Historic Urban Landscape Approach Research Articles

The public participation in the implementation of the UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape approach

The public participation in the implementation of the UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape approach

Developing Heritage Preservation on Ilha de Moçambique Using a Historic Urban Landscape Approach

In 2011, a new approach was introduced into the management of heritage on Ilha de Moçambique by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Known as the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, this seeks to expand current understanding of the island’s historic urban heritage, recognising that ‘heritage’ is not limited solely to monuments or the built environment. Importantly, HUL incorporates urban sustainable development within the scope of heritage preservation. Given this, the adoption of the HUL approach has the potential to contribute to ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the built heritage, as prescribed by the 1972 UNESCO Convention, of Ilha de Moçambique, and effectively maintaining the Outstanding Universal Values that resulted in the declaration of the island as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. This paper discusses how local communities use the resources and heritage available to them and the central role of commerce, and the marketplace, in the heritage landscape of the island. A critical aspect of this is the sale of antiquities, including archaeological items, to tourists. Perspectives developed within the Rising from the Depths (RftD) network recently supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) UK, with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), offer positive alternative solutions to overcome this challenging situation. In particular, the network sought to identify how the tangible submerged and coastal Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar, and its associated intangible aspects, can be utilised to stimulate ethical, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in the region. Our paper demonstrates how the implementation of the RftD initiative when combined with the HUL approach can help to increase awareness among communities on Ilha de Moçambique about the relevance of their heritage and the need for preserving it while meeting everyday needs.

Urban Heritage Facility Management: A Conceptual Framework for the Provision of Urban-Scale Support Services in Norwegian World Heritage Sites

This study validated the theoretical keypoints obtained from a previously published scoping literature review within the context of three Norwegian World Heritage sites: Røros, Rjukan, and Notodden. The cross-sectional table of the urban heritage facility management (UHFM) framework, which is based on interviews and correspondence, demonstrates the connection between the tasks of the six clusters of technical departments responsible for the provision of urban-scale support services and the modified critical steps of the Historic Urban Landscape approach, in which an additional step for “monitoring and evaluation” was included. UHFM operates at the intersection of heritage preservation, urban-scale facility management, and stakeholder coordination, which requires a careful balance between urban heritage conservation and sustainable urban management practices, thus enabling the preservation of World Heritage status that, among others, fosters sustainable tourism. The three case studies highlighted the significance of UHFM in preserving heritage value, authenticity, visual quality, and significance. Besides providing comprehensive support services that extend beyond the daily tasks of conservators and World Heritage managers, UHFM also allows feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement. This study highlighted the complex relationship between the provision of urban-scale support services and the preservation of Outstanding Universal Value as the core business of World Heritage sites.

The connections between Historic Urban Landscape layers in Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China

The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach offers an innovative integrated approach to urban conservation based on layering analysis. However, adapting the HUL layering model to the East Asian context, particularly China, is problematic. This issue can be addressed by incorporating connection analysis into the HUL approach. The current study emphasises the need to consider the interwoven spatial structure of the urban landscape and treat deeper cultural-natural ties as those embodied in the traditional Chinese concept of Fengshui. Taking Jingdezhen, the historic centre of China’s traditional ceramics industry, as a case study, this study demonstrates local knowledge of natural geography and local intelligence regarding settlement location and design. The results indicate that the natural system is at the core of Jingdezhen’s HUL, and the elements of nature, function and spirit form a holistic and interactive system.

Figura i ziemia: angielskie spojrzenie na konserwację historycznych przestrzeni publicznych

This paper considers some aspects of the way historic public space is understood in England, drawing on a selection of relevant guidance and research published by Historic England. This builds a picture of how public spaces are dealt with in official heritage publications in England, and how this relates to international discussion, particularly the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. This is followed by some reflections on figure-ground mapping, which leads to a brief discussion of the “Townscape” campaign of The Architectural Review. The paper concludes with reflections on the implications for conservation arising from broader perception of city as cultural landscape.

