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A major goal of current international urban development and construction is to lower carbon emissions. Synergies exist between the preservation of historic cities and the development of low-carbon cities; however, the relationship between preservation of historic cities and carbon emissions remains unclear. This study focuses on the cities in the "Yellow-Canal-Yangtze" watershed community, which includes the Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Basin, and the Grand Canal region, and aims to verify the differences in CO2 emissions (CE) between historic and non-historic cities through multiple comparisons after ANOVA. Additionally, Ridge Regression was used to determine the impact and dimensions of the relevant variables associated with the preservation of historic cities on CE. Combined with national development goals, this study predicts changes in the CE of historic city preservation under different scenarios. This study found significant differences between historic and non-historic cities, as the total CE of historic cities is 2.42 times higher than that of non-historic cities. The dimension with the largest difference was the CE related to transportation, with aviation emissions of historic cities reaching 15.22 times higher than that of non-historic cities. Although the preservation of historic cities has led to an overall increase in the CE, there is significant potential for CE reduction in land use, transportation infrastructure, and tourism development related to historic city preservation. In the future, historic cities can contribute to China's carbon neutrality and the United Nation's development goals through the creation of larger historical preservation areas, more convenient public transportation, and more vibrant tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Contemporary urban development places a critical emphasis on pedestrian environments, especially in historic cities like George Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. Although survey questionnaires effectively captured public perceptions of issues such as poor road connectivity, weak accessibility, crime and safety concerns in George Town, they fell short in providing a comprehensive understanding of the root causes. This study leverages space syntax theory to model and analyze George Town's unique pedestrian landscape, aiming to identify strategies for improving pedestrian networks in historical urban landscapes. Space syntax theory, known for revealing structural issues within urban contexts, is applied after a thorough examination of George Town's urban layout, climate, architectural features, and development policies. George Town employs an informal grid layout widely utilized in British colonial port cities to enhance overall efficiency. The predominant architectural form is the shophouse, which is characterized by a ground level designed for pedestrian movement known as the "five-foot way" and adapted to Malaysia's climate. Various axis drawing methods for the unique five-foot way under different circumstances are considered. The George Town special area plan (SAP) emphasizing heritage preservation guides development policies, thus requiring an inclusive approach to pedestrian environments. This enhances the practical significance of the current study, with the eastern and northern coastal areas serving as crucial focal points for investigation. This approach results in a comprehensive spatial model that captures the essence of George Town's pedestrian landscape. Evaluation using space syntax indicators such as connectivity, integration, intelligibility, and choice reveals issues like poor overall network connectivity, inadequate access to key attractions, suboptimal integration, concentrated pedestrian flows, and significant safety concerns, which are exacerbated by limited infrastructure on certain two-way roads and a lack of zebra crossings. The practical implications of this study include recommendations for enhancing pedestrian spaces along identified roads and strategically installing zebra-crossings. This research is significant for its focus on a historical city in a Southeast Asian developing country, deeply integrating local environmental characteristics and providing insights into urban planning and optimization, thereby serving as a reference for similar cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Perspectives on Culture / Perspektywy Kultury is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Perspectives on Culture / Perspektywy Kultury is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Perspectives on Culture / Perspektywy Kultury is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In geographical terms, historic cities possess an inertia in regard to the modification of urban function. This explains why buildings may change over time, but the location of the functions remains. For over a thousand years, the city of Valencia has concentrated the commercial activity of its historic centre around the building of the Lonja de la Seda, its surrounding buildings, and its adjacent spaces, streets and squares. Recent constructions coexist with centuries-old buildings, witnesses to the transformations of this urban enclave, which has retained its commercial function. Although the Lonja de la Seda was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996, its surroundings, despite being of interest and closely linked to the protected building, were not. This article analyses the history and evolution of the built fabric and urban spaces of this complex, which represents the nerve centre for commerce in the city of Valencia. This text presents research based on studies carried out directly on the buildings in this context by the authors, as well as indirect examinations of documentation from the archives and the existing bibliography. The aim of this study is to showcase how combining material and documentary studies can lead to a broader definition of the tangible and intangible values of cultural heritage. This, in turn, could lead to the comprehensive enhancement of the historic city, where historic residential fabric and notable buildings are merely manifestations of the process for the construction of the city.

