Making the intangible visible: a methodological framework for recognizing Non-Economic Loss and Damage in multi-risk urban regeneration

Abstract

This paper explores the multifaceted dimensions of Loss and Damage within urban contexts exposed to multiple risk factors, such as environmental pressures, while undergoing processes of site remediation and regeneration. A critical analysis within the framework of Urban Political Ecology (UPE) highlights that prolonged urban regeneration is often stalled due to unresolved conflicts regarding site remediation processes. Accordingly, evaluating not only material but also immaterial "losses" could be beneficial for recovering the life cycle of compromised territories and the vulnerable communities within them. Aiming to develop an appropriate evaluation framework, this paper presents a literature review of methods for estimating intangible non-economic loss and damage. The Site of National Interest (SIN) Bagnoli-Coroglio (Naples), still undergoing remediation, will be presented to explore the critical framework of UPE in a Global North context. The results will demonstrate the need to critically reconsider the institutionalized concept of loss and damage, moving beyond economic metrics to place specific emphasis on the intangible and often incommensurable dimensions of Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD). NELD, in fact, could be regarded as an opportunity for enhancing community resilience during urban transformation processes related to long-lasting remediation.