Abstract

The economic valuation of social benefits and costs associated with public and private intervention in the heritage field is a key tool to guide and inform decision-making in public policy. Such valuation is crucial for different reasons - notably, because of the public-collective nature of heritage goods, and the need to combine investments in «valorizzazione» (i.e. fostering of participation and access) and «tutela» (i.e. safeguard and conservation) as an integral part of heritage development. Due to the impetus given by national legislation and EU guidelines, the «new cultural planning» will require further progress in valuation and monitoring activities, which are likely to play an ever bigger role in public policies.