly in the Balkans, are confronting a challenging and uneven negative transformation, marked by depopulation, economic stagnation and the degradation of their vernacular heritage. Assessing the unique dynamics and historical reality of these settlements proves difficult because conventional sustainability assessment systems are typically urban-focused and static. To address the methodological shortfall, this research introduces the Living Palimpsest Profile (LPP), a novel framework that conceptualizes rural settlements as layered landscapes in which time is treated as an endogenous variable in the sustainability equation. Employing the palimpsest metaphor, the LPP integrates a rigorous qualitative assessment, validated through convergent verification, with a hierarchical Framework of Visions. The framework was applied successfully to two Balkan case studies, demonstrating capacity to capture local specificity and inform contextual policy segmentation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given its significant transferability to other heritage-rich regions, the LPP is positioned as an essential methodological solution for the sustainable development of vernacular settlements worldwide.