Historic Urban Centres Research Articles

Inclusiveness of Public Space: Experimental Approaches for the Revitalisation of Smaller Historic Urban Centres

In recent decades, many small Italian historic centers—particularly those situated inland—have witnessed a population decline due to inadequate access to public services and facilities. However, this depopulation has also allowed many centers to retain their distinctive features, now conferring upon them great cultural–historical and landscape value. New quality-of-life-centered economic models present the development of accessible public services as a necessity. Such a process could catalyze the recovery and growth of these centers, which continue to be deserted, regardless of their value. This paper considers combined solutions, including sustainable mobility, digital accessibility, networked services, and technological devices by applying them to trans-scalar studies with the goal of achieving sustainable outcomes. Some of the proposed solutions are the resolution of irregular ground levels, the use of electric vehicles, the creation of sharing models, the physical overhaul of routes, and the retrofitting of minor buildings for inclusive use in a comprehensive human-centered approach toward regeneration. This study is in line with the European guidelines for sustainable and intelligent mobility, whose goal is for at least one hundred European cities to become accessible to all and shifted to zero-emission mobility. Here, sustainable and smart mobility is understood not only as an improvement of environmental and social conditions, but also as a catalyst for environmental and social improvements and as an opportunity to enhance the livability of smaller, geographically isolated historic centers, moving toward a new economy of urban reclamation.

Sustainability of Traditional, Historical Roofs in the Mediterranean: A Rediscovered Opportunity for a Carbon Neutral Future

As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, there is an urgent need for sustainable solutions to help reduce carbon emissions. Historic urban centres can indicate one possible way forward, and this is because of the way traditional buildings (in this paper centring on the Mediterranean) are built. Their materials and technologies are usually well chosen and adapted to hot climates, while the layout of historic centres, often with quite narrow, winding streets, provide shading and frequently also appropriate direction of cooling winds, especially in marine locations. These often result in these urban cores being cooler than more modern city centres. Traditional roofs, in particular, have over the centuries proved to be reliable and sustainable (when given appropriate maintenance), with layers of porous materials providing inbuilt breathable (evaporative) properties. These lead to a degree of passive cooling and ultimately to less energy consumption (less use of air conditioning for example), thus creating a smaller carbon footprint for each building, and hence also for the urban centre when a number of these buildings are present. This paper is based on a three-year pilot study, where an innovative methodology using a combination of remote data (obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and satellite) with in situ measurements, allows for the remote identification of traditional and modified roofs, as well helping understand the thermal behaviour of such roofs, with this study concentrating on historic centres in the Island of Malta, in the Mediterranean. Ultimately aimed at promoting preservation of these traditional roofs, this study provides data to help address, at least in part, current climatic concerns, whilst also potentially providing some adaptation strategies to address climate change (in particular increased ambient temperatures). Our studies on the behaviour of traditional deffun mortar roofs have shown that they are effective in protecting the internal environment from the external one. This can lead to a reduction in carbon emissions and help create a more carbon-neutral future over an entire historic centre. Therefore, in the long term, with the right management policies in place, traditional roofs on traditional buildings can provide an excellent and cost-effective way of moving towards carbon neutrality in historic urban centres.

Multi-vulnerability analysis for seismic risk management in historic city centres: an application to the historic city centre of La Serena, Chile

A comprehensive understanding of the elements at risk, through the identification of the main hazards, level of exposure and different dimensions of the vulnerability of the communities, is an essential step toward the definition and adoption of more effective risk reduction strategies. Historic urban centres have received special attention in the assessment of damage and physical vulnerability to earthquakes, but it is well known that vulnerability also depends on the social and demographic characteristics of communities. This paper discusses the application of a holistic approach aimed at assessing the seismic vulnerability of historic urban centres by considering their physical and social dimensions. Two index-based methodologies are presented, and the data are analyzed using the CENSUS block as the unit of study, which is scarcely present in the literature. The results of both indices are crossed through a matrix, which allows the classification of the blocks in five levels of priority and are mapped using a Geographic Information System tool. The Historic city centre of La Serena, one of the oldest in Chile, was selected as a case study. This historic city centre still preserves historic buildings of raw earth of diverse architectural typologies widely distributed throughout the country, which makes it relevant, not only by itself but as a model that can be replicated and extrapolated to other historic centres of similar constructive characteristics.

