An Operational Multi-Criteria Framework for the Adaptive Reuse of Quarry Landscapes: The Cutrofiano Case Study in Southern Italy
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article addresses the regeneration of extractive landscapes through the case study of the abandoned quarry system of Cutrofiano in the Salento region of Southern Italy, positioning the quarry as a critical interface between geology, architecture, and contemporary environmental challenges. The study aims to redefine the quarry landscape not as a residual void, but as a potential ecological and cultural infrastructure. The research adopts an interdisciplinary methodology combining geomorphological and geotechnical surveys, historical and cartographic analysis, spatial interpretation, and a multi-criteria assessment framework to identify vulnerabilities and transformation potentials. The results include a strategic masterplan articulated into three integrated interventions: the conversion of the open-pit quarry into a flood-control basin for hydrogeological risk mitigation and sustainable water management; the transformation of the quarry floor into an energy park; and the design of cultural spaces for public use and territorial enhancement. These strategies demonstrate the feasibility of reconciling environmental safety, renewable energy production, and heritage valorization within a single morphological logic. The study concludes that the quarry can be reinterpreted as a regenerative landscape model, offering transferable tools for Mediterranean contexts characterized by similar geological and socio-economic conditions.
Source: Land
DOI: 10.3390/land15040626
Authors: Alessandro Reina, Angelo Ganazzoli
Institution: Polytechnic University of Bari
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
Funder: European Commission
Award: G7628571466
OpenAlex ID: W7153982962