176 which, after meeting minimum safety and remediation requirements, can be transformed into spaces for historical interpretation, industrial heritage, and regional development (Exploraciones Mineras del Cantábrico, 2021). This heritage encompasses both the “productive space,” which includes galleries or tunnels, open pits, headframe, machinery, and production workshops, and the “reproductive space,” consisting of camps, hospitals, and other infrastructure related to the life of the mining community (Cueto Alonso, 2016). For this reason, the conversion effort is not limited to preserving isolated structures, but rather seeks to reinterpret a cultural landscape linked to a region’s economic, social, and technological history. From an economic perspective, this process can help transform disused mining facilities into assets capable of creating jobs, attracting visitors, revitalizing local services, and diversifying economies that depend on mining (SRK, n.d.). From a social perspective, this can open up new opportunities for former miners and nearby communities, who can work as guides, cultural managers, or tour operators. However, such a transformation requires first addressing the risks associated with soil and water contamination, physical instability, geotechnical issues, and the presence of mining operations lacking adequate safety measures. In this regard, post-mining redevelopment represents a paradigm shift: moving from an approach focused solely on the closure, decommissioning, or demolition of facilities to one that explores the possibility of preserving, adapting, and reusing certain elements of cultural, educational, or economic value, provided that this is compatible with safety, human health, and environmental protection. 2.2. Strategic Planning: A Long-Term Integrated Process The successful implementation of a project based on this new vision requires strategic planning that extends beyond the final stage of operations. Closure should be viewed as a progressive process, integrated from the design and operation of the mine, as advocated by the guidelines of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM, 2025). This approach helps reduce costs, anticipate risks, and preserve components of heritage or tourism value. It also requires the coordinated participation of the company, the government, and local communities to define objectives, responsibilities, and sustainability mechanisms (Sánchez, Silva-Sánchez, & Neri, 2015). 3. CRITICAL COMPONENTS FOR VIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY 3.1. Risk Management: Safety and Environmental Remediation Effective risk management is the starting point for any mining operation conversion project. The abandonment of these facilities entails physical and environmental risks that must be mitigated as a priority, such as unfenced open pits, tunnel collapses, unstable ground, geotechnical instability of tailings piles or waste deposits, and soil and water contamination (Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration [DMPE], 2025; Subirón Garay & Alcalde Molero, n.d.). Therefore, any closure plan must ensure the physical, geochemical, and
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