Mixed-Methods Approach to Land Use Renewal Strategies in and around Abandoned Airports: The Case of Beijing Nanyuan Airport

Urban airports are typically large infrastructures with significant cultural, economic, and ecological impacts; meanwhile, abandoned airports are common worldwide. However, there is limited knowledge regarding transformation strategies for the renewal of abandoned airports and their surrounding regions in historically and culturally rich areas. We use Beijing’s Nanyuan Airport as a case study, combining the historic urban landscape approach, land use and land cover change, and counterfactual simulations of land use patterns to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. Our framework was used to analyze the long-term land use patterns of the study area, determine its value, and improve perception from a macro- and multi-perspective. We discovered that the traditional knowledge and planning systems in the study area have largely disappeared, but Nanyuan Airport’s impact on the surrounding land use patterns is unique and significant. By considering the characteristics and mechanisms of land use in the study area, we aimed to find a balance point between the historical context and future potential. As such, we propose optimized recommendations with the theme of connection and development engines. Our findings supplement the planning knowledge of relevant areas and provide a springboard for interdisciplinary research in landscape planning.

Exploring the descriptions of World Heritage properties through the perspective of water using a narrative approach

ABSTRACT A comprehensive understanding of water systems across space and time is key, both for sustainable urban development and heritage preservation. However, so far, a clear methodology that links the exploration of the past and the protection of heritage properties to the design of the future is still missing. We argue that an exploration of heritage through the lens of water systems using a narrative approach can facilitate the understanding and protection of heritage properties and connect heritage protection to water system thinking. In this research, we established a methodology to collect, code, categorise, and interpret the descriptions of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage properties created by state members and approved by UNESCO to better understandthe role that water systems currently play in the identification and protection of heritage properties. Based on our findings, we argue that adding water to the analysis of heritage can help overcome the ‘culture-nature’ divide. It can also facilitate the systematic thinking necessary for understanding the historic role of heritage properties and facilitating their protection. A water narrative approach can give due recognition to indigenous water narratives in heritage identification and value assessment. We stress the need for a new water awareness and water narrative, considering the input of a wide range of stakeholders to help develop shared strategies for how to identify, treat, utilise, and manage water resources and make them an inherent part of the balanced and sustainable development of historical waterfront cities. The UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape approach and the World Heritage Canopy offer potent tools to tackle current challenges and to emphasise the importance of the new narrative and contribute to its composition.

The Impact of Special Character Areas on Property Values and Homeowners’ Experiences: Cases from Auckland, New Zealand

The importance of identifying and improving the distinctiveness of historical urban landscapes as a means of reinforcing place identity and supporting economic development has been widely acknowledged. However, research on the economic and social performance of heritage conservation areas is slow to develop, especially in New Zealand. In connection to the examination of Special Character Areas (SCAs) in Auckland, this paper seeks to quantify the value of the historical urban landscape and improve its management. A property value analysis is used to assess the impact of SCA designation on property values and an online questionnaire survey gathers information on homeowners’ experiences of living in an SCA. The results indicate that designated SCA properties have higher average values than non-designated properties and homeowners are appreciative of a sense of community and having certainty about the look and feel of their neighbourhood in the future. However, the majority of people who had gone through the processes of building and planning applications found it to be a negative experience because of the high cost in terms of time and money. A historic urban landscape approach to the development of management plans and design guidelines is recommended to improve the implementation of the Special Character Areas in Auckland and beyond.

Urban heritage and the four pillars of sustainability: Urban-scale facility management in the World Heritage sites

The discussion addressing sustainability issues of the World Heritage (WH) as cultural sites that holds outstanding universal values (OUV) has started to surface since the adoption of the “Strategic Action Plan for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention 2012-2022”, specifically in the third goal, which states that “heritage protection and conservation should consider present and future environmental, societal, and economic needs.” This goal aligned with the first three pillars of sustainability. After the introduction of “culture” as the fourth pillar of sustainability by UCLG in 2011, the issue of sustainability in the WH sites has drawn global attention. The balance of all four pillars of sustainability within protected sites can potentially be achieved by improving efficiencies through urban-scale facility management (Urban FM). The principles of Urban FM aligned with UNESCO’s recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, which is a holistic approach to managing historic sites. This study discusses aspects of managing urban-scale facilities in urban heritage areas and aims to shed light on the knowledge of Urban FM at WH sites by employing a literature review approach. The preliminary findings indicate that culture, the fourth pillar of sustainability, was involved and bound to the other three pillars: economic, social, and environmental. Within WH sites, urban-scale facility management needs to be considered seriously to ensure the protection of OUV that efficiently defines the existence of their status as World Heritage.

