Conservation Of Cultural Landscapes Research Articles

Possibilities of Legal Regulation of the Conservation of Sacred Places within the Cultural Landscape: The Case of the Republic of Kazakhstan

In recent years, there has been growing attention to the preservation of sacred sites and understanding their significance within the cultural landscape of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This renewed interest is driven by a revival of national historical and cultural values. The study is relevant since sacred spaces affect the formation of objective historical memory, which is an important component of the national identity. This, in turn, contributes to the consolidation of the people and ensures the national security of the state. The article aims to propose measures (recommendations) to improve legal regulation and preserve the sacred places of the cultural landscape of Kazakhstan. To achieve these objectives, the authors employed methods of theoretical generalization, structural-logical analysis, and synthesis, as well as the method of expert survey. The paper identifies the main problems in the implementation of legal norms for the conservation of cultural landscapes and suggests potential solutions to overcome these challenges. It also outlines measures to increase public participation in the preservation of the cultural landscape. This study concludes that it is necessary to popularize knowledge about the specific features of sacred places in a particular region, develop a program for the preservation of the cultural landscape, and advise residents on the methods and means of preserving sacred places.

Preserving Roots: A Commitement to Cultural and Heritage Landscape Conservation

Lal Bagh Palace in Indore, India, stands as an architectural marvel and a symbol of the region's rich cultural heritage. This research paper delves into the multifaceted endeavor of conserving Lal Bagh Palace as a cultural and heritage landscape. Through archival research, site documentation, stakeholder consultations, and community engagement, the study explores the historical significance, architectural features, and socio-cultural context of Lal Bagh Palace. It examines the challenges facing its conservation, including urban development pressures, environmental degradation, and the need for sustainable tourism management. The research also evaluates conservation initiatives undertaken to preserve the palace's integrity and authenticity while enhancing its accessibility and relevance to diverse audiences. By synthesizing insights from cultural and heritage conservation, landscape management, and community involvement, the paper proposes holistic strategies for sustaining Lal Bagh Palace as a vibrant cultural asset. This study contributes to the broader discourse on cultural and heritage landscape conservation by offering practical lessons and recommendations applicable to similar historic sites. Keywords: Cultural heritage preservation, Landscape conservation, Cultural roots, Heritage landscapes, Preservation strategies, Community involvement, Conservation practices, Cultural identity, Historical significance, Sustainable development, Cultural landscapes, Traditional knowledge, Indigenous heritage, Conservation policies, Interdisciplinary approach, Cultural stewardship, Ethnographic research, Cultural sustainability, Landscape management, Preservation challenges.

Cultural convergence in heritage landscape conservation: A comparative study of Chinese and English traditions

There are distinct Eastern and Western approaches that shape the conservation and interpretation of cultural heritage landscapes. While existing literature assesses each approach individually, there is limited research exploring potential for cross-cultural exchange and innovation to inform a more holistic conservation of heritage landscape sites. Using Chinese (representative of Eastern) and English (representative of Western) approaches as archetypal cases, and underpinned by a phenomenological ontological perspective, this theoretical contribution firstly establishes key distinctions between Chinese and English approaches toward heritage landscapes by conducting a review of relevant sources. Differences are subsequently synthesized into a comprehensive framework that supports a cultural convergence of approaches toward heritage landscapes. Informed by the literature, six key differences in approach are identified: (i) Philosophical underpinnings; (ii) spiritual and artistic emphasis; (iii) holistic and individual attitudes; (iv) concerns of continuity and evolution; (v) approaches toward community involvement; and (vi) relationship between nature, spirituality, and human-centricity. After reviewing these differences, a holistic framework is proposed that is underpinned by four key elements which have the capacity to overcome the differences identified: (i) harmonizing spirituality and esthetics; (ii) balancing continuity and evolution; (iii) fostering inclusive stewardship between communities and practitioners; and (iv) cultivating equilibrium between people and nature. The study concludes that this framework – what is termed a “cultural convergence” – can support more effective conservation of landscape sites, by capturing a broader cultural spectrum of heritage principles and concerns. The proposed framework opens avenues for cross-cultural exchange and advancement of more holistic heritage conservation strategies within an increasingly globalized heritage context. Future research should seek to apply this framework to the contemporary conservation of distinct heritage case study sites of interest to further advance research on this topic.

