Search Results (44)

This paper introduces the concept of evolving actor–network ontologies (EANO) as a new paradigm for cultural digital twins. Building on actor–network theory, EANO reframes ontologies from static representations into reflexive, dynamic structures in which semantic interpretations are continuously negotiated among heterogeneous actors. We propose a five-layer architecture that operationalizes this principle, embedding reflexivity, actor salience, and systemic parameters such as resistance and volatility directly into the ontological model. To illustrate this approach, we present minimal simulations that demonstrate how different actor constellations and systemic conditions lead to distinct patterns of semantic evolution, ranging from expert erosion to contested equilibria and balanced coexistence. Rather than serving as predictive models, these simulations exemplify how EANO captures semantic plurality and contestation within a transparent and interpretable framework. The contribution of this work is thus twofold: it provides a conceptual foundation for evolving ontologies in digital heritage and a lightweight demonstration of how such models can be instantiated and explored computationally. Full article

This study advances Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) pedagogy by investigating the integration of Critically Oriented Sociolinguistic Topics (COST) in the heritage language curriculum. Thirteen self-identified SHL students from three courses (Intermediate, Advanced I, and Advanced II) at two universities in the Washington, D.C. metro area participated in semi-structured Zoom interviews exploring their motivations for enrolling in an SHL class, their perceptions of Spanish, and the impact of COST. Analysis identified recurring themes about underlying language ideologies and enrollment motivations, such as improving academic Spanish and grammar, career preparation, and connecting with course topics. Dominant ideologies, including essentialist, standard language, deficit, and commodification, were evident in students’ perceptions of Spanish and Latinx communities in the U.S. and abroad. Findings showed that students developed critical awareness of language variation that supported validation of their HL practices and the emergence of student agency. Some students moved from reproducing to contesting deficit and standard ideologies, asserting legitimacy for their own bilingual repertoires. These findings underscore the need for integrating COST in SHL courses to promote student agency, foster positive attitudes, and strengthen students’ linguistic confidence. Full article

This essay highlights Natchez, Mississippi’s Confederate heritage tourism to illustrate interrelationships between memory, history, and imagination, and how performed commemorations critically shape nationalist ideals and beliefs. Memories—and the bodies that pass them—shape the politically charged terrain of imagined nations, which are uncertain and collectively negotiated. To illustrate the contested nature of historical memory and how performing the past reimagines and reshapes the present and future nation, I juxtapose the Confederate Pageant’s nostalgic, rosy-tinted view of the Old South with examples of contemporary Black-centered commemorations and heritage tourism in Natchez. The dissonance and tension between these opposing forces illustrate interrelationships between memory and history, how these are critical to sustaining nationalism, and how performed commemorations of the past—whether historically accurate or imagined—critically shape ideals and beliefs about race and the nation. I use Natchez to undergird broad questions about the nature of memory and history, which are axiomatically contested and fallible. I use examples of Black commemoration in Natchez to illustrate antiracist theories of historiography. Full article

The integration of small-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems in heritage districts poses a significant challenge: balancing sustainability and energy transition goals while preserving cultural and historical values. This study addresses the problem that existing planning and regulatory frameworks often exclude residents’ perspectives, leading to solutions that are technically feasible but socially contested. The objective is to explore how residents, as potential prosumers, can be effectively integrated into decision-making processes for PV adoption in heritage districts. Focusing on Öjeby Church Town in Piteå, northern Sweden, we employed transdisciplinary participatory design methods, including stakeholder workshops, interviews, council meetings, and a tailored resident design workshop to capture both explicit and tacit knowledge. These design methods were combined with spatial analysis and visual assessment. The findings reveal that residents favour PV solutions that minimise visual impact on heritage buildings, preferring installations in green and grey infrastructure over direct building integration. The process also enhanced awareness, legitimacy, and agency among participants, while exposing regulatory gaps, ownership complexities, and aesthetic tensions. The study contributes a replicable participatory framework that integrates community values with technical and heritage expertise, offering a pathway toward value-sensitive energy transitions in protected cultural environments. Full article