Affordable housing is vital in ensuring the inclusiveness of a city. However, urbanization and gentrification have exacerbated the gap between housing availability and housing affordability. Many factors have contributed to the displacement of local communities in George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS), with rental spike and the repeal of the Control of Rent Act, among others. Through a survey with 318 samples, this study investigates affordable housing alternatives and its administration in GTWHS of Penang state, Malaysia. Policy recommendations are suggested to improve the diversity of affordable housing options and to conserve the historic city's intangible living heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In geographical terms, historic cities possess an inertia in regard to the modification of urban function. This explains why buildings may change over time, but the location of the functions remains. For over a thousand years, the city of Valencia has concentrated the commercial activity of its historic centre around the building of the Lonja de la Seda, its surrounding buildings, and its adjacent spaces, streets and squares. Recent constructions coexist with centuries-old buildings, witnesses to the transformations of this urban enclave, which has retained its commercial function. Although the Lonja de la Seda was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996, its surroundings, despite being of interest and closely linked to the protected building, were not. This article analyses the history and evolution of the built fabric and urban spaces of this complex, which represents the nerve centre for commerce in the city of Valencia. This text presents research based on studies carried out directly on the buildings in this context by the authors, as well as indirect examinations of documentation from the archives and the existing bibliography. The aim of this study is to showcase how combining material and documentary studies can lead to a broader definition of the tangible and intangible values of cultural heritage. This, in turn, could lead to the comprehensive enhancement of the historic city, where historic residential fabric and notable buildings are merely manifestations of the process for the construction of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the problem of local communities’ awareness of heritage values in terms of urbanism, architecture, and construction and the traditions of place within a historic town. To study this problem, the authors conducted qualitative and quantitative research using the questionnaire method. They were carried out in the area of two selected small historic towns located in southern Poland in the Małopolska region: Muszyna and Piwniczna-Zdrój. Their aim was to determine the level of awareness of the cultural heritage values of both towns among their inhabitants. The results of the research are expected to identify areas of real educational needs in terms of the knowledge and a sense of value of local monuments. The authors believe that social participation and involvement of local communities is essential in the process of protecting and caring for monuments of indigenous cultural heritage.

Rising the quality of life through improving existing living environments remains one of the critical tasks of contemporary urban design. The quality of life is, in part, a subjective matter and shall thus be approached not only through professional measures but must also include participatory inputs. The techniques for including the residents’ points of view are various and greatly depend on the broader context of each case. However, using new ICT and other digitally supported tools is an ongoing trend and can be traced in various places and stages of the process. This article addresses the issue of the participatory reading of characteristics in existing living environments as they are assessed through residents’ eyes. It reviews and analyses two case studies, a Slovenian and a Spanish one, that used the photovoice approach with photography and related supplementary materials to get to know residents’ perceptions towards cultural and natural values that enhance their quality of life. The cases illustrate two different contexts, the urban and the rural one. In both cases, the processes were supported by a digital approach to achieve broader participation in the process, to offer residents an additional channel of expression, to analyse the input data, to disseminate the results, and to encourage a wider community and stakeholder dialogue. The case studies reflect the added value of using digital support in terms of the level of the integration of residents’ voices into the placemaking process. It concludes that the photovoice supported by digital tools can importantly enhance community-oriented urban planning processes.

