Search Results (22)

Black crusts and biological colonisation are among the most common types of ‘diseases’, with diverse aetiologies and presentations, affecting masonry architectural heritage. Over the past decades, there has been an increase in the incidence of this degradation phenomena due to the increase in pollution and climate change, especially on the urban walls of ancient cities. In particular, the present research examines the state of conservation of the city walls of Perugia, which are divided into two main city walls dating back to the Etruscan and Medieval periods and are recognised as historical heritage of high identity and cultural value. The degradation reflects, in the mentioned cases, on the liminal public and green areas. A view is also reflected in local journalism and social media, where residents and visitors have framed the spontaneous growth of herbs and medicinal shrubs within the stone joints of historic walls as an apparently benign and aesthetically pleasing occurrence. This misleading interpretation, while rooted in a superficial aesthetic appreciation, nevertheless draws attention to a real and urgent issue: the pressing need for systematic maintenance and intervention strategies—coordinated between academics, students, designers and stakeholders—which are able to reposition the city walls as central agents of urban and cultural regeneration, rather than peripheral remnants of the past. Full article

Communities are fundamental to national development, functioning as essential social units where local cultural identity and public participation play a crucial role. However, rapid urbanization has led to a decline in interpersonal interactions, weakened community bonds, and increased social divides, which in turn reduce residents’ engagement in public affairs. This study aims to explore the relationship between cultural identity and community revitalization to promote sustainable community development. We will achieve this by analyzing the implementation experiences of two rural Taiwanese communities: Huanan Community in Gukeng, Yunlin, and Chenggong Community in Dadou, Taichung City. Using exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis as our methodologies, we seek to understand how cultural identity fosters cohesion, enhances participation, and supports sustainable development in community revitalization. Our research findings indicate that cultural identity is composed of cultural engagement, cultural belonging, and cultural integration. Conversely, community revitalization encompasses aspects of daily life, life experiences, personal economic evaluation, community industry development, and residents’ environmental awareness. The overall research framework demonstrates that cultural identity has a strong influence on community revitalization, identifying strategies to improve residents’ quality of life and foster vibrant communities. Full article

This article examines the interplay of religion, nationalism, and identity in contemporary Sweden, focusing on the rising phenomenon of Christian nationalism. Our analysis of editorials and opinion pieces from major Swedish newspapers reveals a significant shift towards a more pronounced Christian influence in public discourse, suggesting a renegotiation of the sacred–secular divide. This shift highlights a growing intertwining of religious narratives with national identity, raising questions about whether Sweden should embrace its Christian heritage or maintain religious neutrality and plurality. Our findings indicate that expressions of individual faith emerging in cultural discussions are not merely personal; they also foster organized religion, contributing to the construction of new communal identities. This relocation of the sacred from the private to the public sphere signifies a renewed world-building potential for religion, particularly in urban settings, challenging classical secularization theories. The increasing prominence of Christian perspectives reflects discontent with “secularized Christianity-as-culture”, signaling a desire for a more foundational Christianity. Furthermore, the integration of spheres, where discourse on values and societal crises fosters a renewed demand for religion, leads to a need to reinforce a religious identity which results in a “cultural defense” that effectively supports Christian nationalism. Full article

Before the Anthropocene, Bedouin communities in Southern Israel were based on a clan structure—a kin-based social network; clans were culturally and socially homogenous communities with a strong authority structure. Work consisted of subsistence activities necessary for physical survival. Group-based authority and cooperative problem solving were adaptive in this ecology. Throughout the Anthropocene, the Bedouin of Southern Israel have had to adapt to diverse urban environments, expanded educational opportunity, and exposure to media emanating from different cultures. Our study explored the implications of these ecological shifts for epistemic thinking by comparing three generations of 60 Bedouin families: adolescent girls, their mothers, and their grandmothers (N = 180). Families were evenly divided among three residence types differing in degree of urbanization and degree of population homogeneity: unrecognized Bedouin villages consisting of single clans; recognized Bedouin villages, towns, or cities, consisting of multiple clans; and ethnically diverse cities. Results: Across the generations, media exposure and formally educated parents have weakened the epistemic authority of family elders, in turn weakening clan identity. Ethnically diverse cities have weakened extended family identity. At the same time, personal knowledge and professional expertise have gained new cultural importance. These changes in epistemology and identity are adaptive in the ecological environments that have multiplied in the Anthropocene era. Local identity was strongest both in diverse cities, with their many attractions, and in unrecognized villages, where the population continues to occupy ancestral lands. Full article