Flood vulnerability and risk assessment of historic urban areas: Vulnerability evaluation, derivation of depth‐damage curves and cost–benefit analysis of flood adaptation measures applied to the historic city centre of Tomar, Portugal

AbstractAround 45% of natural hazards reported worldwide are related to floods, and current indications show that exposure to floods and inherent losses will keep escalating. Historic centres are particularly vulnerable in this context due to the structural and material characteristics of the buildings and because they embrace social and cultural values that must be safeguarded. This article aims to contribute to this research area by presenting and discussing the application of an index‐based methodology specifically tailored to assess flood risk in historic urban centres. The historic city centre of Tomar, Portugal, an area that encompasses over 500 buildings and has a rich history of floods, is used here as a case study. Vulnerability data resulting from the application of the vulnerability assessment approach are then combined with flood hazard—that is, water velocity and depth obtained from flood peaks estimated for 20‐ and 100‐year periods of return—and used to identify the buildings at risk. Finally, a set of depth‐damage curves is derived and used here to carry out a cost–benefit analysis for different flood adaptation measures.

Integrated HBIM-GIS Models for Multi-Scale Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Buildings

The complexity of historical urban centres progressively needs a strategic improvement in methods and the scale of knowledge concerning the vulnerability aspect of seismic risk. A geographical multi-scale point of view is increasingly preferred in the scientific literature and in Italian regulation policies, that considers systemic behaviors of damage and vulnerability assessment from an urban perspective according to the scale of the data, rather than single building damage analysis. In this sense, a geospatial data sciences approach can contribute towards generating, integrating, and making virtuous relations between urban databases and emergency-related data, in order to constitute a multi-scale 3D database supporting strategies for conservation and risk assessment scenarios. The proposed approach developed a vulnerability-oriented GIS/HBIM integration in an urban 3D geodatabase, based on multi-scale data derived from urban cartography and emergency mapping 3D data. Integrated geometric and semantic information related to historical masonry buildings (specifically the churches) and structural data about architectural elements and damage were integrated in the approach. This contribution aimed to answer the research question supporting levels of knowledge required by directives and vulnerability assessment studies, both about the generative workflow phase, the role of HBIM models in GIS environments and toward user-oriented webGIS solutions for sharing and public use fruition, exploiting the database for expert operators involved in heritage preservation.

Urban Planning and Urban Lots in Cluj during The Modern Period. A Historical-Archaeological Perspective on the Emmanuel de Martonne, Hermann Oberth and Gaál Gábor Streets

"Over the past two decades, the accelerated development of historical urban centers in Transylvania has determined an increase in archaeological rescue interventions. The phenomenon was also documented in Cluj‑Napoca. However, the legislative framework and the attitude of local decision‑makers remain deficient in protecting and capitalizing on the built historical heritage and archaeological remains in the urban area. The lack of complex research programs focusing on Transylvanian urban environments has also enabled widespread ignorance regarding the archaeological remains of the modern period. The development of the entire field of study of urban historical archaeology has thus been inhibited. This field of archaeology provides the theoretical framework and methodological background for the research carried out in the second part of 2021 on three of the secondary streets of the historical center of Cluj: Gaál Gábor St., Hermann Oberth St. and Emmanuel de Martonne St. The contextualization of the discoveries in the three streets adjacent to the famous Platea Luporum intra muros (Farkas utca, Mihail Kogălniceanu St.) has facilitated the analysis of urban planning efforts throughout the modern age, as well as their antecedents and origins. The research has highlighted different situations for each of the streets in question, regarding their period of origin, possible mutations, and connections with the associated urban lots. Emmanuel de Martonne St. is a late modern creation, planned and executed in two stages during the second half of the nineteenth century. Unlike it, Hermann Oberth St. is considerably earlier in date, possibly medieval, with a well‑defined and documented trajectory since the seventeenth century. Furthermore, Gaál Gábor St. was originally an obscure footpath that originated in the first half of the eighteenth century. It now has a partially altered trajectory due to urban systematization works dated to the beginning of the twentieth century. Their simultaneous research has allowed us to follow a long process of reconfiguration and multiplication of the street network in this micro‑area of historical Cluj."