Documenting and preserving cultural heritage assets is increasingly important, with threats from natural disasters, conflicts, climate change, and neglect, and some sites are both contested and physically difficult to access or document, posing the issue of “challenging heritage”. A range of innovative digital methods have emerged, offering practical, low-cost, efficient techniques for the 3D documentation of threatened heritage, including smart phone-based mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and photogrammetry. Such techniques offer quick, accessible, and cost-effective alternatives to terrestrial laser scanners, albeit with reduced accuracy and detail, offering practical solutions in cases with restricted funding, limited time for access, complex architectural geometries, or the unavailability of high-end equipment on site. This paper presents a real-world case study integrating iPhone LiDAR with aerial photogrammetry for the rapid documentation of Sourp Magar Monastery, a Medieval site located in a forested slopes of the Kyrenia Range, Cyprus. Due to its poor state of preservation and years of abandonment, as well as its remote nature and location, the monastery is considered a “challenging heritage” monument. In the context of a recent international restoration initiative, a preliminary digital survey was undertaken to both document the current condition of Sourp Magar and contribute to a better understanding of its construction history. This paper outlines the workflow integrating the use of smartphone LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry, evaluates its efficacy in challenging heritage sites, and discusses its potential implications for rapid, low-cost documentation. Finally, the present paper aims to show the multifaceted benefit of easy-to-use, low-cost technologies in the preliminary study of sites and monuments. Full article

Authenticity in heritage conservation is theoretically and practically complex, dynamic and frequently contested. In conservation practice, through the decisions directing the processes of protection, restoration, adaptation, presentation and interpretation, there will be multiple interpretations of what denotes authenticity, and what is considered to be authentic by different actors. The purpose of the paper is to discuss alternative approaches to the determination of authenticity within the framework of current day conservation theories and heritage discourses. In this paper I propose that authenticity is situation specific and exists on a scale and as such is determinable using cultural perspectives and value-based assessment tools. Positioning authenticity as being dynamic and situation-specific, this research sets out to construct a framework through which the different perspectives involved in decision making are better acknowledged and the determinants of authenticity can be more clearly captured. The research utilizes the context of urban heritage conservation in the Arabian Peninsula to demonstrate how different approaches to conservation are evaluated in terms of authenticity. Full article

Rome, historically regarded as a monumental center of Catholic Christendom, now stands as a multi-layered environment shaped by diverse religious communities whose overlapping architectures, rites, and narratives expand the city’s cultural memory. This article employs Warburg’s Mnemosyne methodology to investigate how symbolic motifs, architectural forms, and intangible practices—from Eastern Orthodox iconography to the Great Mosque of Rome’s transnational design—migrate, adapt, and reconfigure within Rome’s urban fabric. Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches from cultural memory studies, religious studies, and urban geography, it reveals how minority communities—Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Protestant, Methodist, and Scientology—act as “memory agents”, negotiating visibility and introducing new heritage layers that challenge monolithic perceptions of Rome’s identity. The analysis underscores that intangible heritage, such as chanting, prayer, and interfaith festivals, is equally central to understanding how collective memory is produced and transmitted. Tensions arise when key stakeholders do not validate these emerging cultural forms or question their “authenticity”, reflecting the contested nature of heritage-making. Ultimately, Rome’s religious plurality, shaped by migration and historical transformations, emerges as a dynamic memoryscape. By recognizing the vital role of minority faiths in heritage-making, this study contributes to broader debates on cultural pluralism, super-diversity, and the evolving definitions of religious and cultural heritage in contemporary global cities. Full article

The authors examine the transformative impact of technological advancements on the customary traditions associated with camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with Emirati camel owners/breeders, focusing on the effects of innovations in breeding, racing, beauty contests, and heritage preservation. The findings reveal that genetic technologies have reshaped camel husbandry by enhancing desirable traits, while introducing commercialization. In camel racing, robotic jockeys, biometric monitoring, and GPS tracking have revolutionized training and competition, making the sport a highly regulated, technology-driven industry. Similarly, camel beauty contests have been influenced by genetic selection, aesthetic standards, and controversial cosmetic enhancements. While these advancements have increased the economic value of camels, they have also altered traditional perceptions, raising concerns about the commodification of Emirati heritage. Additionally, online platforms and digital tools have facilitated the global promotion of camels, fostering connections between owners/breeders and enthusiasts, while introducing new modes of engagement. The study demonstrates how technological progress both preserves and challenges the customary traditions associated with camels, offering insights into the intersection of modernization and cultural heritage in the UAE. Full article

