Toward Systemic Reuse. A GIS-Based Model for Adaptation in Spatial Planning

The research proposes a replicable and scalable GIS-based operational model to support early-stage evaluations of the reuse potential of vacant and abandoned buildings, supporting the fragmented knowledge of municipalities. The objective is to facilitate and incentivize the adaptive reuse of decommissioned buildings spread throughout the country, fitting into the systematic processes of spatial planning activities. This tool automates a preliminary screening process that helps determine whether, and to what extent, a building may be a viable candidate for adaptive reuse. The model integrates open geospatial data, Multi-Criteria Decision Methods and automated scoring to rank assets by morphology, location and regulatory context. Buildings’ reuse potential is calculated with respect to objective parameters, such as area, height, accessibility to public transportation, proximity to residential areas, urban constraints, state of disuse, building type and solar orientation and the analysis and scoring for each is automated in a GIS environment, made accessible to technicians and stakeholders through an easily navigable graphical interface. Implemented within a territorial Digital Twin in Italy, the tool exposes results through dashboards for technicians and stakeholders, enabling priority mapping of reuse candidates and alignment with investor searches. This research shows that early stage automating evaluation processes through GIS can become a powerful tool to support urban planning and foster adaptive reuse strategies with a systematic shift for Italian municipalities, becoming a substantial element of territorial governance. In this way, reuse feasibility is framed as an enabling step for informed, context-sensitive interventions capable of empowering the historical, morphological and cultural layers embedded in the built environment.