Grazia Calabrò

Historical small towns (HSTs) embody irreplaceable cultural heritage and territorial identity, facing depopulation, economic marginalization, and infrastructure decay. Improving their liveability and attractiveness is essential to reverse these trends and boost sustainable development. In this context, HSTs are potential drivers of circular and sustainable socio-technical systems, where the circular economy (CE) offers a framework for local sustainability. However, HSTs lack adequate sustainable CE implementation tools. This study, the culmination of the H-SMA-CE project, develops a Decision Support System (DSS) to assist local policymakers in planning CE transitions in Italian HSTs. The DSS integrates three building blocks: context analysis (metabolic flows, stakeholder networks), an intervention library with cost–benefit data, and a composite Municipal Circular Economy Index (MCEI). The tool enables users to assess baseline circularity, simulate scenarios, and identify optimal investment portfolios through multi-objective optimization. This approach allows for the simultaneous evaluation of the benefits of each sustainability aspect, i.e., environmental, economic and social. Tested on the municipality of Taurasi (Italy), an HST with a wine-based economy, the results show that balanced intervention strategies yield greater circularity improvements than single-objective approaches. The paper contributes to the discourse on digital tools for sustainability transitions, offering a replicable model for evidence-based CE governance in heritage-rich territorial contexts.

Industrial park (IP) expansions in Mediterranean peri-urban areas can generate conflicts between economic development and agricultural heritage preservation. This paper develops a theoretically derived circular land use symbiosis model based on Hubs for Circularity (H4C) principles, using Fosso Imperatore IP in southern Italy as an illustrative case. This model proposes a transferable three-zone gradient design that enables the transformation of industrial–agricultural boundaries when combined with appropriate governance mechanisms and stakeholder engagement. Zone A concentrates vertical industrial development with rooftop agriculture; Zone B creates mixed agro-industrial interfaces; and Zone C enhances agricultural productivity through industrial resources. The model’s components (gradient zonation, temperature–cascade matching, and bidirectional resource flows) constitute generalizable design principles. When applied to Fosso Imperatore, where farmers oppose expansion that threatens culturally significant San Marzano tomato production, the model shows how 547 tons of organic waste could generate 87,520 m³ of methane, while industrial waste heat cascades from 150–200 °C to 25–40 °C of greenhouse heating across distances of 3 km. Implementation constraints include regulatory gaps and limited empirical data. This study operationalizes H4C through spatial design, showing how benefit-sharing mechanisms can transform stakeholder conflicts into collaboration. The model provides a replicable framework for Mediterranean contexts where industrial expansion encounters agricultural heritage.

This study presents a novel methodological framework for analyzing circular economy potential in historic small towns, using Taurasi as an illustrative case to demonstrate framework applicability rather than providing a comprehensive quantitative assessment. The primary contribution is methodological: developing an integrated analytical framework that combines urban metabolism analysis, stakeholder engagement theory, and heritage preservation strategies. The framework addresses the specific challenges of implementing circular economy principles in heritage-rich contexts where traditional data collection methods may be insufficient. This research provides a replicable methodology for future comprehensive empirical studies in similar contexts.