No. 31 (2026): Risks and built environment: From knowledge to project
Research and Experimentation

An integrated multi-scalar framework for assessing climate change risks to cultural heritage

Alessandra Battisti
Dipartimento di Pianificazione, Design, Tecnologia dell’Architettura, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italia
Bio
Angelo Figliola
Dipartimento di Pianificazione, Design, Tecnologia dell’Architettura, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italia
Adriano Ruggiero
Dipartimento di Pianificazione, Design, Tecnologia dell’Architettura, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italia
Bio
Alberto Calenzo
Dipartimento di Pianificazione, Design, Tecnologia dell’Architettura, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italia
Bio

Published 2026-07-29

Keywords

  • Climate change impacts,
  • Tangible outdoor cultural heritage,
  • Hazard identification,
  • Multi-scalar risk mapping

How to Cite

Battisti, A., Figliola, A., Ruggiero, A., & Calenzo, A. (2026). An integrated multi-scalar framework for assessing climate change risks to cultural heritage. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, (31), 182–194. https://doi.org/10.36253/techne-18618

Abstract

The multiple risks induced by climate change on tangible cultural heritage, distributed across different spatial scales, require an integrated and multidisciplinary assessment approach. In this context, the research conducted by the Sapienza PNRR group developed and applied to the case study of Tortona, Italy, a multi-scalar mapping methodology aimed at assessing the risks arising from the combined and interactive effects of climatic factors. The methodological framework integrates GIS analyses, climate monitoring, and microclimatic simulations, enabling the quantification of climate change impacts, and the examination of cultural heritage vulnerability in relation to specific degradation phenomena at territorial, urban, and local scales.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Adger, W.N. (2006), “Vulnerability”, Global Environmental Change, Vol. 16, n. 3, pp. 268–281. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.02.006 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  2. Arrighi, C., Tanganelli, M., Cristofaro, M.T., Cardinali, V., Marra, A., Castelli, F. and De Stefano, M. (2023), “Multi-risk assessment in a historical city”, Natural Hazards, Vol. 119, pp.1041–1072. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05125-6 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  3. Battisti, A., Figliola, A. and Santarelli, M.L. (2024), “A framework for a hazard taxonomy to support risk assessment of tangible outdoor heritage”, Heritage, Vol. 7, n. 6, pp.2984–3012. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7060140 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  4. Bonazza, A. and Sardella, A. (2023), “Climate change and cultural heritage: Methods and approaches for damage and risk assessment addressed to a practical application”, Heritage, Vol. 6, n. 4, pp.3578–3589. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6040190 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  5. Burton, I., Kates, R.W. and White, G.F. (1993), The environment as Hazard, 2nd ed, New York, Guilford Press.
  6. D’Ambrosio, V., Di Martino, F. and Tersigni, E. (2023), “Towards climate resilience of the built environment: A GIS-based framework for the assessment of climate-proof design solutions for buildings”, Buildings, Vol. 13, n. 7, pp.1658. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071658 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  7. Huerto-Cardenas, H.E., Aste, N., Del Pero, C., Della Torre, S. and Leonforte, F. (2021), “Effects of climate change on the future of heritage buildings: Case study and applied methodology”, Climate, Vol. 9, n. 8, pp.132. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli9080132 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  8. IPCC (2012), Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
  9. Koutsanitis, S., Sinou, M., Kanetaki, Z., Tousi, E. and Varelidis, G. (2025), “Thermal performance investigation in historical urban neighborhoods using ENVI-met simulation software”, Land, Vol. 14, n. 2, pp.284. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020284 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  10. Lazaridis, V. and Latinopoulos, D. (2022), “Estimating urban vulnerability to flood and heat hazards: A case study in the municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece”, European Spatial Research and Policy, Vol. 29, n. 2, pp.309–340. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18778/1231-1952.29.2.16 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  11. Rezaie, P., Lopez-Cabeza, V.P., Sola-Caraballo, J. and Galan-Marin, C. (2025), “Cooling heritage scenarios: Transforming historic squares for thermal comfort”, Buildings, Vol. 15, n. 4, pp.564. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040564 (Accessed on 11/03/2026).
  12. Sabbioni, C., Brimblecombe, P. and Cassar, M. (2010), The Atlas of Climate Change Impact on European Cultural Heritage: Scientific Analysis and Management Strategies, London, Anthem Press.