Cultural landscape resilience evaluation of Great Wall Villages: A case study of three villages in Chicheng County.

The Great Wall Villages (GWVs) are linked to the Great Wall in history, culture, and ecology. The cultural landscape resilience of Great Wall Villages (CLRGWVs) is distinctly significant. However, it is influenced by urbanization, pollution, and a lack of awareness of cultural landscape protection. Therefore, conservation and development practices still lack scientific strategies and guidance. This study proposes a new assessment system to quantify CLRGWVs, an analysis of the main influencing factors of resilience, and optimization paths to maintain sustainable development. Based on the socio-ecological system, this research designed the assessment with three criteria, eleven factors, and thirty-three indexes from the perspective of CLRGWVs. Furthermore, a demonstration test was constructed in Ningyuanbao Village, Dushikou Village, and Longmensuo Village in Chicheng County, Hebei Province, China. The results showed that there is some disparity between the three GWVs, with the resilience score of Dushikou Village being the highest in terms of resistance and learning. In contrast, Ningyuanbao Village's resilience score is the lowest since resistance, recovery, and learning capacity are lower than in Dushikou and Longmensuo. Some influencing factors were found to be highly related to adaptive capacity. Lastly, some low-resilience aspects were identified as critical improvement targets for which corresponding optimization strategies should be proposed. This could be applied to streamline resilience optimization paths according to local conditions. This paper provides new ideas and directions for dealing with the sustainable development of villages and the conservation of cultural landscapes. It will also help villages deal with the relationship between socio-economic development and the conservation of cultural landscapes.

The Application of Digital Technology in the Conservation of Traditional Cultural Landscapes

Abstract The traditional digital protection system lacks the extraction and display of the landscape based on spatial information technology, resulting in an incomplete digital archive of the conventional landscape constructed. To optimize the traditional cultural landscape protection strategy, this paper constructs a specific technical route using digital technology. Inclined photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning technology are used to carry out 3D modeling of regional traditional cultural landscapes, and the combination of the results of the two can be used to visualize the spatial layout of the landscape in the protection of traditional cultural landscapes. Based on the 3D model, the landscape space was analyzed using spatial syntax. According to the spatial syntax, the integration degree, clustering coefficient, control degree, and average depth of the sight line of the landscape in City D were analyzed. The comprehensibility value of the landscape space in City D was 0.26, and the landscape identifiability was not high. The development of overall space and local space is inconsistent, and the ratio of global integration degree to local integration degree, R², is 0.45, with a low value and average correlation. By analyzing the specific situation of the landscape and constructing the resistance surface, we examine the various resistance factors faced by the protection of traditional cultural landscapes. The analysis results indicate that rural roads and settlements are more suitable for the construction of cultural landscapes.

Sustainable Spatial Planning Study of Lubok Sukon Village, Aceh

The formation of traditional residential spatial layouts is the result of a complex historical process, and Lubok Sukon Village is still able to maintain the authenticity of its residential spatial layout to this day. This is a potential cultural landscape that needs to be studied and identified for conservation purposes. Furthermore, this important historical landscape can also be developed as an incentive for village economic development, for example for tourism-based sustainable development. This research aims to examine the conservation of cultural heritage landscapes in sustainable spatial planning for Lubok Sukon village, Aceh. This research uses qualitative methods with field measurements through interviews, observation and documentation. The analysis uses four cultural landscape variables from Pajouh. The research findings conclude that the combination of architectural heritage, residents’ routines, and the natural setting of Lubok Sukon Village, provides a unique spatial arrangement where all aspects fulfill the characteristics of a cultural heritage landscape in a sustainable manner. This could be developed into an incentive to attract cultural tourists.

