Applying Geodesign Towards an Integrated Local Development Strategy: The Val d’Agri Case (Italy)

Geodesign is an effective collaborative methodology oriented towards designing spatial strategies with a multidisciplinary approach, involving not only the local community but also professionals from design, spatial sciences and information systems. This synergy acts as a driver for a general knowledge framework, which allows these established professional fields to develop further and collaborate effectively. This paper proposes the Geodesign workshop outcomes within the RI.P.R.O.VA.RE research project, oriented towards the definition of an integrated local development strategy in the Val d'Agri area, in the inland Basilicata region. The results, therefore, represent a component within a much broader project framework; however, the participatory design approach used in the Geodesign experience made it possible to evaluate the different project proposals, moderate the negotiation between two different focus groups and achieve a single and shared participatory design. A key role was played by the research team that moderated the organisation, localisation and expression phase of the different project proposals, having sufficient spatial and temporal knowledge to integrate the Geodesign outcomes and elaborate a future-oriented strategy. The paper is structured in four parts. In the introduction it is specified how the use of the Geodesign tool was brought into the case study. The second part briefly outlines the study area context: the Val d'agri. The third part focuses on the Geodesign Workshop description and, finally, the outcomes are illustrated, from which the research team defined the integrated local development strategy.