Comparison. An international overview of community-rooted rehabilitations

This chapter explores the intersection between heritage rehabilitation and local development, presenting a synthesis of findings from the author's doctoral research and insights gathered during the RTHLD seminars. Through a multidisciplinary analysis of NGO practices, it examines how community-rooted approaches to conserving traditional heritage can promote sustainable development in marginal areas. The research integrates heterogeneous data from NGO contributions, including documents, grey literature, and fieldwork, to provide a comparative narrative of their strategies and challenges. It highlights the importance of NGOs "becoming local" through sustained community engagement and empowerment. By restoring indigenous, non-monumental heritage and traditional building techniques, these organizations aim to preserve cultural identity, rebuild social ties, and stimulate local economies. The chapter is structured around three themes: NGO-community dynamics and rooting, the transmission and adaptation of traditional construction knowledge and the empowerment of communities, and holistic strategies for reactivating marginal places.