This paper shows a case study on a novel community-based sustainability planning framework that balances environmental, social, cultural dimensions for a high-density urban setting. The case study presents a community-driven “Four-Zero” sustainability model—zero energy, zero water, zero food, and zero waste—as a foundation for environmental sustainability practices implemented in a high-density estate in Hong Kong, alongside community-led ecological and heritage initiatives that reinforce place-based resilience. Through integrated activities, such as community farming, aquaponics, organic waste composting, biodiversity monitoring, and heritage mapping, the residents co-produced knowledge and activated novel bottom–up planning schemes and fostered social cohesion while advancing environmental objectives. Notably, the discovery of rare species and historic Dairy Farm remnants catalyzed a community-led planning proposal for an eco-heritage park that stimulated policy dialogues on conservation. These collective efforts illustrate how circular resource systems and cultural and ecological conservation can be balanced with urban development needs in compact, high-density communities. This case offers policy insights for rethinking urban sustainability planning in dense city contexts, contributing to global discourses on urban political ecology by examining socio–nature entanglements in contested urban spaces, to environmental justice by foregrounding community agency in shaping ecological futures, and to commoning practices through shared stewardship of urban resources. Full article

Urban regeneration in historic city centers often encounters tensions between planning strategies, public expectations, and heritage preservation. This study examines the redevelopment process of Sant’Ana Hill in Lisbon, a site historically occupied by many hospitals now subject to closure and adaptive reuse. The transformation of all this 16-hectare area has sparked significant public contestation, highlighting governance challenges and the role of citizen engagement in shaping urban futures amid socio-political and ecological shifts. Using a case study approach, this research draws on urban planning documents, public debate records, media coverage, and semi-structured interviews to analyze the political, social, and architectural dimensions of the regeneration process. Findings reveal that prolonged decision-making, opaque governance, and inadequate public participation have fueled uncertainty, delaying project implementation and increasing public skepticism. The study argues that inclusive participatory frameworks and transparent governance are essential to mitigating conflicts in urban redevelopment. This research also contributes to debates on urban voids, adaptive reuse, and participatory planning, offering insights into the dynamics of contested regeneration in historic districts. Lessons from Sant’Ana Hill highlight the need for a more integrated, democratic, and heritage-conscious approach to large-scale urban transformation projects. Full article

This paper examines secondary rock art practices in southern Africa and how they served as mechanisms for expressing and negotiating identity through iterative engagement with existing artistic traditions. Often dismissed as mere ’graffiti’ or vandalism, these practices of modifying, adding to, or reinterpreting historic rock art represent sophisticated forms of engagement with inherited cultural landscapes. Through detailed analysis of mode, placement, and technique, this article demonstrates how secondary artists used existing imagery as both physical and symbolic resources, selectively mobilising earlier artforms to articulate their own positions within changing social worlds. With their technical choices encoding specific attitudes towards inherited traditions, secondary artists appear as one of many audiences—a range which includes contemporary researchers—engaging with these artistic traditions as subjects of common interest, their modifications creating material epistolaries that capture how different communities understood and positioned themselves relative to their own imaginations of the past. By reconceptualising these practices as meaningful interpretive acts rather than degradation, this paper contributes to broader discussions about how African identities have been articulated, contested, and preserved through active engagement with cultural heritage across time. Full article

This article offers insights into conceptualizing a different angle of cultural heritage in its intangible form and generational inheritance, in relation to migrant community bonds and their impacts on embodied stories of trauma and healing. This article aims to contribute to understanding how cultural and historical knowledge of heritage is passed from one generation to the next, with deep emotional impacts, whether trauma or self-development. While engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue with Bion’s work, we explore nodes of divergence and convergence in how gendered and embodied migrant sexuality/identity stories of trauma and healing exemplify the call for research to engage with perspectives of social and cultural differences. This understanding of contested cultural heritage and how belonging can be achieved links to ethnic–ancestral/national consciousness, as well as the struggle to belong among first- and second-generation migrants. The empirical data draws from extensive ethnographic, multi-method, multi-sited, comparative, and narrative research conducted with first- and second-generation migrants. The analysis is situated within Bion’s theory and articulated through an interpretative interdisciplinary framework aiming to unravel the complexity of the phenomena of mobility and identity construction. This analysis exemplifies the power dynamics inherent in migrant inter/intragenerational relations shaped by cultural heritage. Full article