Paysages culturels chinois: de l’idéal de l’équilibre entre l’homme et la nature aux formes écologiques de la vie

Abstract: Thus far, human development has been achieved at the cost of the destruction of cultural landscapes. With advent of industrial civilization, people have gained happiness and conveniences, but also confronted various cultural landscape predicaments. Environmental philosophy, a contemporary philosophy that regards the relationship between humans and nature as a fundamental issue, has focused on the protection of cultural landscapes. An analysis of ancient Chinese environmental philosophy demonstrates that ancient thinkers cared about everything in heaven and earth, and explored issues, such as a harmonious development between humans and nature, offering a novel approach to the preservation of Chinese cultural landscapes. Using Taoist environmental philosophy as an exemplar, this article provides a preliminary analysis of the definition of cultural landscapes, development of environmental philosophy and Taoist environmental philosophy. Building upon this foundation, it explores the role of environmental philosophies, such as “unity of heaven and man” in construction of ecological civilization, providing fresh perspectives for cultural landscape conservation.

Regional-scale cultural conservation planning and policy in the United States: an appeal for improvement

Pennsylvania’s (PA) processes and policies for landscape-scale cultural and visual resource conservation are lacking. In PA, like much of the United States (US), landscape change policies are prescriptive and concerned mainly with ecology, health, safety, and welfare issues. These factors combined relegate cultural and scenic aspects to ancillary matters, often leading to their degradation. Culturally focused fields, such as landscape architecture, archaeology, and planning call for rescaling cultural conservation planning to regional scale. Rescaling would treat cultural resources like other environmental and ecological resources, giving cultural resources equal weight in conservation evaluations. The United Kingdom (UK) has policies specifically for visual impact assessment required for development projects. This paper discusses scale issues and political processes within regional visual and cultural resource conservation in PA, US, compares nascent regional-scale planning efforts in PA and the UK, and proposes improvements to PA and, by extension, US cultural landscape conservation policy implementation.

Cultural landscape management in context: Local communities' perceptions under Jadar mineral extraction project in Serbia

In 2004, a new lithium-rich mineral, 'jadarite', was discovered in Serbia. In 2020, the government of Serbia and mining giant Rio Tinto announced a plan to extract lithium, which sparked massive environmental protests across the country. In this paper, we study perceptions of local communities towards Jadar mineral extraction project, which is planned in the zone of the cultural landscape ‘Tršić Tronoša’.We employed a household-level face-to-face survey, conceptually following the sustainable livelihood approach. Results shows that local communities anticipate negative changes in environmental quality, lifestyle, and activities such as agriculture and tourism, which are seen as vital for future development compatible with the cultural landscape conservation goals. Local communities perceive a bias towards private companies by the government authorities, driven by economic interests that, as seen by locals, may also be influenced by international political pressures. Other factors, such as lack of participatory approaches and non-transparent communication were also negatively perceived. We argue that mineral extraction planning in high biodiversity and cultural heritage areas is sensitive because local communities are strongly tied through historical activities and traditions to the landscape and are not willing to trade off their environment for the economic benefits that the mineral industry could bring.

Conservation of Cultural and Historic Landscape of Walden Pond and Woods − With a Particular Focus on Socio-cultural Environment and Corresponding Activities

Walden Pond and Woods, Massachusetts, U.S is an iconic destination, best known for Henry David Thoreau’s book-Walden (1854). Thoreau’s philosophy and the literal value of the book as well as the natural landscape of Walden inspired worldwide literature readers and numerous modern environmentalists. This unique cultural and historical landscape has a long history of conservation effort in various forms started as far back as 1800’s. As a result, now, 80 percent of Walden Woods is permanently preserved. This study focuses on the changing socio-cultural environments and corresponding activities by various stake holders. To clarify the factors that led to its success of today, primary source survey and hearings to the stakeholders were taken place. The study period from 1845 to 2016 is divided in 4phases by characteristic socio-cultural environments. In each phase, corresponding conservation activities were researched and clarified: Phase1 (1845 ~1921): Industrialization and population increase vs. individual activities; Phase2 (1922~1972): Economic growth and Middlesex County’s management policy vs. citizen group’s movement; Phase3 (1972~1987): Rise of environmental awareness vs. involvement of public agencies, policy and plan makings and public input; Phase4 (1988~2016): Suburbanization vs. WWP and continuous implementation of conservation plan. The clarified factors that lead to the success are 1) Common value of the place to empathy with 2) Diversity in stakeholders 3) Longterm and systematic conservation plan with both government and citizen’s participation

