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Special Issue "Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II"

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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: 15 March 2024 | Viewed by 14132

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonia Moropoulou

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials Science & Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str, 15773 Athens, Greece
Interests: cultural heritage; building materials; nondestructive testing; sustainable development; circular economy; development schemes; environmental management; GIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Charalabos Ioannidis

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Photogrammetry, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 15773 Athens, Greece
Interests: cultural heritage geometric documentation; HBIM; multi-dimensional modelling; city modelling; change detection; data fusion; photogrammetry; land management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ekaterini Delegou

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials Science & Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str, 15773 Athens, Greece
Interests: cultural heritage; conservation science; building materials; nondestructive testing; sustainable development; environmental management; GIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cultural heritage contributes considerably in promoting economic, social and territory cohesion, as it enhances locals’ identity and appreciation for their land and its history.

However, cultural heritage is exposed to multiple risks due to ageing, adverse environmental conditions, and human pressure. As the environmental crisis is emphasized by intense climatic changes and extreme natural hazards, new demands on preservation strategies arise, to remediate and prevent damage on cultural heritage. In parallel and even though cultural tourism is acknowledged and used these last decades as a development and growth tool by many countries, nowadays it has experience overtourism in several cases. On the other hand, there are urban or rural areas, unable to assure a satisfactory standard of living for their population, thus facing underdevelopment and population decrease, even if these areas are rich in cultural reserve.

These kind of inequalities within urban matrices and/or regions require innovative methodologies and successfully applied expertise strategies in order to be diminished. Cultural heritage can be used as a growth pole for underdeveloped areas, whereas in overdeveloped areas alteration of socio-spatial patterns can lead to the improvement of cultural sites safeguarding and locals’ life quality. Whatever the case is, the principles of sustainability and circular economy can play a key role in land management and urban/rural development for achieving the goals of revitalization and balanced economic growth.

To sum up, this Special Issue aims to investigate as many as possible sides of the nexus: cultural heritage preservation, sustainable urban/rural land management, local society enhancement, and economic growth, to shed light into this multi-variant and complex scientific area, suggesting viable and novel resolving strategies.

Prof. Dr. Antonia Moropoulou
Prof. Dr. Charalabos Ioannidis
Dr. Ekaterini Delegou
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

sustainable development
remote sensing
3D modeling
spatial planning
GIS / HBIM
cultural routes
tangible/intangible cultural heritage
historical settlements
historical cities
circular economy
cultural tourism
environmental management

Related Special Issue

Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development in Land (13 articles)

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

39 pages, 24351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing Cultural Routes as a Tool of Responsible Tourism and Sustainable Local Development in Isolated and Less Developed Islands: The Case of Symi Island in Greece

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Land 2023, 12(8), 1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081590 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267

Abstract

Responsible tourism practices promote the idea that responsibility refers to both visitors and local communities, ensuring the protection and conservation of the natural environment and cultural heritage and contributing to a better quality of life. The role of “sustainability” in a tourist development strategy is to protect and reveal what already exists (“reuse, recycle, renovate”) rather than consume. In these terms, cultural routes can serve as valuable tourism assets that can attract visitors and generate economic activity, while protecting the environmental and cultural heritage. This study is focused on Symi, a small and remote Greek island better known as a religious tourism destination, examining how cultural routes could be at the core of an economic development and social cohesion strategic plan. Symi served as a case study due to the island’s rich cultural and natural heritage, including historic buildings, natural attractions, monuments, and archaeological sites. The revealing of those assets is crucial for the advancement of an integrated local strategy for cultural tourism in terms of responsible tourism. The primary objective of this study is to analyze how the development of a cultural routes network, integrating monuments from diverse historical periods, significant religious sites, and areas of significant architectural and environmental value, can contribute to a responsible tourism approach and further a sustainable development that generates multiple benefits for the local community in an insular region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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39 pages, 16376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preservation of Cultural Landscape as a Tool for the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas: The Case of Mani Peninsula in Greece

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Land 2023, 12(8), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081579 - 10 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1419