Exploring Participatory Placemaking in Malaysia Using Embedded Ethnographies with Practitioners Approach

The transition to a place-based approach in urban regeneration has heightened the significance of increasing inclusion and capability for participatory governance, collaborative planning, and implementation of projects. Within place branding and global city competitions, smaller placemaking efforts have become an increasingly popular approach in urban regeneration, especially in the historic urban centres worldwide, including George Town, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. However, placemaking is a complex and ambiguous concept that may operate within the formal planning structure, or grow organically from the grassroots or appear in protests to a particular development due to emotional connection to particular places. Internal factors such as social-cultural, economic, political, and governance characteristics inside places were claimed to affect the ambiguity of placemaking, as were external variables such as global connections and market trends. This paper discusses the ethnography of case studies methodology adopted to understand the interaction between government-market-civil society nexus that shaped distinctive models of placemaking within the urban regeneration agenda in the historic cities mentioned above. Overt participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used in this research to gather real-life data on participatory placemaking from a constructivist and interpretivism epistemological stance. This paper provides a detailed description of the steps and processes of ethnographic research in the built environment, which may encourage other researchers who believe that ‘urban centres are constructed by the multiple realities of their context, which requires an emphatic understanding of human action’ to adopt a similar methodology.

A method for the integration of public art in risk management frameworks: challenges and opportunities

Purpose. The research aimed to develop an integrated and systematic method for assessing risk in contemporary public art collections. The research outlines key elements of a public-art risk-management plan. Emphasis is placed on enhancing heritage protection from natural hazards and extreme events related to climate change and, more significantly, on how such a plan can strengthen resilience in the social and historic built environment. Methodology. To develop the method, the World Heritage Historic Center of San Gimignano (Italy), comprising both medieval heritage and contemporary public art, is investigated because of its unique cultural landscape. The landscape’s contemporary elements exist as the result of several cultural initiatives: Affinità Elettive (1994), Arte all’Arte (1998-2005), and UmoCA (2011). This research highlights how the ensured survival of San Gimignano’s public art is severely conditioned by the coexistence of physical, contextual, and managerial factors (hazards and vulnerabilities). Findings. Based on case studies, the research develops indicators and criteria for vulnerability and risk analysis. Moreover, the integration of public art into, and its contribution to, general DRM frameworks is discussed. Despite the fact that public art’s values can contribute to the resilience of historic urban centers, the research reveals important challenges to overcome if public art is to be incorporated into general risk-management policies. Originality. In light of this, a risk-analysis model has been developed following international policies and frameworks, the results of which could be integrated into the general-management and conservation plan for the contemporary collections in the public space. Moreover, in recognition of the importance of social, cultural, and economic processes in the conservation of public spaces, a values assessment has been incorporated into the risk management framework.

Five-footways: the generator of public realm in Malaysian historical urban centre

PurposeFive-footways are an important feature in historical urban centres of tropical South East Asian cities. These colonnades along the rows of commercial shop houses provide comfortable pedestrian walkways. In spite of the decline of the liveability in many historical urban centres, the “kaki-lima” or five-footways in Klang Valley Malaysia are bustling and alive. Many studies have been done on kaki-lima, however it focuses mostly on historical and cultural context. There is lack of understanding on how the physical attributes of kaki-lima facilitate the liveliness of urban life. The paper aims to investigate the five-footway as the generator of public realm and to analyse the physical attributes of the five-footways that contribute to the “stickiness” of the public space.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized behaviour mapping to identify the sticky activity, then subsequently used Roger Barker's theory of Behaviour Settings to observe different stationary activities along the five-footways of the historical centres of Kuala Lumpur and Klang.FindingsThe findings show that all the identified behaviour settings along the five-footways are strongly characterised by tropical climate and local diverse culture. Additionally, the small architectural detail provides an important physical setting for informal activities to take a place in the five-footways.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited only to two urban heritage districts in Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur and Klang.Practical implicationsThe findings have the implication for the public space policy of the local municipalities, specifically for urban design policy of the five-footways. Firstly, the inclusion of five-footways should be encouraged in any new shophouse development and secondly, the policy maker should consider to retain certain physical features of the five-footways that support not only the informal economy activities but also the creation of third places in the neighbourhoods.Originality/valueThis study will contribute to the discourse of urbanism, especially in understanding the public realm in South East Asian cities. Additionally, the outcomes will assist the local municipality in developing urban design policy of the five-footways.

