Silvia Cerisola (p)

The lecture will explore the relationship between different approaches about culture and local development, according to a territorial perspective. The importance of culture for the well-being of cities and regions has been widely highlighted, both at the institutional and at the academic level. However, the word “culture” has been associated with many different meanings, all interesting and valuable. Material cultural heritage, intangible culture (including history, folklore, traditions…), cultural participation, and identity and sense of belonging have all been related to this vast and fascinating field. Specific cultural dimensions have been associated with local economic performance,, but also with disparate social and environmental positive outcomes. In addition, the territorial effects of culture are likely to work through different channels, including tourism, local creativity, identity, and - of course - favorable context conditions. In this sense, the lecture will provide an overview of the various mechanisms linking specific types of culture with local development,, in order to conceptually better frame the overall topic and to identify the most promising lines for future research within this engaging domain.