Circular economy strategies for adaptive reuse of Borgo San Leonardo in Carlentini

Reuse of the built heritage is a strategy for enhancing the architectural heritage, designed to start virtuous development processes with positive impacts on the landscape. Adaptive reuse is a significant approach in circular economy practices to extend the life cycle of building by lengthening the use and delaying the end of life. As a result, the reuse of abandoned buildings can enhance the surrounding contexts, achieving ecological benefits and implementing social responsible economic growth. Borgo San Leonardo in Carlentini (Italy) is an example of disused rural heritage in a context of high landscape value and development potential, characterised by a common type of dwelling in the Syracuse area. The area has been declared of outstanding public interest and still retains its perceptual-cultural, morphological-dimensional, and material-constructive values. The regeneration of rural heritage seeks to place communities at the centre of decision-making processes in these territories, aiming to preserve the local productive culture and traditions while activating new development processes. The case study describes the decision-making process related to the definition of new uses, through a multi-criteria and participatory approach. The outcomes are guidelines to choose new compatible uses for old buildings, able to activate circular development processes. This will be achieved through a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), in order to compare adaptive reuse alternatives, considering the impacts on the environmental, cultural, social and economic systems.