Beginning in the 13th century, rivalry among Italian city-states intensified, transforming cultural competition into a strategic tool for asserting identity. Roman heritage was often contested, with cities emphasising their claims as the true heirs of Rome. Siena has faced criticism for its lack of major historical sites. In response, its municipal authorities and citizens developed the legends of the “she-wolf” and Saint Ansanus. These legends reinforced Siena’s urban identity through historical narratives and public art. During the Renaissance, Siena redefined its history to assert its legitimacy by drawing on classical culture. This re-articulation of identity addressed historical rivalries and revealed the enduring complexity of local identity formation in Italy. This study examines historical legends and uses historical materials, such as city archives and artworks, to research the Italian city of Siena during the Renaissance and to investigate the origins of urban legends, their controversies, and how Siena created the legends of the “she-wolf” and Saint Ansanus. Full article

Today, cities and their heritage function under so-called BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible) conditions. Climate change, military conflicts, and the urge to comply with sustainability requirements and to implement green transformation and urban regeneration cause a threat to rapid decision making, which may result in the loss of more subtle, intangible values in the urban environment. Such loss may particularly affect industrial heritage with its contested values and identities. This encourages searching for approaches to capture, analyze, and employ these invisible values for future developments. The methods of research used in this study include qualitative analysis of the literature, the theoretical conceptualization and development of a methodology to capture and record these invisible and intangible values, and the application of the developed methodology to the case study of a historical industrial site in Kaunas (Lithuania). The main findings of this research include a theoretical framework for the analysis of hidden values of historic industrial sites revolving around the concepts of place identity, spirit of place, symbolic potential of place, embedded values, and time depth and its application to the case study of the historic industrial site in Kaunas. This research has demonstrated that historic industrial sites existing in urban settings contain a multiplicity of aspects and meanings, which are not visible at first glance and require thorough qualitative analysis. These invisible aspects constitute important resources for the future development of the site and can contribute to the identity and local character of regeneration efforts and nature-based solutions. Full article

The Campania region has a genetic heritage, both vegetal and animal, of great scientific interest, but many genetic resources risk extinction or abandonment. Thus, from a sustainability perspective, their conservation is very important and represents an imperative to allow future generations to satisfy their needs just as we are doing today. The aims of the present paper were to describe the current consistency and importance of goat farming in Italy and in the Campania region and to study its trend from 1861 to understand whether the policies for the sector implemented over time have been sufficient to conserve goat biodiversity. To these ends, the latest available data of the national livestock register of the Italian Ministry of Health, those of the different available Italian agricultural censuses, and historical–cultural documents published over time for the livestock sector were acquired and consulted to describe the goat sector and reconstruct its temporal trend. The results showed that in Italy there are just over 1,000,000 goats (the same consistency as 60 years ago), 50% of which are distributed in the southern regions, and 50,616 farms with goats, 43% of which are extensive. In this contest, the Campania region represents approximately 5% of the national goat population. The continuous decrease in the size of the national and regional goat heritage since the 1920s is the result of the agricultural policy instruments implemented for the livestock sector over time, which have effectively excluded the goat sector. Two small increases in the number of caprines were registered: the first in 1980s, when the Italian scientific community realized that the native goat genetic types, its milk and its organoleptic and dietary qualities could constitute a wealth of endogenous resources that needed to be valorized; the second, in the last decade, due to the actions of sustainability and biodiversity conservation implemented at the national and regional level. At the same time, today the goat sector continues to have a marginal role in the national and regional agricultural economy, and the survival of native goat farming is essentially ensured by sustainable rural communities conceived as the custodians of biodiversity. Full article