Public policies and conservation plans of historic urban landscapes under the sustainable heritage tourism milieu: discussions on the equilibrium model on Kulangsu Island, UNESCO World Heritage site

PurposeThe tensions and threats in historic urban landscapes brought about by heritage tourism are still regional, global, general, and dynamic issues. For Kulangsu, there is an obvious problem in the connection between the current conservation plan and public policy. To a large extent, public policy cannot effectively, specifically, and flexibly respond to the dynamic problems in the implementation of the conservation plan, which seems insufficient concerning the effect of these conservation plans and public policies on promoting the adaptive reuse and sustainable tourism of the historic urban in Kulangsu heritage sites. Thus, giving more consideration to the combination of public policies and conservation plans of historic urban landscapes under the heritage tourism milieu, ensuring a balanced, sustainable, and integrated development pattern still calls for new discussions in achieving good performance of sustainable heritage tourism. This study conceptually discusses the equilibrium model of historic urban landscapes with a range of strategies under a sustainable heritage tourism background and responds to the synthetic contradiction of the imbalances among public policy, conservation plans, and development practices.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a range of prepared desktop studies (public policy studies, conservation plans), field surveys, participant observations, and randomised interviews to respond to the insufficiency of the current heritage practices.FindingsThis study discusses the equilibrium model of sustainable heritage tourism at heritage sites. It takes Kulangsu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Southeast China, as an example to discuss the equilibrium model, which encompasses a convergent parallel framework and three dimensions concerning heritage management and policymaking. The equilibrium model of historic urban landscapes is a dynamic framework that integrates social, economic, environmental, and cultural concerns into a holistic collaborative framework under a sustainable heritage tourism background.Originality/valueIn line with the requirements of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach and general principles in support of sustainable urban heritage management promoted by UNESCO and ICOMOS, the study points out the peculiarities and potential of the equilibrium mode in solving the current challenges of historic urban landscapes for sustainable heritage tourism. Finding ways of linking policymaking, conservation, development, heritage tourism, and different interest groups to a holistic framework can stimulate effective means and management mechanisms for the complicated and changeable issues of sustainable heritage tourism.

읍치 경관에 대한 유네스코 ‘역사도시경관’ 접근의 함의

Today, the ‘landscape’ concept of geography is an important part of the UNESCO’s approach to evaluating, inscribing, and managing World Heritages. Recently the UNESCO’s ‘Historic Urban Landscape (HUL)’ approach contributes to a comprehensive coverage by maintaining a holistic view based on the landscape concept of geography, relating the historic districts within the city to ecological, social, and cultural dimensions, daily life of citizens, promotion of current happiness, and sustainable development. The UNESCO’s HUL approach should be taken seriously when our designing plans for re-recognition and management of the heritage values of eupchi (county seat) landscapes of the Joseon Dynasty scattered throughout the Korean Peninsula today. From this point of view, the author took Gongju Eupchi as a case, drew values as the traditional cityscape of Korea, reflected on the existing understanding of the Eupchi landscape from academic, civil society, and institutional aspects, and presented future development tasks.

Conservation and development: implementation of the historic urban landscape approach in Khiva, Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT Balancing conservation and development is one of the biggest challenges in the management of heritage cities. In 2011, UNESCO adopted the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in order to guide conservationists, urban planners and city administrations in this difficult process. Based on an interpretative policy analysis, this paper explores the implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape approach in the Uzbek World Heritage city Khiva. It describes recent development trends in the city’s historic centre related to urban form, tourism and heritage management. These observations are then checked against the recommended ‘critical steps’ and tools from the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation. The paper explores if recent urban developments in the city reflect a new understanding of the historic urban landscape, and to what extent the implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape approach supports the reconciliation of conservation and development in the urban regeneration of the city. The analysis shows that while some of the Recommendation’s principles have been implemented, others are barely respected. Conflicts between the interest of tourism development, heritage conservation and the needs of local residents are ubiquitous and represent a case of heritage dissonance.

