Pompei Knowledge Factory Cultural Heritage and ICT for a smart city

Abstract

The aim of this research is to present the results of research project called “Pompei, Knowledge Factory”, whereas the `Knowledge Factory' represents a specific territorial infrastructure that, along with integrating know-how and technologies, may serve as the driver of innovation within the cycle of the protection and regenerative development of the cultural, environmental, landscape and industrial assets. Regeneration that could modify Pompei in a smart city. The definition of smart city, which has emerged in recent years, identifies a technological and interconnected city, that is also sustainable, comfortable, attractive, confident, with a balanced development and better management of energy resources and transport, reducing emissions, waste, pollution and congestion. In short, a “smart” design should not to dwell on mere regulations, but rather propose an integrated concept of the city landscape and development, reordering priorities and mobilizing the key issues in a logic of smart territories and communities that functions as a major stimulus for innovative research as well as projects. The ambitious goal of this project was to define operational protocols for the analysis, the survey and sustainable management of the territory of Pompei, not limited to the enclosure of the archaeological excavations, but rather included the whole municipality, with it being a carrier of critical elements, that has enormous chances still to be highlighted and valorised. In fact, the City of Pompei is unique due to the presence of two important tourist attractions (over than 6 million of tourists each year): the archaeological excavations of the City submerged by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei, now a Marian pontifical shrine and minor basilica, one of the most popular Italian destinations “to be blessed”. These tourist attractions lie in the modern City of Pompei, beyond which lies a sprawling, chaotic conurbation, that in the absence of any form of planning has spontaneously risen over the years. Preliminary knowledge of the city and archaeological site areas is the fundamental critical premise, both in the collection of data as well as their return. The research was also an opportunity to set up an experiment, with the integrated use of survey techniques and tools, a field laboratory in order to develop a methodology for multidimensional and multi-scalar integrated digital surveying, that can be exported to other contexts.