Abstract

A cultural landscape is a complex and integrating concept with both material–physical and immaterial substance. Nevertheless, even today, the strategies for the protection and promotion of cultural landscapes are concentrated only at their material cultural elements, separated from their immaterial existence, or even from the natural environment in which they are placed. This study investigates the correlation of the tangible historical and natural heritage of a cultural landscape with its intangible content, as a spatial planning tool for its sustainable development. The proposed methodology was applied in the region of the Mani Peninsula, located in the southern Peloponnese, in Greece. During the documentation stage, literature research and fieldwork provided descriptive information, which was classified through standardization processes. GIS management and analysis procedures were used among the different layers of data of the current preservation state and the existing development frameworks for the study area. New thematic cultural routes are proposed to connect tangible cultural heritage and environmental values of the region under study, with the landscape’s geomorphological characteristics and intangible content. Protected areas are also proposed for the protection of monuments and sites of historical or natural importance. The results of this study demonstrate that, through integrated strategic planning for the development of cultural activities and networks, which incorporates the principles of spatial and urban planning, not only is the protection of the natural and cultural wealth of the region achieved, but also a balanced economic development and social cohesion, which ultimately leads to sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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18 pages, 2324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards a Regenerative Role of Cultural Heritage in Climate Resilience; the Case of the Indian Water Infrastructure Heritage

Mehrnaz Rajabi

Land 2023, 12(8), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081539 - 03 Aug 2023

Viewed by 629

Abstract

Despite great efforts in facing climate change challenges—especially by the UN Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and companion documents (Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the New Urban Agenda)—generally speaking, current policies on climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction at both national and international levels have not yet been centrally positioned in respective plans for heritage, and cultural heritage still does not have a central role in such policies. The main aim of this paper is to explore the culture/cultural heritage’s complex interrelationship with climate change by delving into critical issues/gaps and recommendatory encounters of heritage framework in climate change framework and vice versa at the international level and an example in India. Accordingly, this paper showcases a type of Indian Water Infrastructure Heritage; Stepwells, traditional underground water management systems in arid western India which, unfortunately, with modernization, lost their original function and hence, nowadays, most are abandoned. Thus, by the situational analysis of such an Indian urban-scale type of heritage, this paper concludes with critical reflections on the necessity of the systemic relationship among sustainability, conservation, and development, especially in practice and the need to recall the notion of sustainability again. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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19 pages, 12241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geospatial Tool Development for the Management of Historical Hiking Trails—The Case of the Holy Site of Meteora

Konstantinos Apostolopoulos

Maria Gkeli

and

Fotis Bourexis

Land 2023, 12(8), 1530; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081530 - 02 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1010

Abstract

This paper presents a holistic guiding methodology for the development of a geospatial tool to be used for the documentation, planning, smart management and dissemination of a country’s network of historic hiking trails. To deal with the challenges and to ensure the sustainability of a historic site, geospatial documentation merging authoritative and crowdsourced data and a WebGIS-based spatial analysis is necessary. Geospatial data collection should include professional field surveys, professional and crowdsourced photographic documentation and video recording of the existing historic walking/hiking trails. A geodatabase, structured using relational model technology, including vector spatial entities (feature classes), mosaics (raster) and tabulated data (geodatabase tables), should be developed on a commercial or open platform; in this case, the ArcGIS Pro is used. Entities with embedded descriptive information and metadata for the technical, legal, historical, and administrative context may then be created. An object-oriented data model is needed to connect spatial and descriptive information. Spatial and descriptive queries or correlations between attribute fields of spatial entities must be enabled for specialized information retrieval by either experts or users. Next, a web GIS application to present the developed geodatabase in a visually appealing and informative way is created. It should integrate 2D maps with built-in tools and should support advanced functionalities, such as: (i) pop-ups that display brief information and images about specific spots along the trails; (ii) dynamic visualization of the vertical profile of each trail; (iii) multimedia information about landmarks, natural features and scenic viewpoints. Finally, the tool includes a feedback service and continuous efficiency monitoring and assessment, and enables adjustments, if and where needed. The tool is tested and used for 10 historical walking/hiking trails of the archaeological and Holy Site of Meteora, Central Greece. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The network, with a total length of 35 km, leads to six monasteries, still active since the 12th century, passing by gigantic rocks and beautiful natural landscapes. The site is famous globally and the greater area is continuously overcrowded with visitors. The tool is anticipated to be used for the documentation and management of the whole walking/hiking historic trail network of Greece in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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16 pages, 14764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preservation of Abandoned Historic Centres—The Case of Poggioreale antica (Sicily)

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Land 2023, 12(7), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071376 - 10 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 692

