Design of a wellbeing-based framework for territorial appraisal and circular cultural economies

Abstract

This paper explores how the field of place-based appraisal and land economics is shifting from focusing mainly on market-based values of places with high human and activity densities to a broader and multi-faceted approach that explicitly considers human and territorial wellbeing. Traditional welfare assessment measures like GDP reflect economic growth, but neglect important environmental, cultural, and social factors that shape the quality of places. We propose a new framework for territorial appraisal that addresses spatial value in a more holistic way by breaking it down into economic, environmental, cultural, and social components, and then reconnecting them through an integrated recomposition approach. The paper uses new concepts, in particular circular cultural economies and ‘detouristification’, as regenerative strategies that rebalance sustainable growth, tourism, culture, and land use, showing how places can create new value by reimagining culture and using land in different ways, while strengthening transparent and participatory governance. Digital tools like geospatial models, digital twins, and visual dashboards support this process by improving transparency, participation, and learning across scales and over time. In this framework, wellbeing is not only a human goal, but also a condition for sustainable territorial development. The approach helps policymakers, planners, and appraisers move beyond the yardstick of GDP and support places where economy, culture, and society flourish sustainably, with appraisal guiding both evaluation and renewal.