As the core carrier of historical and cultural identity, cultural heritage is facing multiple threats such as natural disasters, human activities and its own vulnerability. There is an increasing number of studies on cultural heritage risk assessment around the world, but the risk assessment of cultural heritage in China has not been fully explored. In this paper, the LightGBM model was used to quantitatively analyze the main influencing factors of cultural heritage risk along the Ancient Tea Horse Road in Sichuan, and spatial analysis was carried out by combining geographic information system (GIS) technology. In order to improve the interpretability of the assessment results, the SHAP method was introduced to systematically evaluate the contribution of each influencing factor to the risk of cultural heritage. This study identified seven major risk factors, including landslides, collapses, debris flows, earthquakes, soil erosion, urban road networks, and cultural heritage vulnerability, and constructed a risk assessment framework that comprehensively considers the vulnerability to natural and synthetic factors and the heritage itself. The results of the assessment divided the risk of cultural heritage sites into five levels: very low, low, medium, high and very high, and the results showed that 52.36% of the cultural heritage was classified as at medium and high risk and above, revealing the severe security situation faced by cultural heritage in the region and indicating the urgent need to take effective protective and management measures to deal with multiple risks and challenges. Full article

Introduction. The global challenge of physical inactivity necessitates innovative approaches and strategies to optimize built environments in order to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles, such as active transportation. For this reason, walkability is a crucial area of research in urban health, with several studies focusing on assessment frameworks. However, a gap persists between theoretical development and practical implementation. This study explores the application of the Milan Walkability Measurement Tool (MWM-Tool), a walkability assessment framework previously developed by Politecnico di Milano, to evaluate the urban features in favor of walkability by integrating GIS technology with an extended testing scope. It is based on a scientific approach utilizing 10 sub-indicators divided into three macro-areas (Density, Diversity, Design), identified through a comprehensive literature review. Method. Focusing on the application of the MWM-Tool in Milan, the study employs the 88 Nuclei of Local Identity (NILs), which are the official designations for Milan’s neighborhoods, as the units of urban analysis. Based on previous experience, the digitalization of the assessment framework has been improved: geospatial data corresponding to 10 sub-indicators were filtered to generate vector layers, primarily sourced from two public geographical platforms. The GIS-based method produces thematic maps evaluating all neighborhoods according to the dimensions of Density, Diversity, and Design. Darker and lighter colors represent the range of the scores. Both single indicators and macro-area maps, as well as overall walkability level maps, were generated to illustrate the results. Result. The results of the macro dimension assessment, combining 10 sub-indicators, provide an objective view of the distribution of walkable space quality in Milan. Only 7 out of 88 neighborhoods achieved the highest score, all of which are located in the city center, while suburban areas showed significantly lower scores. By incorporating census GIS data, the study also identified the population distribution across areas with varying walkability levels. Based on the results of the assessment, it may be possible to develop and prioritize the optimization of walkable features, revitalizing underserved areas and fostering a healthier community environment. Conclusion. The georeferenced-data maps represent an effective tool to highlight both neighborhoods with high urban quality, which could be used to promote active mobility and healthy lifestyle adoption, as well as those requiring improvement strategies from policy and decision makers. The research output provides a reference for further urban planning initiatives in Milan and contributes to enhancing pedestrian-oriented built environments. Using GIS open-source data, the method is scalable and can be easily replicated in other cities. It could also be used as a system for monitoring walkability over time. Full article