Cultural ecosystem services show superiority in promoting subjective mental health of senior residents: Evidences from old urban areas of Beijing

It has been widely recognized that urban green space provides various benefits to old adults. However, there is a lack of discussion about the impact of cultural ecosystem services (CES) of green space on seniors’ mental health. We selected 20 parks in the old urban areas of Beijing and collected a total of 693 valid questionnaires from senior residents. Structural equation models were applied to examine the linkage between characteristics of parks (including green space, neighborhood environment, CES) and senior residents’ self-reported mental health, with respondents’ physical activity, social interaction, and satisfaction as mediators. Results highlighted the superiority of CES among all variables in promoting the subjective mental health of senior residents. In addition, we found the mediating role of the satisfaction with parks and social interaction in the linkage between CES and mental health. Moreover, results suggested that the area of green space was not directly related to mental health, but positively influenced older adults’ mental health by enhancing their physical activity. Besides, we also found that neighborhood environment around a park may directly and positively affect seniors' mental health, while negatively affecting it by adversely affecting satisfaction with the park. These findings reflect the superiority of cultural ecosystem services in enhancing older adults' mental health, which enriches the original green space-health framework, and may have direct implication for the conservation of cultural landscape in the future.

Cultural landscape perception of the Chinese traditional settlement: Based on tourists' online comments.

The cultural landscape in traditional settlements is an important historical and cultural resource created by human beings in the process of historical evolution, and is an important resource for the development of traditional settlement tourism. This paper selected 21 representative traditional settlements for research using online comments from tourists as data and content analytical methods including high-frequency vocabulary, semantic networks and emotional attitudes to explore the public perspective on the connotations of cultural landscape features in traditional settlements. There are four major findings, showing first that the cultural landscape of traditional settlements contains three core elements. Second, the semantic network relationships of the core elements show a significant central-edge tendency; and third, the emotional perception of cultural landscapes in traditional settlements is generally positive, and there is no significant difference emotionally between each core element. Last, the public's perception of the cultural connotations of the landscape is seriously insufficient. Based on the research results, planning suggestions and countermeasures for the conservation and utilization of cultural landscapes in traditional settlements are proposed.

Law Governance on Cultural Value for Regaining Bandar Senapelan Image as Kampung Melayu: A Review

The rapid development in a space of urban and economic changing shows a big gap in cultural value preservation. Bandar Senapelan with its cultural value consist of both urban and industrial development for Pekanbaru city has its potential to promote a wide range of diversities in occurance and growth of the capital. The history, landscape, even commercial, laid on the land called Bandar Senapelan. Due to its strategic location, attached to Siak River, the district has widely known for its initial born for Pekanbaru city history, diversity in multi ethnic community, and the trade centre for Central Sumatera’s rapid economic growth. The district’s potential and background was to encroaching and humiliating to be ignored. The city regional plan or (RTRW) statute by the government has not mention in detail the necessity of Bandar Senapelan to be a protected cultural site which should be preserve and conserve. There are several article written by law that confusing and need to be re-review. The image of the district as people has known it as Kampung Melayu slowly threatened. This paper will analyse the level of awareness with regard to cultural landscape conservation and protection in Pekanbaru policy from Pekanbaru RTRW statute. The research methodology will be done with qualitative analysis and descriptive method from relevant theory and studies. Both tangible and intangible identification will be reviewed to achieve the worthwile protection for the region to be conducted.

SUSTAINABLE SPATIAL SETTINGS OF KUALA KUBU BHARU

Cultural heritage landscapes present historical and cultural civilization signs and legacies in their environment. These landscapes are also considered necessary incentives to attract tourists. Cultural heritage conservation provides tools for reaching suitable solutions for sustainable development based on tourism. Subsequently, the significance of societal identity and way of life in the past was crucial to explaining the current cultural and social dynamic. Determining the value of heritage is especially important to plan the form of its protection, conservation, and contemporary use. The study aimed to assess and evaluate cultural heritage landscape conservation in sustainable spatial settings. This study used qualitative methods by field measurement/survey interview and site observation. The findings revealed that the cultural heritage landscape value presents historical and cultural civilization signs and legacies in the environment and landscape of the sustainable spatial setting of Kuala Kubu Bharu. This study hopes to help local authorities and related agencies restructure baseline data in planning for sustainable spatial settings and appropriately develop and maintain their historical values and natural ecosystem.