The fifty-year experience of reflections, restorations and projects on an architectural, urban and socio-economic scale promoted in the town of Saint-Macaire, on the Garonne near Bordeaux – an experience defined by Françoise Choay as a “manifesto of optimism regarding the survival of our building competence” –, constitutes a case of popular re-appropriation of the historic city, that has the merit of continuity to the present day. From the restoration site of the Benedictine cloister – the prieuré –, wanted and managed by the city’s young people from 1967 onwards, they moved on to the municipal power, soon reaching it. The dense cultural and associative activity promoted by this position led to forms of social self-organisation that produced an experience of substantial planning from below: in more than three decades of municipal government, it was possible to integrate collective facilities located in historical monuments, public housing in Renaissance buildings, re-appropriation of craftsmanship, new and old inhabitants into the historical city. The essay reconstructs the phases of this experience of collective management of urban transformations and addresses, through Macarian examples, the theme of the permanent quest for domination by those with cultural power at the expense of those without, particularly on the subject of the control of urban and architectural aesthetics.

This paper traces the influence that pioneering Australian architectural historian David Saunders (1928–1986) exerted over the development of the University of Melbourne’s Cross Street Co-operative Housing Development in Carlton designed by Earle, Shaw & Partners (1970–1971). Cross Street is one of a number of public–private medium-density housing developments that were constructed on large sites resumed by the Housing Commission of Victoria after World War II. While the Housing Commission was demolishing large areas of inner Melbourne for tabula rasa high-rise modernist development, Saunders argued for the retention, adaptation, and acculturation of urban form, exemplified in the house he and architect wife Doreen designed for themselves in Parkville (1962). Saunders took an active role in commissioning Cross Street and his influence meant that it became the first large-scale urban project in Australia that consciously articulated an understanding of its historic environment. The project demonstrates many of his key urban ideas such as the importance of the nineteenth-century terrace form and shared pedestrianised spaces. This paper argues that the project presaged the so-called rediscovery of the city in Australia, emerged amidst the rise of local architectural history as a discipline, heritage activism, and an institution positioning itself for expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary urban development places a critical emphasis on pedestrian environments, especially in historic cities like George Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. Although survey questionnaires effectively captured public perceptions of issues such as poor road connectivity, weak accessibility, crime and safety concerns in George Town, they fell short in providing a comprehensive understanding of the root causes. This study leverages space syntax theory to model and analyze George Town’s unique pedestrian landscape, aiming to identify strategies for improving pedestrian networks in historical urban landscapes. Space syntax theory, known for revealing structural issues within urban contexts, is applied after a thorough examination of George Town’s urban layout, climate, architectural features, and development policies. George Town employs an informal grid layout widely utilized in British colonial port cities to enhance overall efficiency. The predominant architectural form is the shophouse, which is characterized by a ground level designed for pedestrian movement known as the “five-foot way” and adapted to Malaysia’s climate. Various axis drawing methods for the unique five-foot way under different circumstances are considered. The George Town special area plan (SAP) emphasizing heritage preservation guides development policies, thus requiring an inclusive approach to pedestrian environments. This enhances the practical significance of the current study, with the eastern and northern coastal areas serving as crucial focal points for investigation. This approach results in a comprehensive spatial model that captures the essence of George Town’s pedestrian landscape. Evaluation using space syntax indicators such as connectivity, integration, intelligibility, and choice reveals issues like poor overall network connectivity, inadequate access to key attractions, suboptimal integration, concentrated pedestrian flows, and significant safety concerns, which are exacerbated by limited infrastructure on certain two-way roads and a lack of zebra crossings. The practical implications of this study include recommendations for enhancing pedestrian spaces along identified roads and strategically installing zebra-crossings. This research is significant for its focus on a historical city in a Southeast Asian developing country, deeply integrating local environmental characteristics and providing insights into urban planning and optimization, thereby serving as a reference for similar cities.