Traditional villages face many difficulties in the era of globalization, especially in light of fast industrialization and urbanization. The breakdown of settlement patterns and the erosion of local characteristics and cultural identities pose critical issues for the sustainable development of these communities. While research on traditional villages and dwellings in core cultural areas is relatively advanced, there remains a significant gap in studies focusing on traditional villages and dwellings in multicultural intermingling regions. By clarifying the characteristics of traditional villages and the cultural landscapes of dwellings under the influence of multiple cultures, as well as their differentiation and underlying mechanisms, this research aims to provide theoretical support for the protective planning of world cultural heritage, which is increasingly characterized by clustering and regionalization. Taking the traditional villages and dwellings in the Jiangxi and Anhui junction area as a case study, we developed a cultural landscape factor system for traditional villages and dwellings across four dimensions: natural environment, spatial configuration, dwelling typology, and historical and cultural context. Using geographic information systems (GIS) zoning methods and statistical spatial analysis, we divided the area into three distinct cultural landscape zones. The findings indicate that the cultural landscapes within each zone exhibit unique regional characteristics at both the village and dwelling levels, particularly in site selection, settlement patterns, and architectural aesthetics. Differentiation across zones is shaped by natural factors, such as topography and water systems, as well as by regional culture, historical migration, the chronological sequence of regional development, commerce and trade growth, and the evolution of administrative systems, alongside broader cultural, economic, and social factors, showing consistent patterns. This study demonstrates that utilizing a scientific and objective zoning approach to accurately identify the cultural landscape characteristics and differentiation patterns across various cultural zones, while clarifying the historical evolution of villages and the transformation of dwelling forms, provides practical insights for cultural landscape zoning in other multicultural regions. Furthermore, it provides scientific guidance to advance China’s rural revitalization strategy and supports the regional protection and sustainable development of world cultural heritage. Full article

The city, like a piece of architecture, is a structure in space, but one of gigantic scale, something perceived only over a long period. A space is termed a place when it acquires an identity. The entirety of urban personality, urban communication, urban conduct, and urban design constitute the urban identity. This research delves into divided urban identities and examines how urban and architectural design influence the fragmentation of the cityscape. It explores the connection between urban environments’ physical attributes and the divide of social, cultural, and political identities within cities. This study uses a multidisciplinary method to acquire thorough knowledge by combining architectural studies, urban planning theories, and social-cultural perspectives. The case study of reference is the city of Matera, in southern Italy, which has a unique history of a slow shaping of its urban and productive landscape throughout centuries due to heavy environmental constraints and resource availability and which has suffered forced evacuation and major discontinuities in the past century. Here, the opposing traits of the historical Sassi district and the new town are examined, focusing on their resulting separated urban identities. The study also looks at how divided cities may be reconciled and integrated, emphasizing the relevance of a holistic urban approach for the framing of complex issues. The research proposes methods and best practices for developing inclusive urban settings that promote cohesion and shared identities through the analysis of successful cases of urban regeneration, adaptive reuse of spaces, and participatory design processes. The findings of this research contribute to both academic and practical knowledge by deepening the understanding of the relationship between urban design, architecture, and divided urban identities. It emphasizes the value of comprehensive approaches to urban planning that take into account the social, cultural, and historical settings of cities to foster inclusivity, rapprochement, and the development of common urban identities. Full article

New Mexico is located along the U.S.–Mexico border, and as such, Spanish, English, and language mixing form an integral part of the New Mexican identity. New Mexico is often divided into a northern and a southern region with the north known for Spanish archaisms due to historic isolation, and the south associated with ties to a Mexican identity due to the location of the U.S.–Mexico border. The current study uses perceptual dialectology to capture the way in which speakers in the south of New Mexico perceive this north/south divide and communicate their identity. Overall, there is evidence of the north/south divide, but speakers in southern New Mexico focus much more on language use such as Spanglish, English, and Spanish than on their northern counterparts. Participants reference language mixing over language “purity” and borders over an explicit rural/urban divide. Like previous accounts, we see reference to the “correctness” of both English and Spanish, examples of specific terminology used in different parts of the state, and descriptions of accents throughout the state. Full article

