A Challenging Urban: Recent Progress and the Future of Heritage Designation

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 10185

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Departamento de Historia, Teoría y Composición Arquitectónica, Instituto Universitario de Arquitectura y Ciencias de la Construcción, Avenida de la Reina Mercedes, s/n, CP. 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: cultural heritage; city sustainable development; historical urban landscape

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Guest Editor
Department of Architectural Design and Engineering, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: sustainable development; sustainable architecture; urban conservation; values; heritage planning; UNESCO; world heritage

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Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: heritage conservation; sustainable development; historic urban landscape; adaptive reuse; management; conservation maintenance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heritage designation concerns the formal identification and protection by legal statute of a wide range of heritage assets and is becoming increasingly complex on both theoretical and strategic levels because the approach, actors, and values involved have broadened. In urban contexts, this has led to a mismatch between the approach, actors, and values being supported by urban and heritage planning policies. This disables and/or slows down further implementation in practice, going beyond pilot projects to structural change in urban governance. The field of heritage designation is at a turning point; it requires not just a reform in its practices, but also a greater understanding of its effectiveness in urban conservation and sustainability.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together contributions from different disciplines that reflect on how heritage designation has evolved over time and place, sharing experiences of developing and/or testing innovative methodologies that can cope with the current complexities in the approach, actors, and values. We are also looking for contributions which reveal and compare the effectiveness of heritage designation in heritage conservation, and its contribution to social, cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability.

In this Special Issue, we are interested in contributions that, through either empirical research or conceptual/theoretical work, address the following themes:

  • Theoretical models on heritage designation and their relation;
  • Critical analysis on heritage designation applied in practice, findings, and gaps;
  • Innovative methodologies in heritage designation and/or designating new heritage;
  • Impacts of heritage designation in urban conservation;
  • Methods to measure the economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability of heritage designations;
  • Comparative studies of heritage designations between urban, rural and/or natural contexts.