National Park or Cultural Landscape Preservation? What the Soil Seed Bank Reveals for Plant Diversity Conservation

National parks play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity, mainly excluding human influence following the IUCN approach. However, in Europe, they are often characterized by a high percentage of traditional cultural landscape elements, which require active management. This calls into question whether the national park protection strategy is always appropriate. Here, we follow this question by taking the soil seed bank of various habitats of the Asinara National Park (Sardinia, Italy) as an example. Asinara is a suitable model region, as the island mainly consists of traditional cultural landscape elements, but the main conservation goals include afforestation plans and nature development promotion, which creates a trade-off between the conservation of forest vs. cultural landscapes. We investigated the soil seed bank, standing vegetation, and environmental factors in different cultural and natural habitats. Since the highest species richness and diversity were revealed for cultural vegetation units, they need to be of primary concern regarding the preservation of the island’s phytodiversity. Given the main objective of the conservation of biodiversity in the Asinara National Park, we conclude that a biosphere reserve with an adapted sustainable land-use management might be more suitable than a national park to account for both natural and cultural landscape preservation. This conclusion applies to many other European national parks.

Identifying visual sensitive areas: an evaluation of view corridors to support nature-culture heritage conservation in Chiang Mai historic city

The visual integrity of mountains contributing to cultural landscapes as nature-culture attributes is often obscured by the vertical intrusive built environment, especially in buffer areas of protected heritage zones. Therefore, this study argued that even low/medium-rise buildings that inappropriately appear in the horizontal visual plane could be a factor increasing sensitivity to this panoramic view.An integrative tool – visual sensitivity assessment – consists of Viewshed and Skyline analysis considering the pedestrian’s visual limitation in identifying the sensitive areas of the mountain view corridor in the historic city of Chiang Mai. The visible mountain areas (VMAs) were determined as a baseline, and their relationship with the visible building areas (VBAs) was then examined using statistical correlation to define a strong negative relationship as the visual sensitive areas in five zones. The results showed that the buffer zone was found to have more areas with visual sensitivity values, but this varies depending on the characteristics of buildings and the assessment from the view corridor. Meanwhile, in height-restricted areas, such as historic area zone 5, there are some concerns about the visual intrusion, which necessitates continuous monitoring using the assessment result as a guideline.Incorporating the results into implementation could support cultural landscape conservation in Chiang Mai city. The method is applicable in historic cities with similar settings to produce the baseline for the built environment that is harmonious with the cultural and historical characteristics of the city and with respect to its broader setting.

EU-wide mapping of ‘Protected Designations of Origin’ food products (PDOs) reveals correlations with social-ecological landscape values

The Geographical Indications (GIs) scheme is the EU’s primary policy tool for increasing the market values of geographically distinct food products. Although GIs are linked to the landscapes of food production, little is known about the social-ecological values they represent, mainly due to a lack of spatial data. In this study, we, therefore, mapped all 638 food products labeled as Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs), using NUTS-3 areas as proxies for their actual extent, and correlated their distribution with 13 social-ecological indicators. By compiling this novel dataset, we show that the presence of PDOs strongly overlaps with environmental and cultural values. We reveal positive correlations of PDO frequency with high nature value farmland, semi-natural agriculture, tourism, and cultural heritage indicators. Further, we find that PDOs occur more often in economically weaker areas with older and declining populations. Besides differences in PDO distribution between northern and southern EU countries, we find different correlation patterns across the four largest food categories. For example, cheese and meat products are less correlated to environmental values compared to oils and fats, or fruit, vegetables and cereals. On that basis, we identify the potential of PDOs to support structurally deprived areas and propose PDOs as entry points for sustainable transformation and rural development policies—while simultaneously contributing to the conservation of cultural landscapes and their associated environmental values. As outlined in the Green Deal of the European Union and its Farm to Fork strategy, PDOs should be a part of this transformation. Based on the results of this study, we discuss more specifically for which production systems and under what enabling conditions PDOs are fit for this challenge. We recommend that future governance interventions for a sustainable transformation of EU’s agriculture should take the differences across regions and product categories into account.

