As climate change accelerates, urban areas are becoming increasingly inhospitable, with rising heat island effects and overall unhealthy environmental conditions. In this context, historic villages, due to their proximity to nature and lower population density, can represent a valuable alternative to unsustainable urban areas, providing better quality of life (i.e., through healthier environment, better work–life balance). They are “populated” by historic buildings characterized by high cultural value but are often in a state of abandonment. Nowadays, the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage represents an efficient strategy to adapt it to new needs/requirements and, at the same time, to preserve its historical and intrinsic values for present and future generations. In this framework, this study proposes a multidimensional evaluation framework for assessing cultural heritage adaptive reuse projects, covering all sustainability dimensions and capturing both tangible and intangible values. This framework, consisting of multiple criteria and multidimensional indicators, has been applied to evaluate alternative scenarios related to the regeneration of the abandoned Seminary in Sant’Agata de’ Goti (historic village), Benevento, Italy. In particular, three different scenarios have been evaluated by the SOCRATES (SOcial multi Criteria Assessment of European policies) method, a multicriteria decision method developed by the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission.

The occurrence of geological events such as landslides is one of the main causes of damage along linear infrastructures: Damage to transport infrastructures, as roads, bridges, and railways, can restrict their optimal functions and contribute to traffic accidents. The frequent and accurate monitoring of slope instability phenomena and of their interaction with existing man-made infrastructures plays a key role in risk prevention and mitigation activities. In this way, the use of high-resolution X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, characterized by short revisiting times, has demonstrated to be a powerful tool for a periodical noninvasive monitoring of ground motion and superstructure stability, aimed at improving the efficiency of inspection, repairing, and rehabilitation efforts. In the present work, we suggest a semiautomatic GIS approach, which, by using satellite radar interferometry data and results of geomorphological field survey integrated in a qualitative vulnerability matrix, allows to identify sections with different levels of damage susceptibility, where detailed conventional in situ measurements are required for further analysis. The procedure has been tested to investigate landslide-induced effects on a linear infrastructure in Campania Region (Italy), the Provincial Road “P.R. 264”, which is affected, along its linear development, by several slope instabilities. COSMO-SkyMed interferometric products, as indicator of ground kinematics, and results of in situ damage survey, as indicator of consequences, have been merged in a qualitative 4 × 4 matrix, thus obtaining a vulnerability zoning map along a linear infrastructure in January 2015. Furthermore, an updating of landslide inventory map is provided: In addition to 24 official landslides pre-mapped in 2012, 30 new events have been identified, and corresponding intensity and state of activity has been detected.

Floods are among the most devastating natural hazards in the world, causing the largest percentage of deaths and property damage. The impact of floods can be mitigated with an adequate knowledge of the territory, which makes it possible to better organize prevention plans with an appropriate analysis of the risk areas, which allows the management of relief efforts quickly and adequately. This work presents a methodology for mapping and monitoring the areas affected by floods and landslides by remote sensing: the correct representation and full interpretation of the territory matrix are essential for quality and sustainability design. In this paper, we used tools and technology that allow us to analyze and visualize the landscape evolution. The calibration of the method was performed on the events that took place in Calabria, in Southern Italy, on 12 August 2015. The proposed methodology concerned the planning of acquisition flights, the selection and setting of the sensors used, and the processing and post-processing of the data collected through the application of algorithms used for data manipulation and interpretation. The process of recognizing the areas with deposits of debris through the spectral signature was carried out using similarity criteria relating to hyperspectral data. The results obtained recommend the adoption of this methodology to deal with emergencies due to flood events.

When evaluating the shear strength of rock mass discontinuities, certain challenges arise due to the difficulty in quantifying the roughness characteristics of surfaces and the strength of asperities. Recent research has focused on enhancing techniques for assessing these characteristics and exploring the application of laser scanning to aid in evaluating discontinuity features. The analysis of reflectivity values (I) obtained through a laser scanner survey presents an efficient method for assessing mechanical characteristics, such as joint compressive strength (JCS). Reflectivity measurements demonstrate correlations with Schmidt hammer rebound values (r). The laser scanner technique would enable the measurement of JCS without the direct application of the Schmidt hammer on rocks in areas where rebound values (r) measurements are unavailable. The use of a laser scanner allows for the acquisition of high-precision geometrical information concerning the 3D roughness and anisotropy of rock surfaces. In this study, an innovative technique was introduced that utilizes laser scanner data from six previous experimental surveys conducted on rock formations in Southern Italy. This technique facilitates the evaluation of roughness profiles, considering potential variations along kinematically admissible sliding directions, allowing for the estimation of the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC). This new methodology aids in evaluating the parameters of Barton’s equation to determine the strength characteristics of rock mass discontinuities.