Different choices of living space for urban residents are concrete reflections of a social class divide. Emerging residential space differentiation is a critical issue in Chinese cities. This paper aims to explore the current situations and mechanisms of residential spatial differentiation, and reveal its social responses in Chinese cities. Taking Wuhan, the largest city in central China, as an example, this research divides the residential space based on social resource structures. It analyzes and compares spatial differentiation and influencing factors of different residential areas and houses with different prices in Wuhan by spatial differentiation indicators and geographic detector. The results show that residential areas are divergent due to differences in urban resource spatial structure, with few and concentrated high-quality residential areas. The spatial differentiation level of different residential areas also varies, with central location, landscape, educational resources, and other dominant scarce resources being the key to residential spatial differentiation in most of China’s big cities. In addition, residential spatial differentiation can lead to issues including housing wealth inequality, resource deprivation, and class identity solidification. In the end, this paper puts forward policy implications on alleviating residential spatial differentiation and optimizing allocation of residential resources. Full article

The city center of Erzurum in the east of Turkey, Erzurum province, has structures with origins from the Anatolian Seljuk and Ilkhanid Periods to the present day, including the “Erzurum Castle”, “Ulu Mosque”, “Double Minaret Madrasa”, “Yakutiye Madrasa”, and “Three Kumbets.” It is home to one of the most important cultural heritages of Eastern Anatolia in history and faith tourism. Erzurum can be considered as the cradle of many cultures and civilizations with its deep historical past. Restoration (renovation) works around these monuments, which also contribute to the city’s identity, are important in terms of preserving historical monuments for the future. In this study, the importance of landscape projects and housing restorations in the city and its surroundings, in terms of harmony with the historical environment and monuments and urban identity, was investigated. In the questionnaire prepared for this purpose, we attempted to determine the perceptions of the protection, appreciation, and contribution aspects of the urban renewal works conducted in the tangible architectural heritage areas centered on Erzurum castle. The questionnaires, which included 5-point Likert-type questions, were distributed to 400 people. We sought the opinions of experts in decision-making mechanisms and academicians, as well as local people. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the city is generally not sensitive enough about the protection of historical neighbourhoods and monuments, and urban transformation projects do not contribute to conservation efforts in terms of conservation, sustainability, and visual perception. In addition, in terms of visual perception, it has been revealed that the newly developing regions of the city do not offer housing projects compatible with the historical environment, and that the relevant studies conducted are insufficient. The study also revealed that Erzurum Castle plays a central role in the perception of the historical environment. In terms of sustainability perception, it was determined that architectural restoration and landscape works have positive effects on cultural tourism, urban attractiveness, sense of belonging, quality of life, and prevention of migration. The prepared questions were divided into three groups: conservation sensitivity and perception, visual perception, and sustainability perception. Full article

This paper examines the structure, message, and content of biblical genealogies in light of literary analysis and social anthropology. In particular, the focus is on the so-called “Table of Nations” in Genesis 10. My basic assumption is that most biblical genealogies are a literary genre employing various devices that carry a message using symbolic numbers, chiastic structure, and anticipation. These lists interact and supplement the narrative, sometimes as a foil to the story line. They are inserted at relevant points of change in the story of mankind from Adam and Eve to Joseph and his brothers. I even propose that these insertions are the earliest form of dividing the book of Genesis into installments, a precursor to weekly Torah readings and to the later division into chapters as in the printed text. The underlying message of this chapter is the value concept of the brotherhood of mankind stemming from one father—Noah. This innovative idea of universal kinship breaks with the common pagan view prevalent in antiquity that man’s place is to serve the gods and to have little or no personal identity. Note that the great urban cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia have left us no real records of family lineage other than the long king lists that reflect dynastic power. No doubt the importance of oral and written lineage stems from a tribal culture like that of the ancient Hebrews and their kindred. This overriding view even shaped the Nimrud pericope, describing his founding the urban centers of Babylon and Assyria. Genealogy became the natural medium expressing this message of universal kinship. Basic to understanding biblical genealogies is discerning two patterns of kinship, one, linear, stretching up to ten generations, and two, segmented genealogies, noting an eponymous “father” and his segmented offspring or wives. Our understanding of these structures in the Bible is shaped by the research of social anthropologists who studied oral genealogy among analphabetic tribes in Africa and the Middle East. I apply these observations and methodology in a detailed commentary on the Table of Nations. Full article