Seismic vulnerability assessment and fragility analysis of pre-code masonry buildings in Portugal

Despite the fact that in recent years Portugal has not seen the occurrence of high-magnitude earthquakes, it remains threatened by these events due to its geographic location. Since the 1960s, reinforced concrete has been the most used material for new constructions; however, the historic urban centers are dominated by old unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, which techniques and construction materials have evolved since the Great Lisbon earthquake that occurred in 1755 (Mw = 8.5). Given the presence of these buildings in areas of significant seismicity, extensive research is needed to assess the seismic risk and define mitigation policies. This kind of studies is often supported by empirical methods and based on expert judgment due to the high variability of the building stock and lack of information. The main purpose of this work is: (i) to provide analytical fragility curves, supported by nonlinear static analysis, for the entire population of old masonry buildings, built before the introduction of the first design code for building safety against earthquakes (RSSCS) in 1958; (ii) define vulnerability curves to be used by the technical community for seismic assessment of pre code URM buildings. The characterization of the building stock geometry and material properties is based on information previously collected, which was essential to define representative archetypes and typologies.

Structural Assessment of the Sustainability of the Historical Clock Tower as a Landmark

In the historical process, many tools have been used to measure time. With technological advances, clock towers were built with mechanical clocks. But today, rather than their original function, historic urban centers have become an image of cities. First built in Europe, clock towers were built in various cities of Anatolia during the Ottoman Period. The protection and sustainability of clock towers, which are one of physical identity, is important for the continuity of cultural heritage. Determining the damages that earthquakes will contribute to the protection and sustainability of clock towers. In the study, the historical clock tower in Çorum was modeled in three dimensions and subjected to static and dynamic analysis. In static analysis, it is seen that the upper part of the main entrance door and dynamic analyses increase in the transition from the octagonal plan in the lower region to the circular cross-sectional zone in the upper region. Also, it was determined that the maximum values of deformations appeared as displacement in orthogonal directions at the top of the tower. As a result, as a strengthening proposal, it is thought that iron tensioners passing through the stirrup plane of the entrance door conveyor belt should be added.

Assessing and Managing Risk in Historic Urban Areas: Current Trends and Future Research Directions

Historic urban centres are, almost by definition, risk-prone areas. The buildings in the historical sites are often highly vulnerable to natural and human-made hazards, not only due to their construction and material characteristics but also because they are usually very degraded due to ineffective maintenance and conservation policies. Moreover, the recent world tourism boom has led to a significant increase in the number of people who live, work and visit these areas, which, together with land use and climate change-related impacts, make historic centres particularly exposed areas. This paper addresses the issue of assessing and managing risk in historic urban centres departing from the complexity of defining the historic city and the concept of risk, providing a comprehensive discussion on current trends and future research directions in this field. After analysing the most suitable methodologies to assess the vulnerability of these areas to different hazards, the focus is on data collection and organisation-related issues and how the different vulnerability assessment outputs can be used to manage and mitigate risk. Vulnerability and loss scenarios, evacuation and emergency planning, and retrofit and cost-benefit analyses are some of the aspects addressed herein. This discussion includes some considerations on the accuracy of these approaches and aspects related to their calibration and validation, covering from empirical calibration models to advanced artificial Intelligence-based techniques.

Current Trends in Urban Heritage Conservation: Medieval Historic Arab City Centers

Traditional conservation efforts did not improve the conditions in most historic urban centers of Arab cities. The internationally adopted shift in historic urban conservation grants better urban vitality and sustainability for these areas. This study investigates the existing trends and forthcoming changes in urban conservation and their implication on historical centers. Urban Heritage Conservation UHC trends were reviewed, conservation parameters were defined, and quality aspects of successful historic urban conservation were identified, and an assessment framework was developed to evaluate the resulting conserved urban heritage. Two case studies of Arab cities, Jeddah and Aman, were analyzed. The findings highlight the most common urban issues such as reusing historic buildings, traffic congestion, and lack of funds. The impact of urban management on historic areas’ quality was revealed. Moreover, the paper ends with recommendations for conservation authorities. These include engaging residents in the conservation efforts, adopting more innovative traffic solutions to ease congestions, turning the historic area into a pedestrian-friendly space, attracting visitors through arranging cultural events, creating new job opportunities through heritage, and improving the image of the areas through urban regulations. The paper’s findings would contribute to the knowledge related to Urban Heritage Conservation (UHC), and its recommendations would help practitioners and decision-makers.