Spatial Distribution of Urban Heritage and Landscape Approach to Urban Contextual Continuity: The Case of Suzhou

Suzhou, one of the most famous historical cities in China, has undergone significant urbanization over recent decades. These changes have caused a gradual separation of Suzhou’s urban heritage from its urban development and hindered the further growth of the city. This study analyzes the distribution of tangible and intangible heritages that constitute the context of Suzhou combined with the historic urban landscape approach to obtain the following conclusions: (1) The current distribution of Suzhou’s urban heritage does not completely overlap with the built-up area of the city, and the non-overlapping areas reveal the imbalance of the current urban development and the fracture of the context of Suzhou; this imbalance is still a blind spot in the planning process. (2) The use of intangible cultural heritage will help to establish the possibility of contextual continuation in areas that lack urban heritage. (3) Multi-use community spaces that carry the intangible cultural heritage are particularly important for new urban areas, as they can help urban residents understand the traditional way of life in the region. (4) An approach to heritage management that goes beyond elitism, in conjunction with residents and communities, will help the ancient city to find a better balance between contextual continuity and economic development.

What Fundamental Indicators Should Be Used to Measure the Change in the Historic Urban Landscape Approach

Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) identifies an urban area due to its cultural and natural values and the qualities of its historical plane. Within this context, this article aims to determine and categorize these values used in the HUL approach as indicators. The research question focuses on finding specific indicators used in the HUL approach to measuring change beyond considering natural and cultural heritage values in the landscape context. These indicators in 228 peer-reviewed publications implementing the HUL from 2008 to 2021 are assessed. The six-step inclusive and exclusive theoretical framework is established as a method in this article to detect the inadequate implementations of HUL in case studies. The initial finding of this article is that the adequacy of using the HUL approach in publications is questionable as the implementation of the HUL approach processes was incomplete or misunderstood in most of them. Only 29 articles of the 228 publications implemented the HUL approach in its entirety. The other finding is that when the change measurement indicators in the HUL approach are examined, it is evident that natural indicators were the least used group compared to cultural and identity indicators. Each cultural, natural, and identity indicator group should be utilized evenly to implement the HUL approach adequately. This article presents a fundamental indicator list that includes cultural, natural, and identity groups for correctly using the HUL approach.

World Heritage Discourses and the Potential of Conceptualizing Water

Conceptualizing water and heritage together is a key challenge. Only in recent years has heritage management started to embrace sustainable development in the context of heritage preservation. The UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach and policy recommendations for sustainable development integration exemplify this recent development. This contribution examines World Heritage discourses through the lenses of water and heritage as a system. It specifically explores the relation between World Heritage management and water management of World Heritage sites. In doing so, it aims to reinforce the role of water and water management in the World Heritage framework, both in terms of theory and process. It concludes with a call for a stronger acknowledgment of water management as part of good practices for World Heritage sites and their management.

A metamodel for heritage-based urban recovery

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential transfer of a metamodel for heritage-based urban development (HBUD) in a postcrisis urban recovery scenario.Design/methodology/approachAfter an introduction to the field of cultural heritage as a resource for urban development, the research question is elaborated, and the current understanding of urban heritage is explored. The use of the metamodel in a postcrisis urban recovery setting is described as a potential solution. The proposed metamodel is introduced along with the grounded theory and design research methodology through which it was developed. The specific qualities of metamodels and how they can contribute to the proposed use are highlighted. The scenario is then developed further, and specific ways in which the metamodel could contribute are elaborated. Finally, the metamodel is compared to other methods, such as the historic urban landscape (HUL) approach, and the limitations are discussed.FindingsThe metamodel can potentially be used in a postcrisis urban recovery scenario. The metamodel cannot be used directly, owing to the nature of metamodels; however, it can be transferred to a specific context and help to structure successful heritage-based urban recovery (HBUR) processes.Practical limitations/implicationsOne limitation is that it can be difficult to understand the differences between models and metamodels. Only with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of metamodels can this metamodel be applied, for example, to select appropriate models for HBUR. The metamodel can help to ensure that all relevant ‘elements’ are part of the processes designed for HBUR and emphasise the need for thorough planning, or scoping, of such processes.Originality/valueMetamodelling has not previously been used for HBUD or HBUR.