Coffee Landscape of Banyuwangi Geopark: Ecology, Conservation, and Sustainable Tourism Development

Coffee landscape is one of the crucial elemnt of Banyuwangi Geopark, East Java. Coffee landscape plays an essential role in supporting the sustainable ecosystem in Banyuwangi Geopark. A number of studies have already examined ways to develop and preserve the coffee landscape and its biodiversity, especially in coffee cultivated under agroforestry system. This paper aims to describe the ecology of coffee landscapes in Banyuwangi, identify the problems and opportunities for preservation and biodiversity conservation, explore the possibilities of integrating coffee and tourism, and provide recommendations to preserve the coffee landscape and its biodiversity. Field survey, literature studies and interviews with farmers, tourism consultants, local travel planner, and local guides were conducted to get comprehensive data and information of the tourism potential of coffee landscape ecosystems. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Result of the study shows that Banyuwangi is home to numerous state-, private-, and peasant-owned coffee orchards. Coffee agroforestry has already been established for a long time, contributing to biodiversity conservations. Coffee cultivation is a common practice among communities, which later inspired the creation of a coffee festival. With the high number of tourism attractions located in the geopark area coupled with the trend in tourism development, there is potential in integrating coffee into tourism. Important actions have to be done first, and these are as follows: mapping and describing coffee orchard distribution, enhancing peasant capacity in coffee cultivation, introducing and strengthening sustainable tourism principles, and establishing regulation to ensure the preservation and conservation of coffee cultural landscapes. Result of the studies reported here can be used to provide guidelines for the management of coffee landscape in the Banyuwangi Geopark area.

Research on the traditional zoning, evolution, and integrated conservation of village cultural landscapes based on “production-living-ecology spaces” – A case study of villages in Meicheng, Guangdong, China

AbstractUsing traditional remains and the evolution of cultural landscapes as bases for overall protection and “production-living-ecology spaces” (PLE spaces) as carriers, we have established a regional and holistic research path, “evaluation – zoning – zone evolution – integrated conservation,” to cultural landscape protection. The traditional cultural landscape of more than 97% of all administrative villages in Meicheng was evaluated, and the overall Hakka cultural landscape was divided into three zones of low, medium, and high traditional values. The study found that the different impacts of urbanization on geographical space were leading contributors to the generation of different spatial zones. To accommodate the evolving trends of the zones, three conservation modes and their corresponding protection strategies have been proposed: construction with traditional elements; parallel conservation and development; and authenticity preservation. Meanwhile, the regional artery-tributary pattern has been constructed to foster interconnection across hubs, artery-tributary systems, and different zones. Cultural tourism routes should be established, and regional courier roads and greenways should be linked, to ensure the alignment of traditional landscape networks with modern Hakka cultural landscape networks, featuring traditional elements to facilitate integrated regional conservation of the Hakka cultural landscape.

A Sustainable Approach for the Refurbishment Process of Vernacular Heritage: The Sesga House Case Study (Valencia, Spain)

The refurbishment of traditional vernacular architecture is currently of interest for the conservation of heritage, historic landscape and cultural landscape, as well as for its potential benefits in the field of environmental sustainability. The carefully selected materials and techniques used in the refurbishment of a traditional dwelling in Sesga (Valencia, Spain) maintain the local construction techniques while causing the least possible environmental impact, saving on transport and transformation and construction energy. This article uses LCA to showcase this contribution, examining three scenarios: the first option is the refurbishment of the case study using natural traditional materials and techniques; the second presents a hypothetical refurbishment using widely used industrial materials; and a third option looks at the demolition of the existing building and the addition of a new construction with widely used industrial materials. This comparison has shown where and why the first option is, broadly speaking, the most sustainable option in environmental, sociocultural and socioeconomic terms.