THE TERRACE CULTIVATION OF THE AMALFI COAST IN THE TERRITORIAL PLANNING SCHEME OF THE SORRENTO-AMALFI AREA BETWEEN PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The terraces of the Amalfi Coast are an exceptional expedient devised by man to remedy the lack of flat ground and make sloping land suitable for cultivation. The first regulatory recognition of this impressive agricultural engineering work as a heritage to be protected is due to the well-known Territorial Planning Scheme of the Sorrento-Amalfi Area (1977-87). Thanks to the provisions of the plan, the terraced systems still appear almost intact, despite the ongoing processes of abandonment, caused by the onerousness of traditional cultivation systems. The aim of this paper is to highlight how pertinent today is the analysis of the territory and of its criticalities developed in the plan, which was drawn up more than 40 years ago, and to examine the proposals and outcomes of this innovative instrument that integrates landscape protection and sustainable development perspectives. Finally, a reflection is proposed on what the legacy of the PUT will be in the new landscape planning that will take over.