Collaboration Between Nature and Humans in the Desert

The qanat system exploits groundwater aquifers in arid and semi-arid regions with the help of local water facilities and infrastructure. The system originated in Iran’s central plateau and then spread widely around the world, from the Middle East and Eastern Asia to Europe, North Africa and even South America. This historic water system, which reduces costs and energy consumption, offers a model of how humans can connect to their environment in a completely sustainable way. This system not only satisfies human water needs but does so without depleting natural resources. The relationship between humans and nature is very fragile in desert regions and the qanat system is capable of sustaining settlements even in Iran’s hot and dry climate. This historic system enables settlements and agriculture to survive while inspiring a unique desert-specific approach in line with the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. This ecosystem-like approach involves not only the qanat’s canals but also associated natural structures and historical components like water reservoirs (Ab-Anbar), water mills (Asiab), water coolers (Yakhchāl), gardens (Bagh) and farms (Mazrae) and floodways (Masil).

Two Towns in Indonesia, One on the Coast, the Other “A City of One Thousand Rivers”

The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Quick Scan Method is a methodology that can be used in workshops to foster multi-stakeholder collaboration and a holistic understanding of a context and its challenges. The HUL Quick Scan Method was conducted in three phases in Muntok and Banjarmasin, Indonesia, and demonstrated its efficacy in promoting heritage and socio-cultural practices as catalysts for sustainable development. The features of the workshops run in the two cities stimulated discussion among the local community and including private and public sectors, establishing a basis for applying the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape approach.

A Cultural-History Analysis on Malay-Islamic Heritage of Siak Sri Indrapura through the Historical Urban Landscape Approach in Pekanbaru City

<p><em>The Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura plays a vital role in the history of the development of Islam and Malay culture in Pekanbaru City. Pekanbaru City is a cultural-historical tourist attraction through the Malay-Islamic landscape, which can be seen from its historical heritage. The historical heritage is a Malay-Islamic cultural heritage building that still exists today. This study will explain the analysis of cultural history and its preservation management. The method used is qualitative with a Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. The study's results showed 16 cultural heritage sites with varying levels of management, five sites in very well-maintained condition, three well maintained, and eight poorly maintained. Several challenges are faced: damaged buildings, incomplete historical data, regulations, and the absence of tourist programs. In addition, the distance between cultural heritage and the enthusiasm of the Malay community is a potential that needs to be optimized. The vision is to make Pekanbaru City the center of Malay-Islamic identity based on the waterfront city through the concept of preservation. The proposed preservation management is a historical tourism development program to connect cultural heritage buildings based on tourist trails that prioritize cultural and historical interpretation effectiveness and efficiency.</em></p>

Urban Heritage Conservation and Modern Urban Development from the Perspective of the Historic Urban Landscape Approach: A Case Study of Suzhou

Suzhou is one of China’s model cities due to its economic development in recent decades. Although the city deserves recognition for its efforts in urban heritage conservation, the current preservation strategy only targets the ancient city and neglects the separation of the entire urban landscape. This has become a huge hidden problem in the process of Suzhou’s sustainable development. This study, based on this background, explores the development process of Suzhou and the problems in the current urban planning, and then proposes suggestions for optimization. The historic urban landscape approach provides a solution to this problem by analyzing the urban form and urban landscape features of Suzhou in three important historical periods: pre-1949, 1949–1978, and post-1978. This study discusses the development process of Suzhou and the problems in the current urban planning, and makes the following contributions: (1) the dichotomy between modernity and tradition in the urban landscape of Suzhou is shown from a morphological perspective, revealing that this dichotomy is based on rapid urbanization and the one-sided pursuit of economic development, (2) revisits the role of Suzhou traditional gardens in order to better integrate them as structural elements in urban planning, (3) proposes the intangible value of urban heritage and combined with the historic urban landscape of looking beyond the notion of the “historic center” or “ensemble” to help all Suzhou residents form a more coherent place attachment and local identity.