This paper develops the theory of liminality as a guideline for revitalising disused urban fabrics in historic cities. Since Middle Eastern historic cities exist as a transitional phenomenon, spatial liminality is identified as an epistemological tool for their investigation. This paper sets up a mixed-method approach based on questionnaire surveys and field studies in twelve urban blocks in historic Yazd and Kashan. Using an interpretive historical study, it is verified that, during the premodern eras, spatial liminality has been synonymous with the formation of sense of place/citizenship, mainly generated as a result of the existence of in-between spaces in historic cities, which, in turn, could have facilitated the rites of passage for residents. In a quantitative layer, the correlation between dilapidated abandoned buildings (DABs) (i.e., disused urban fabrics) and sense of place/citizenship is investigated in case studies, which unfolds associations that lack of sense of place amongst local communities could convey to the meaning of spatial liminality. The analysis demonstrates DABs are associated with lack of spatial liminality, contributing to the breakdown of sense of community identification/place. Therefore, DABs need to be reutilized while maintaining their heritage values. The discourse identifies in-between spaces that once facilitated spatial liminality and demonstrates a guideline for revitalising historic cities. This study put forward a theoretical contribution that enables the use of spatial liminality to guide the understanding and management of historic cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological upgrading in recent decades has allowed, at the urban level, the definition of new tools to address issues related to climate change. The research focuses on methodologies and technologies that are useful for the definition of new morphometric classifications (RLCZ, Rome Local Climate Zone) and the consequent construction of specific parametric models for the fabric of the historic city, starting from the case study on the city of Rome. This is to support an informed design-making process that is compatible with the peculiarities of complex fabrics. The proposed methodology and tools, which can be tested on similar scenarios or recalibrated for different realities, can provide an additional piece of knowledge, integrated with ongoing international experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Arquitectura (1657-0308) is the property of Universidad Catolica de Columbia, Facultad de Arquitectura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study focuses on the assessment of historic city vitality to address increasingly fragmented urban patterns and to prevent the decline of livability in older urban areas. In 1961, Jane Jacobs theorized urban vitality and found the main conditions that were required for the promotion of life in cities: diversity of land use, small block sizes, diversity of buildings with varied characteristics and ages, density of people and buildings, accessibility for all people without depending on private transport, and distance to border elements. Jacobs' criteria for urban vitality has had an indisputable influence on urban researchers and planners especially in the Anglo-American context. This perspective has influenced the development of New Urbanism and similar planning policies, such as neo-traditional communities and transit oriented development, yet her theories have to be more substantiated in Asia's developing cities, especially in China's historic cities. In order to verify the significance of Jacobs' urban vitality theory in Chinese historic cities, we develop a composite measure of 16 variables of built environment, and we test it using GIS-sDNA in a historic city with an aging population and low-income in Qingdao. A systematic approach to urban spatial analysis allows us to provide a detailed spatial interpretation of a historic city form. The results emphasize that historic cities vitality, far from being homogeneous, followed a multi-centered distribution pattern, which is related to the previous European planning of the region, where a grid-type pattern was more likely to disperse urban vitality. The results can serve as a useful framework for studying the livability and vitality of different areas of the city in different geographical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the inscription of the Historic City of Yazd on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2017, the number of visiting tourists increased. This area is a set of neighborhoods with unique characteristics. This study is aimed at assessing both the host community’s attitudes towards tourism and the destination image in tourists' perception, as elements of potential tourism resources in the Fahadan neighborhood in Yazd. The present research is descriptive-analytical and a survey was used for data collection with different questionnaires distributed among 170 individuals of the host community and the same number of tourists. For each, three components were considered to assess potential tourism resources. The data extracted from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software. The findings revealed that “impacts of the inscription on the neighborhood” was the most important component for the host community, and “local capacities” for the tourists. In sum, “local capacities” was also ranked higher than the other five components. According to the results, the inefficiency of tourism organizations and authorities in managing and monitoring the processes was responsible for their inability to attract tourists despite the cultural and architectural richness of the studied area and the positive perception of the host community toward tourism.