Dr. Julia Rey-Pérez
Prof. Dr. Ana Pereira Roders
Dr. Teresa Cunha Ferreira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heritage designation
  • sustainability
  • interdisciplinarity
  • effectiveness
  • urban conservation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 11944 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Special Character Areas on Property Values and Homeowners’ Experiences: Cases from Auckland, New Zealand
by Lucy Rossiter and Kai Gu
Land 2023, 12(6), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061181 - 03 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1306
Abstract
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, [...] Read more.
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. Full article
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18 pages, 669 KiB  
Article
Critical Analysis of Policy Integration Degrees between Heritage Conservation and Spatial Planning in Amsterdam and Ballarat
by Ana Tarrafa Silva, Ana Pereira Roders, Teresa Cunha Ferreira and Ivan Nevzgodin
Land 2023, 12(5), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051040 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1765
Abstract
The growing complexity of managing the sustainable development of cities stresses the need for interdisciplinary approaches, with a stronger articulation between different fields. The integration between heritage conservation and spatial planning has already been addressed in recent literature, ranging from a traditional sectorial [...] Read more.
The growing complexity of managing the sustainable development of cities stresses the need for interdisciplinary approaches, with a stronger articulation between different fields. The integration between heritage conservation and spatial planning has already been addressed in recent literature, ranging from a traditional sectorial perspective towards more cooperative and coordinated initiatives, occasionally resulting in integrated policies. Nevertheless, the lack of institutional and policy articulation remains among the most frequent critical governance issues unsolved. This paper unveils the integration degrees between heritage conservation and spatial planning policies in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Ballarat (Australia), acknowledged for local and upper governmental initiatives, such as the Belvedere Memorandum and the Imagine Ballarat project, placing both at the forefront of the roadmap to this policy integration. In-depth semi-structured interviews with municipal officials in both cities reveal that, while policy integration is aimed at, implementation remains challenging. Both cities’ heritage conservation and spatial planning fields keep operating in parallel, often in conflict, and with different perspectives on the cultural heritage commonly managed. By identifying local technicians’ challenges, this research demonstrates that policy integration between heritage conservation and spatial planning is an ongoing process that demands more effective articulation towards more sustainable and resilient cities. Full article
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15 pages, 2764 KiB  
Article
Heritage Designation and Urban Territorial Balance in Andalusia (Spain): An Approach towards Collaborative Methods in Rural Areas
by Blanca del Espino Hidalgo
Land 2023, 12(5), 974; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050974 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1056
Abstract
Numerous studies suggest that cultural heritage can be a powerful resource for local development when managed from the principles of sustainability and resilience. This paper aims to make a significant contribution to the designation of heritage assets. The case of the Andalusian region [...] Read more.
Numerous studies suggest that cultural heritage can be a powerful resource for local development when managed from the principles of sustainability and resilience. This paper aims to make a significant contribution to the designation of heritage assets. The case of the Andalusian region of southern Spain presents both qualitative and quantitative differences when a comparative study is made between urban centers, medium-sized cities, small towns, and rural areas. Subsequently, the paper proposes diverse methodologies to improve heritage designation in vulnerable territories through the incorporation of collaborative methods and digital humanities. The final objective is to conclude how to improve cultural heritage location and information processes to maximize social impact in areas suffering from aging and depopulation problems. Full article
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20 pages, 2291 KiB  
Article
“Do I See What You See?”—Differentiation of Stakeholders in Assessing Heritage Significance of Neighbourhood Attributes
by Lidwine Spoormans, Darinka Czischke, Ana Pereira Roders and Wessel de Jonge
Land 2023, 12(3), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030712 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
Although attention for citizen involvement in urban development and heritage management processes is growing, both in practice and in research, the specifics of stakeholders’ interests have been less researched. This paper reveals and discusses the assessment by individuals and groups, to differentiate stakeholders, [...] Read more.
Although attention for citizen involvement in urban development and heritage management processes is growing, both in practice and in research, the specifics of stakeholders’ interests have been less researched. This paper reveals and discusses the assessment by individuals and groups, to differentiate stakeholders, based on the heritage significance they convey on neighbourhood attributes. Fifty-nine interviews on a Dutch neighbourhood in Amsterdam Zuidoost were analysed integrating quantitative and qualitative methods. Results confirm important differences between and within stakeholder groups regarding their interest in particular attribute categories and scales, indicating the need to further specify stakeholders beyond the commonly used ‘community’ and ‘experts’. The identification of stakeholder interests is important to involve relevant groups in the identification and designation of significant attributes, buildings, and areas and to anticipate potential conflicts or shared interests in neighbourhood renovation processes. Full article
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27 pages, 8299 KiB  
Article
The Rehabilitation of the Historic Barzan Traditional Market and Its Impact on Cultural Tourism in Hail City
by Emad Noaime, Mohammed Mashary Alnaim, Mohammed Abdulfattah Bay, Ghazy Abdullah Albaqawy, Mohamed Hssan Hassan Abdelhafez and Khaled Elkhayat
Land 2022, 11(11), 2058; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112058 - 17 Nov 2022
Viewed by 2423
Abstract
Hail is regarded as one of the richest cities in Saudi Arabia in terms of heritage sites. The city center, where the Barzan marketplace is located, is regarded as critical to the city’s cultural tourism. The purpose of this study is to understand [...] Read more.
Hail is regarded as one of the richest cities in Saudi Arabia in terms of heritage sites. The city center, where the Barzan marketplace is located, is regarded as critical to the city’s cultural tourism. The purpose of this study is to understand the traditional Barzan market rehabilitation project within the city center and its role in preserving Hail’s urban identity. According to the study, the rehabilitation of the city center presents an opportunity for urban development to boost tourism and connect various historic landmarks in a variety of ways, including the development of pedestrian routes. The study also presents and discusses several complexities and challenges that must be considered when implementing such an urban development. A multi-approach methodology is employed to investigate several urban factors and involved actors, including a social online survey and semi-structured interviews, as well as empirical data to support the study objectives. The study’s findings indicate that there is an issue with the urban solution implemented in the Barzan market on multiple levels, the most important of which is the ‘miso’ level of the city center, where several potential landmarks are neglected and isolated from the Barzan marketplace. A solution is proposed to create multiple urban spaces that can be used by the Hail community as a whole, not just those involved in the market. This would necessitate a different approach to space design, as well as changes in how the Barzan market is managed and maintained. Full article
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