Chronocity. The assessment of built heritage for developable and creative change

One of the principal aims of each European University is to improve the quality of higher education and to promote learning opportunities. It is also important to put policy into an international context emphasising innovative teaching and research that can be commonly recognised. Over the last few years the University of Florence started the process by offering some priorities to encourage a network of competitively-appointed universities putting in evidence based learning so that can develop research project leaders and deliverers. Currently, the University of Florence is fully involved in strengthening the internationalisation process such as the development of cooperation among a larger number of partner universities. New agreements are increasingly being made with countries outside the European Union such as the United States, Russia and many Latin American universities, and with institutions in the Mediterranean area, Japan, Republic of China.
The University of Florence, in fact, is leading the way in planning and developing high-quality international research networks and policies that work with joined-up thinking and across important scientific topics. We are therefore delighted that our University has shared its resources and knowledge with other European partners to produce such a vital part of thinking and producing important and attractive outcomes in scientific fields as sustainable design and urban complexity.
Accordingly, this book introduces issues on improving the experience of living in our cities considering existing heritage values that meet a range of social, environmental and health benefits and should make for more sustainable and dynamic places to live. Good, pro-active management of existing resources today can leave a real legacy for those who will come after us.