After the inscription of the Historic City of Yazd on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2017, the number of tourists visiting increased. The area is formed of several neighborhoods. This study aims to propose a conservation plan for the oldest, the Shah Abul-Ghasem Neighborhood, using the urban design qualities suggested by Golkar. The study based on a field survey in the neighborhood was carried out in such a way that items related to urban design qualities were photographed and categorized into environmental, functional and aesthetic-experimental components. Proposed measures and recommendations for the development of tourism in the area are presented based on the field survey results.

The City of Nicosia contains cultural heritage from different periods of history. Over time, due to user damage, illegal constructions, and abandonment, Nicosia has faced the danger of deterioration in its morphology and the loss of its original identity. With the recent strategic planning, the city of Nicosia has started to be revived. Within the scope of revitalization works, original or re-functional use projects are carried out on existing structures. Revitalization projects in historical cities should be implemented within the framework of sustainable development. In this study, the Arabahmet and Karamanzade regions of Nicosia were selected as the focus of the research. The research aims to assess revitalization works in selected zones within the framework of sustainable development. Three methodologies were followed in the research process: Theoretical, analytical, and practical approaches. As the first step in the theoretical approach, sustainable development was emphasized in historical cities and Nicosia City. Through an analytical approach, a current analysis of Nicosia city was made. In addition, in the practical approach, data highlighting the physical condition and architectural heritage of the regions were collected. In the practical assessment stage, data obtained within the scope of sustainable development and the revitalization works that can be applied in historical cities have been evaluated for the city of Nicosia. Analysis was made according to the data for the regions selected in line with the social, cultural, environmental, and economic criteria, which are the four pillars of sustainable development. In the last stage, the findings and discussion section, the direction of the revitalization works in the regions was assessed. Research reveals that the revitalization works carried out in the region are not fully addressed within the scope of sustainable development. The study reveals that it is essential for the sustainability of the conservation process of the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a big shift in analyses of historic centres, with the spotlight turning from the issue of urban degradation and the ageing population to studies of the risks associated with touristification and gentrification. The island of Ibiza is one of the Mediterranean's leading tourist destinations, and its capital is one of the fifteen Spanish cities declared as World Heritage Sites (UNESCO). This study aimed to explore the touristification of Ibiza's historic centre (a World Heritage Site). To do so, it explored three interrelated variables, the historic centre's demographic dynamics, tourist accommodations, and heritage, through an analysis of heritage interventions derived from the UNESCO declaration. The methodology was based on the statistical use of demographic and tourism accommodation data on an inter-urban scale by mapping the main results, as well as on a study of the heritage data from the municipal catalogue. We concluded that the old city is in a state of change, both socially (with a demographic decline and drop in the native population) and culturally. All this reinforces its role as a supplier of complementary tourism services and as a museumized space for sun and sand resorts in the rest of the city and throughout the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the theory of liminality as a guideline for revitalising disused urban fabrics in historic cities. Since Middle Eastern historic cities exist as a transitional phenomenon, spatial liminality is identified as an epistemological tool for their investigation. This paper sets up a mixed-method approach based on questionnaire surveys and field studies in twelve urban blocks in historic Yazd and Kashan. Using an interpretive historical study, it is verified that, during the premodern eras, spatial liminality has been synonymous with the formation of sense of place/citizenship, mainly generated as a result of the existence of in-between spaces in historic cities, which, in turn, could have facilitated the rites of passage for residents. In a quantitative layer, the correlation between dilapidated abandoned buildings (DABs) (i.e., disused urban fabrics) and sense of place/citizenship is investigated in case studies, which unfolds associations that lack of sense of place amongst local communities could convey to the meaning of spatial liminality. The analysis demonstrates DABs are associated with lack of spatial liminality, contributing to the breakdown of sense of community identification/place. Therefore, DABs need to be reutilized while maintaining their heritage values. The discourse identifies in-between spaces that once facilitated spatial liminality and demonstrates a guideline for revitalising historic cities. This study put forward a theoretical contribution that enables the use of spatial liminality to guide the understanding and management of historic cities.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the physical, real, and effective tourism carrying capacity of one of the three pathways defined for walking tourists based on the Historic City of Yazd document in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In recent years, this pathway has been renovated. Mass arrival of tourists select it because of its older and larger number of historical buildings, boutique hotels and handicraft stores. In this research, a library-documentary approach, together with an analytical method, has been implemented. The data was collected from official sources and field studies as well as the data was consolidated by convening a panel of professionals. The total area of the main tourism pathway was first calculated using AutoCAD software based on urban map and, along with other information required in carrying capacity formulas, was embedded. Then, the number of allowed visitors was estimated based on existing limitations. The research findings show that the number of visitors in this area, based on official statistics, is far from its carrying capacity. Thereby, it is suggested that for high seasons, Nowruz Holidays in particular, measures should be taken to control the crowd of this area such as developing alternative tourism attractions, leading the crowding population towards other pathways, planning distribution of tours, specifying time limit for tours, increasing the time spent visiting the site in the first half of the year, enhancing qualities of urban spaces, as well as organizing tour guides and local trained people to manage tourists.

