The Role of the Archeological Heritage Sites in the Process of Urban Regeneration of UNESCO’s Cities—Boka Bay Case Study

Slađana Lazarević,Svetislav G. Popović,Dražen Arbutina

doi:10.3390/su14031566

Slađana Lazarević, Svetislav G. Popović

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031566

Copy DOI

Abstract

The role of the archeological and cultural heritage sites in the process of urban regeneration in UNESCO’s protected areas becomes more and more important for the natural and cultural heritage protection in the touristic cities with urban expansion. However, there is no clear methodological approach for the inclusion of these important natural and cultural heritage sites in the process of urban regeneration of the cities. The purpose of this study is to analyze how two contemporary urban planning tools, sustainable urban mobility plans and heritage impact assessments, contribute to the protection and sustainable use of archeological sites. The methodology that is used in this study is dual, theoretical, through literature review, and empirical, through the appliance of the case study method and expert observation and mapping of the most valuable archeological sites in Boka Bay. The results of this study show that practical usage of the two proposed tools in the process of urban regeneration could help in cultural and natural heritage protection and their inclusion as drivers of sustainable urban planning and cultural heritage management. The results of the study confirm the authors’ hypothesis that the role of the archeological sites in the process of urban regeneration is evident in the touristic cities in the coastal area of Montenegro, concluding that urban mobility principles and heritage impact assessment studies must be considered in the process of urban regeneration while at the same time cultural (archeological) heritage management is an integral part of this process.

Highlights

Decay of cultural heritage; poor archeological research of valuable sites; inadequate restoration, protection, and valorization, and the lack of activities focused on adequate conservation of archeological sites and often the lack of simple presentation of cultural assets are the problems of today’s architectural and urbanistic practice
The results of this study show that practical usage of the two proposed tools in the process of urban regeneration could contribute to cultural and natural heritage protection and their inclusion in urban planning as drivers of a sustainable and healthier environment
The results of developed heritage impact assessments and the sustainable urban mobility plan for Boka Bay confirm the necessity of better integration of these processes as care for the conservation and protection of our built heritage, including archeological and cultural heritage sites, the integration of these approaches into practice is insufficient

Summary

Introduction

Decay of cultural heritage; poor archeological research of valuable sites; inadequate restoration, protection, and valorization, and the lack of activities focused on adequate conservation of archeological sites and often the lack of simple presentation of cultural assets are the problems of today’s architectural and urbanistic practice. Archeologists have been aware since the 1960s that archeological sites are rapidly disappearing and that only a small part of them can be documented through protective archeological research (excavations). The preservation of archeological sites needs a different approach that requires communicating with the “outside world,” influencing political and socio-economic decisionmaking processes, and gaining public support. This process includes a gradual replacement of the existing model of protection with a more dynamic concept of archeological management heritage within the spatial planning system. States in the 1970s and in the 1980s in a number of European countries [1] (p. 284), [2].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion