Cultivated lands within urban area: cultural heritage dying out or new enviroment chance for the town? The case of Trieste (Norteastern Italy)

Several studies put in evidence the relevant role of cultivated lands in the urban areas. Using GIS methodologies in order to map agricultural areas near or within the town, it is possible to analyze their relationship with the urban area. In this study, the author used several different cartography sources, like digital cartography and orthophotos, in order to locate the urban domestic gardens and the terraced landscapes accurately. The study area is a medium city of a North-East Region of Italy, Trieste. Built on a hill morphology, it had a great and fast growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. These changes deeply transformed its landform, mainly reducing its surrounding cultivated lands. At present, the residual terraced landscapes are mainly placed in the north side of the city and they represent a kind of “cultural heritage.” On the contrary, the most important garden areas are located in the terrain embankments of the south suburban areas.