The current pressure on the built historical heritage requires a global evaluation to develop strategies for its preservation. A combined vision of the state of conservation of architectural heritage is essential to highlight the vulnerabilities of the structure from which harmonized measures can be proposed for its mitigation.This study proposes a multi-criteria analysis methodology that considers a qualitative and quantitative approach to organize the global conservation state of heritage buildings hierarchically. A global index can be determined on the basis of the generation of an interoperable data matrix by defining a set of indicators to assess different components of a building. This index describes the risk with respect to the stability, safety, and habitability of the building.This methodology aims to achieve the state of the building in an integral way by obtaining a simple and objective index that enables efficient comparison among different buildings. The application of this methodology to a historic area allows creating a hierarchical map of risk to stablish priorities for intervention and enable a sustainable and critical management and planning over the actions of maintenance, conservation, and restoration. In this way, a holistic vision of the complex reality of built heritage and the urban landscape is obtained to identify critical areas of priority intervention.

The goal of this project is to revitalize the historic core of the city of Multan to encourage sustainable environmental protection and socio-economic development. This case study focuses on the implementation of an intervention at ‘Sarafa Bazaar’. The objective of the project is to restore the structure and provide a framework for the development of the local community. The other goal of the intervention is to improve the tourist experience and promote energy efficiency. This type of project is carried out through a process that aims to identify and address the social and urban issues that have affected the development of the city. The selected section of ‘Sarafa Bazaar’ is approximately 80 m from the Musafir Khana building and is connected to the other side of the bazaar. The walls of the Sarafa Bazaar are being renovated and conserved. A laser scanner was used to identify the number of materials and steel reinforcements needed to balance the settled facade. The renovation of the façades of the Sarafa Bazaar is being carried out to improve the overall appearance of the area. The project has been carried out through the establishment of an integrated system for the development of the city’s urban area. It involves the renovation of the façades of the Sarafa Bazaar and the establishment of public spaces.

This study focuses on the assessment of historic city vitality to address increasingly fragmented urban patterns and to prevent the decline of livability in older urban areas. In 1961, Jane Jacobs theorized urban vitality and found the main conditions that were required for the promotion of life in cities: diversity of land use, small block sizes, diversity of buildings with varied characteristics and ages, density of people and buildings, accessibility for all people without depending on private transport, and distance to border elements. Jacobs’ criteria for urban vitality has had an indisputable influence on urban researchers and planners especially in the Anglo-American context. This perspective has influenced the development of New Urbanism and similar planning policies, such as neo-traditional communities and transit oriented development, yet her theories have to be more substantiated in Asia’s developing cities, especially in China’s historic cities. In order to verify the significance of Jacobs’ urban vitality theory in Chinese historic cities, we develop a composite measure of 16 variables of built environment, and we test it using GIS-sDNA in a historic city with an aging population and low-income in Qingdao. A systematic approach to urban spatial analysis allows us to provide a detailed spatial interpretation of a historic city form. The results emphasize that historic cities vitality, far from being homogeneous, followed a multi-centered distribution pattern, which is related to the previous European planning of the region, where a grid-type pattern was more likely to disperse urban vitality. The results can serve as a useful framework for studying the livability and vitality of different areas of the city in different geographical contexts.