1911: Estudiantina Oriental on the Road

This article concerns one of the most famous Greek ensembles active in Ottoman Smyrna (today Izmir) and Constantinople (today Istanbul) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The music ensemble used the term “estudiantina” in its name, inspired by the homonymous Spanish ensemble which toured a variety of places all over the world, beginning in Paris in 1878. The introduction of the article outlines the framework of the research into the Greek-speaking urban folk-popular music of Smyrna, of the 19th and early 20th centuries that has been carried out up to now. Furthermore, the second part of the introduction outlines the historical framework not only of Smyrna but also of the ensemble in particular, in the period we are examining.The main body of the article follows the ensemble’s beginnings in Paris during the first three months of 1911 and then in London and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the same year. The article also examines the role of the tour’s intermediaries and organizers, the ensemble’s repertoire, and the ideological framework within which the orchestra created its musical art.The article covers the complex music networks in Europe during this specific period and examines the way in which Europe perceived the music coming out of the East. It also focuses on issues such as roving repertoires and roving musicians, and the cosmopolitan mood that characterized the polystylist musical traditions of historical urban centers, during a very significant time period: the end of the Ottoman Empire and the birth of the nation-states.

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Masonry Aggregate Buildings. The Case of Fes Medina in Morocco

ABSTRACT Historic urban centers characterised by traditional masonry aggregate patio houses have been studied under many aspects: the patio construction type allows to obtain thermal conditions suitable for particular climatic conditions and introverted interior spaces suitable for specific cultures. Conversely, the seismic vulnerability assessment is not yet thoroughly investigated. This paper proposes a methodology for the seismic vulnerability assessment at the urban scale for traditional masonry aggregate patio houses, developing on Vulnerability Index approach combined with the macroseismic method through vulnerability functions. In particular, an appropriate survey form is proposed by a thorough calibration on the remarkable case study of the Fes medina, UNESCO World Heritage site, which has suffered severe damages from earthquakes occurred in ancient time. The study allowed to realise vulnerability and fragility curves, damage scenarios, and loss scenarios. The method was applied a second time to the case study after simulated structural retrofitting interventions. The vulnerability assessment results are also presented through maps with the Geographic Information System (GIS).

Cultural Jugaad in historic city transformations

Several historic Indian cities have managed to retain the original urban character by using readily available materials, craftspeople, and cultural traditions despite increasing urban transformations. This notion of sustaining/preserving/continuing certain cultural elements and rituals has survived in various forms in the last two centuries. Historic cities showcase their living heritage at the global level and are exemplars for studying the strong linkages within traditions and indigenous modes of preservation. In such situations where stakeholders have centuries of association with the site, it is essential that professionals look beyond conventional solutions to better understand local perceptions and thereby establish the appropriateness of any urban level interventions. This article draws from various urban conservation works carried out in the historic cities of Rajasthan over the last two decades. It illustrates the discoveries and challenges in understanding the traditional local mindset for working in such areas. The indigenous methods practiced in these historic living cores are often at variance with the norms and logics of Western city planning being followed in post-colonial India. Examples in the cities and settlements of Jaipur, Udaipur and Ajmer, feature in this article, highlighting the urgent need to understand the local community mindset and the Indian approach to solutions for rapidly modernizing historic urban centres.

A Technological System for Post-Earthquake Damage Scenarios Based on the Monitoring by Means of an Urban Seismic Network.

