Visualizing the Isolation of the Historical Villages of the Val Di Lima: Representation Methods for the Accessibility to Essential Services

The progressive exodus from Italy’s inner areas is gradually wiping out a complex network of landscapes historically shaped by geographical diversity, with small towns as their anchors. Various factors have spurred this abandonment, including limited access to services, distant locations, and the rising appeal of cities. Various strategies have been explored in the literature to understand the reasons behind this trend, emphasizing the need for a site-specific approach that takes into account historical, geographical, economic, and social factors. Achieving this necessitates the development of adaptable multi-scale representation techniques to identify and evaluate problematic areas, streamline interventions, and aid governance design processes. This paper presents a four-phase methodology for analyzing complex settlements in inner areas using a time-based model that measures the distance of everyday services from these places, a critical factor affecting their allure to potential inhabitants. This method was tested in Val di Lima (Tuscany), and the resulting maps were used to identify critical settlements and potential locations for implementing local services. The analysis can be repeatedly applied to assess the impact of potential interventions. A more comprehensive set of criteria would assist local administrators in optimizing redevelopment projects.