Urban identity, defined as the dynamic interplay between individuals and their environment, reciprocally shapes each other within the context of unique and defining characteristics of an urban locale. This concept has served as rich fodder for intellectual discourse, yet practical, applied studies have been restricted to local-scale “place identity” or linked to urban preservation and heritage concepts. Such constraints confine the understanding of urban identity to a retrospective view, leaving its contemporaneous and prospective dimensions underexplored. Furthermore, the multi-dimensional nature of urban identity, encompassing social, cultural, historical, and spatial elements, has rendered it a complex phenomenon to define and measure, leading to its neglect in applied studies. In an era when cities face multifaceted challenges ranging from climate change to socioeconomic disparities, understanding and leveraging urban identity becomes more than a matter of civic pride; it is a strategic necessity. Addressing this, our central research question asks: “Can we develop an integrated and dynamic methodology for assessing urban identity that is applicable to various case studies, accounting for its multifaceted nature and constant evolution, and can this methodology steer urban planning and policy decisions?” To answer these questions in detail, this study was divided into two phases. The first phase identifies and examines descriptive and analytical approaches to identity and urban identity, evaluating processes and highlighting key debates, issues, and gaps. The second phase constructs a methodology for assessing urban identity based on insights from the theoretical analysis. Through this research, three main dimensions in urban identity are unveiled: spatial scale, observer, and the dynamic state over time which framed our proposed methodology. By considering these dimensions and categorising components into material and immaterial dimensions, an enriched view of urban identity, capturing its dynamic and evolving nature is reached. Incorporating seven data collection methods, it classifies urban identity into three distinct states: “stable, fragmented, and lost”, enabling strategic interventions to foster favourable transformations. This methodology serves as a tool to address contemporary challenges such as climate change, socioeconomic disparities, and public safety, thereby transforming the traditional understanding of urban identity. Full article

Cities involve units of time and space, being part of historical, social, economic, cultural, and tourist imaginary constructions. The goal is to understand how the territorial brand, based on regional development theories, is being used in the metaverse city of Seoul, South Korea. The method used was a case study associated with bibliographic and documentary research, using a protocol with four analytical categories. The main results referred to a metaverse territorial-regional brand, bringing discussions about a new geographical-virtual-immersive metaverse scale. It also addressed the use of recognition and competitiveness strategies between interactive-immersive territories. The conclusion confirms that Seoul’s metaverse territorial-regional brand is strategically divided into three situations: (1) For city marketing purposes, positioning it as the first metaverse global city; (2) in city branding to strengthen the reputation and identity of the territory; and (3) to drive the transformation of physical territory with urban revitalization projects from the metaverse environment. Moreover, it serves Metaverse Seoul as an interactive and immersive field laboratory in virtual reality. Full article

The Pashtun, Tajik, and Hazara ethnic groups, divided into three zones, make up most of the ethnic segments in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. However, each ethnic settlement is subdivided into smaller geographical communities. In this research, we want to validate the existence of these ethnic communities and how these communities are valuable to the residents of Kabul city. We also aimed to analyze what facilities the community shares and why it is crucial to consider these communities while redeveloping the informal settlements in Kabul city. We did a literature review on ethnic segmentation, chose a case study in district 13 of Kabul, interviewed the residents and head of the community, and distributed socio-economic questionnaires made by the Ministry of urban development and land Afghanistan in three streets to determine how the ethnicities are subdivided. Ethnicities are divided into smaller sub-ethnic communities based on their migrated rural districts. People live together because of a communal identity known as Qawm. Each community shares a mosque, and to redevelop their areas, they want to be relocated near their current community of ethnicity. Moreover, ethnicity is a significant factor in choosing where to live in Kabul. Hence, the government policymaker must consider the importance of these communities in redeveloping informal settlements. Full article