NEW APPROACHES FOR SEISMIC IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION OF ADRIATIC AND IONIAN HISTORIC URBAN CENTRES. ADRISEISMIC in a nutshell

The ADRION area is heavily subject to natural hazards, and it is the highest risk earthquake area in Europe. The high vulnerability is due not only to the power of earthquakes, but also to the high population density and to the important value of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, confirmed by a large number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Geoparks. Each involved Adriatic-Ionian Region has developed laws and norms, methods and techniques as well as expertise for tackling earthquake risks and for reducing seismic vulnerability of the built environment, in particular historical heritage buildings and public squares. Nevertheless, seismic vulnerability of urban areas and particularly historical centres remains at high level. Cooperating in environmental risk prevention, management of emergencies, reconstruction and seismic retrofitting of damaged buildings can produce significant improvements in facing seismic vulnerability reduction in urban ADRION areas. ADRISEISMIC overall project objective is to exchange and systematize knowledge and practices in tackling the reduction of the seismic vulnerability of the built environment in the six project partners’ countries (Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia), to harmonize planning and management of emergencies after seismic events and the post-earthquake phase, by providing ready-to-use methods, tools and procedures that will be integrated into the existing policies and practices, thus strengthening local responses and reducing vulnerability to natural hazards. The main focus areas are the historical urban centres and historical squares and their surrounding buildings, conceived as symbol of local identity and socio-economic cores for the ADRION settlements. The aim of this e-book is twofold: on the one hand, describing in detail the learning process developed within ADRISEISMIC project to stimulate the exchange of experience mainly at interregional and local levels. On the other hand, to present the main project outputs and results, which consist of the expeditious assessment methodology; 2 regional and 2 local Action Plans, developed respectively for region of Crete in Greece and region of Bačka in Serbia, and the city of Gjirokaster in Albania and the city of Kaštela in Croatia; and the Moodle Platform, conceived as a key tool for setting a new cooperation network while improving skills and expertise concerning seismic vulnerability reduction. The ADRISEISMIC e-book can be a useful reference for those who are interested in establishing an exchange of experience process among peers that are dealing with the same topics and co-designing tailored solutions at regional and local level with the active involvement of the local stakeholders.