A community-based assessment of the intrinsic value of architectural heritage: an application to Guardia Sanframondi

Purpose The article aims to contribute to the research challenge of providing appropriate knowledge and operational methods to move the heritage-community relationship from a theoretical discussion to an actionable strategy and provide clear value bases for participatory decision-making in heritage management and conservation. Design/methodology/approach It proposes an integrated methodological framework to guide local communities in assessing the intrinsic value of architectural heritage, interpreted as the spatial expression of the relationship between communities and their heritage. The article moves from clarifying the meaning of the intrinsic value and identifying the relevant typologies for its interpretation and assessment. A methodological approach, grounding on the integration of relational and participatory methodologies with a multi-criteria evaluation model, is proposed to define intrinsic value community maps. The proposed framework is applied to a case study: the historical center of Guardia Sanframondi in Italy. Findings The test on the case study shows how the methodological framework and its outputs can provide a complementary knowledge perspective to the “expert one” and valuable support for implementing human-centered conservation strategies. Originality/value The article contributes to the debate about operationalizing the social dimension of heritage’s value and offers a methodological device to bridge divides between the policy domain and place-based practices suitable for application to other territorial contexts.