Putting Tradition into Practice: Heritage, Place and Design

During the preparation of the international meeting Heritage, Place, Design: Putting Tradition into Practice, developed by INTBAU, a charity which works under the patronage of its founder HRH the Prince of Wales, there have been events of great clamour that have had a significant impact on public opinion: the destruction of the triumphal arch of Palmira (October 5, 2015), construction of which dates back to Roman times about 2,000 years ago; and the seismic events in Italy that catastrophically affected many communities in Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria (24 August 2016 - January 2017). A few months after the seismic events in Italy, the INTBAU network urges an adequate response to the demands of the people: "to interpret and represent a collective need, to transform memories, testimonies and signs into knowledge". Recalling past catastrophes, experts have noted that it is necessary to "have access to all the available knowledge, which will in turn generate new knowledge, which ultimately results in increased competence, professionalism and awareness on seismic risk reduction." The 2017 INTBAU Annual Event represents a valuable exchange and updating of research and best practices for place-making, cultural landscape preservation, and community development. Politecnico di Milano and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Milano are partnering this initiative through a technical, scientific and cultural framework that has allowed a remarkable cultural impact as evidenced by the approximately 200 papers sent to the scientific committee, of which 165 have been revised and admitted to the conference. With contributions from leading experts, including university researchers, professionals and policy makers, the INTBAU network ensures the transmission and dissemination of universal principles and contemporary applications to address the challenges for the protection and enhancement of the built heritage, an "act of civilization" in response to the gestures that daily show the limits of humanity. The INTBAU conference aims to foster an international exchange of research, case studies, and best practices. The Unione Italiana del Disegno, the leading Italian scientific society of drawing, has made a very notable contribution with about half of the scientific papers relating to research on the documentation of heritage and places and the representation of intangible heritage and cultural landscapes whose maintenance today is the most important challenge. Critical to the presentation of case studies and current practice will be the use of drawing as a tool for investigation, design and to promote research on new core knowledge in the field, and on applications of this knowledge that are contributing to our understanding of the evolution of traditional and historical knowledge. The Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo, the principal governmental partner, goes beyond the conventional value of patronage and brings extraordinary support by increasing the social and international impact of the event.