Reutilización del patrimonio industrial para un desarrollo sostenible. Antiguo distrito de Biella en Italia

The wool district in the Piedmontese city of Biella, Italy, is a significant example of industrialisation that developed in a rural valley context, where manufacturing activities, scattered settlements and a valuable natural landscape coexisted. The availability of water resources and the strategic location favoured the growth of an integrated production system, which supported the local economy and helped to shape the cultural identity of the area for over a century. However, the crisis in the textile sector has led to the closure or abandonment of most of the factories, leaving an industrial heritage in decay, with negative socioeconomic and environmental consequences. The current state of aban- donment of the wool district poses important questions on how to regenerate and reuse these infras- tructures, to return them to a useful and strategic function for the territory. The reuse of disused pro- duction spaces presents significant opportunities to stimulate sustainable development, promoting cultural, tourist and entrepreneurial activities that can enhance the existing heritage. This contribu- tion analyses the regeneration prospects of the Biella wool district, examining virtuous examples of reuse at a European level and proposing intervention strategies to reconnect the industrial heritage with current economic and social dynamics.