Abstract

Among the fourteen towns most damaged by the earthquake that struck western Sicily in 1968, Poggioreale was subjected to total relocation a few kilometres away, and to the transfer of its whole population. More than half a century later, the damaged settlement is still largely recognisable and has been experiencing a new season of interest for some years now, both from the local community and various kinds of outsiders who imagine economic spin-offs of an uncertain nature in its enhancement. The research we present questions the chance of survival for the settlement, forgotten for decades, in the context of interventions aimed at its reuse. Alternative strategies are discussed: on the one hand, that of bringing the ancient centre back to life, even in part, with a limited inclusion of collective functions and without claiming to inhabit it again; on the other hand, and in the authors’ opinion, more likely, that of reusing the ruins as an archaeological area preserving their memory in a different form. In either case, the kinds of operations to be carried out on the body of the ancient buildings for their physical preservation play a key role. These issues are addressed as a whole through the canonical procedure of correlating the phases of knowledge, interpretation, and definition of minimal and compatible intervention criteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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35 pages, 22546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The In-Situ Spatial-Temporal Evolution of the Settlement Space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section from the Perspective of Cultural Heritage

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Land 2023, 12(5), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051023 - 06 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

The Grand Canal of China, as a traffic artery in ancient China, has exerted profound influence on the development of the cities, towns and rural settlements along it. Now, with China’s rapid urbanization, numerous settlements along the canal are confronted with problems like slow cognition of the cultural heritage, loss of the local culture and damage of historical relics. Hence, research on the protection and updating of the settlement space along the canal is in urgent need. This paper, targeting the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section, adopts such research methods as the Historical GIS analytical method, the kernel density estimation method and the average nearest-neighbor method to quantitatively analyze the evolution stage and distribution characteristics of the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section from the perspective of cultural relics to reveal the in-situ rules of evolution of the settlement space. The research result indicates that the spatial-temporal evolution of the settlement space can be divided into five such periods of the settlements along the canal as the pre-canal period, the rudimentary period, the development period, the mature period and the transformation period. Each period features different cultural relics and settlement distribution patterns. The research shows that the natural geographical environment, the grain transportation projects and management systems, the wasteland opening, grain growing and military defense policies, the agricultural, commercial and economic growth and the migration and folk culture are the influencing factors of the spatial evolution of the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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24 pages, 1470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multicriteria Approach to Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Heritage: Case Studies of Riverside Power Plants

María V. Añibarro

María J. Andrade

and

Eduardo Jiménez-Morales

Land 2023, 12(2), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020314 - 22 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2837

Abstract

City riverbanks usually have great landscape value and are iconic public spaces. However, there are many cities with large abandoned industrial buildings, such as power plants, on their riverbanks. Such buildings run the risk of being demolished in order to recover the surrounding natural landscape, despite having an important presence in the collective memory of the citizens and in the history of the city. This article seeks to analyse the reuse and refurbishment of industrial power plants on riversides from a modern artistic/recreational approach in order to restore and enhance the landscape value of the site by regenerating the environs and turning them into hubs of activity. Two case studies from different locations are considered in order to extract the information. A methodology is used that allows us to analyse and study a complex reality in a straightforward, concise and direct way. That means it can be used by many agents currently involved in those reuse processes to compare and to monitor the different cases over time. This research has sought to highlight the power plant typology, its relationship with the riverside, and subsequently, to extrapolate the criteria used to study other industrial buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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20 pages, 5230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

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Land 2023, 12(1), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010150 - 02 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1671

Abstract

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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18 pages, 3385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Differentiation, Influencing Factors, and Development Paths of Rural Tourism Resources in Guangdong Province

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Land 2022, 11(11), 2046; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112046 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1606

Abstract

Rural tourism resources are the core carriers of rural tourism. It is, therefore, beneficial to further optimize the layout of rural tourism and to explore the spatial differentiation of rural tourism resources and their influencing factors. Taking 4670 rural tourism resources in Guangdong Province in China as the research object, this study explores the spatial distribution patterns of rural tourism resources through the nearest neighbor index, grid dimension analysis, kernel density analysis, and standard deviation ellipse method. Geodetectors are used to identify the influencing factors of the spatial heterogeneity of these resources in Guangdong Province. The findings reveal the following: (1) The distribution of rural tourism resources in Guangdong Province shows a tendency of agglomeration along the Tropic of Cancer, and the spatial distribution is unbalanced. The hot and cold spots show a “northeast-southwest” distribution trend. Furthermore, most of the hotspots form three high-density core areas, the sub-dense stretch zones connect into a w-shaped belt, and the sub-cold areas and sub-hot areas show a large expansion trend, thus forming five radiation areas. (2) The distribution of rural tourism resources in Guangdong Province is affected by multiple factors. In particular, the force of agricultural resource endowment, tourism resource endowment and transportation location are relatively strong, and social economy and tourist source market are the weak factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation, Reuse and Reveal of Cultural Heritage through Sustainable Land Management, Rural and Urban Development II)

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