A technological system capable of automatically producing damage scenarios at an urban scale, as soon as an earthquake occurs, can help the decision-makers in planning the first post-disaster response, i.e., to prioritize the field activities for checking damage, making a building safe, and supporting rescue and recovery. This system can be even more useful when it works on densely populated areas, as well as on historic urban centers. In the paper, we propose a processing chain on a GIS platform to generate post-earthquake damage scenarios, which are based: (1) on the near real-time processing of the ground motion, that is recorded in different sites by MEMS accelerometric sensor network in order to take into account the local effects, and (2) the current structural characteristics of the built heritage, that can be managed through an information system from the local public administration authority. In the framework of the EU-funded H2020-ARCH project, the components of the system have been developed for the historic area of Camerino (Italy). Currently, some experimental fragility curves in the scientific literature, which are based on the damage observations after Italian earthquakes, are implemented in the platform. These curves allow relating the acceleration peaks obtained by the recordings of the ground motion with the probability to reach a certain damage level, depending on the structural typology. An operational test of the system was performed with reference to an ML3.3 earthquake that occurred 13 km south of Camerino. Acceleration peaks between 1.3 and 4.5 cm/s2 were recorded by the network, and probabilities lower than 35% for negligible damage (and then about 10% for moderate damage) were calculated for the historical buildings given this low-energy earthquake.

Effects of Urban Growth on Street Networks and Land Use in Mosul, Iraq: A Case Study

Urban centers grow and expand gradually, and this growth is accompanied by renewal processes for many parts of these centers over time. Traditionally, conditions and needs developed slowly and cities often only changed greatly due to natural disasters or wars. However, with the acceleration of the Industrial Revolution and subsequent important technical transformations in transportation modes, a large, accelerating, and indisputable impact affected historical urban centers, which suffered many morphological changes represented by the intrusive opening of streets to the passage of vehicles with varying degrees of sympathy toward the characteristics of these centers. This research starts from the general hypothesis that street networks affected the changes in old urban centers represented by growth and urbanization and the accompanying change in how parts of this traditional fabric were used. Therefore, we need to have a clear and accurate perception of the change in the characteristics of the spatial organization of the urban and historical centers that resulted from these formal changes. This requires defining and describing the characteristics of this spatial organization before and after these changes occurred. The present research adopts the space syntax method to measure morphological changes and the historic center of Mosul in Iraq is chosen for the practical study due to the city's need for a development strategy that controls expansion and growth when rebuilding the city after the destruction that resulted from the military operations in the war with ISIS.

Comprehensive assessment to residents’ perceptions to historic urban center in megacity: a case study of Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China

ABSTRACT Understanding residents’ perceptions of the urban form can guide efforts to improve the urban milieu. However, existing research on place perception of historic environment has overlooked the social dimension and focused on isolated historic quarters, resulting in “zones of gentrification.” Thus, a comprehensive analytical framework to the urban image inquiry of a megacity historic urban center is proposed to address this gap. An online questionnaire is distributed among the residents of the Yuexiu District in Guangzhou, China. The collected data are processed using ArcGIS to create a 3D cognitive map and a 2D affective map. The relationships between environmental features, subjective evaluated qualities, and residents’ perceptions are analyzed statistically where applicable. Results show that large natural features and public spaces are the most prominent for residents of a historic urban center, whereas designated historic districts are rarely noticed. In addition, districts are more imageable than landmarks, paths are frequently overlooked, and contextual sizable forms and functions are highly noticeable, different from conventional studies. Evaluations of walking environments, public spaces, and landscapes and green areas by residents are strongly correlated with their affective experiences. With the above findings, implications in improving socially-oriented urban design strategies in historic urban centers are discussed.

ONTOLOGY-BASED DATA MAPPING TO SUPPORT PLANNING IN HISTORICAL URBAN CENTRES

Abstract. Because of the need for new sustainable future alternatives, the re-inhabitation of rural areas, hinterlands, small historical urban centres and villages has become a unique real opportunity. Therefore, it is necessary to define and adopt new sustainable urban planning and building permits to follow this path. These processes involve both various actors and disciplines and a variety of spatial and semantic data. For this reason, the present research aims at providing a methodology to build the necessary spatial documentation of historical centres and villages by adopting an ontology-based workflow. Existing ontologies and conceptualisations have been considered together with classes and rules from city historical core regulations. A case study has been selected considering its available spatial datasets and national data models. The bottom-up approach here adopted aims at validating and enriching a reference ontology previously developed in the domain of historical centre by adding new concepts and relations from selected regulation plans and other existing ontologies and data models. Finally, the obtained ontology is also populated with instances of concepts and relations.