Copyright of Tourism / Turyzm (08675856) is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper deals with the experience of the existence of historic cities, their opportunities as centers for tourism development. At present, there are 41 historic settlements in Russia with different status. The tourist appeal of historic cities is determined primarily by their historic and cultural heritage. In recent years, such form of tourism as cultural has become more popular. Among the objects of cultural tourism is the historic and cultural heritage in its material and non-material, intangible forms. These are historic territories, including historic cities, architectural structures and complexes, archaeological excavations, art and historic museums, folk crafts, festivals, folklore, household ceremonies, traditional values, activities and the daily life style of the local population. Within the framework of cultural tourism, an individualization of demand occurs. Travelers are interested not only in getting acquainted with the well-known sights, but also in a kind of "immersion" in the historic environment, in the knowledge of the traditions and customs of the local population. Management of their historic and cultural heritage is carried out, for the most part, by reserve museums. The project activity of Yelabuga Reserve Museum is being studied as a means to increase the tourist flow and attract new partners.

This paper aims to propose a strategic plan for cultural tourism development in Fahadan neighbourhood, located in the historic city of Yazd. In this regard, the SWOT matrix was used to analyse the current situation. Based on the elicitation of 12 experts' opinions, the IFE and EFE matrices were calculated, and then initial strategies were presented. Analysis of the findings in the IE matrix revealed that the offensive strategies have priority for implementation. According to the results, establishing eco hotels, holding walking tours, extensive national and international advertising, strengthening social capital and supporting NGOs, setting up handicraft fairs, providing financial facilities and enacting tax laws, and preparing a comprehensive plan for rehabilitation and renovation, should be considered.

During the second half of the 20th century, urban areas in the Arabian Gulf countries underwent massive change as they transformed from small villages into global cities. This was due to these countries' development from pearling- and fishing-based economies into ones based on oil, followed by in many cases by efforts to transition into more broad-based economies. In the case of Doha, the capital of Qatar, oil revenues have been used to develop a new modern city, but little attention was paid to the conservation of the local cultural heritage. Many buildings that were old were treated as reminders of an earlier, poorer life and thus gave way to more modern replacements. High-rise buildings were built for economic benefit and to project the image of a global city. Meanwhile, rapid development led to an expansion of the city in all directions. In parallel, the old city centre deteriorated and has become an area of refuge for low-income foreign workers. Today, Doha has become a global city, its coastal skyline gleaming with glassy high-rise buildings, but with few reminders of the local Qatari culture. The demolition process and construction of modern buildings and facilities has led many to feel that the city has lost its identity and sense of place. This paper explores the recent efforts to conserve and reconstruct the local city identity. For example, some construction projects are following newer trends based on renovation and rehabilitation; these include the rehabilitation project of Souk Waqif and the ongoing Msheireb regeneration project. In addition, a number of new projects make use of the local Qatari architectural style, as is the case with the Gulf Mall, the Ministry of Interior and the traffic headquarters buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the methodological approach proposed within H2020 ROCK project, on the adaptive reuse of public spaces in the historic city, particularly focussing on accessibility. The methodology is applied in a test-bed site of the historical context with the aim to identify integrated and effective strategies capable of shifting attention from the single building to the urban scale, following a performance-oriented approach. The goal is to contribute, through a light infrastructure, enabling technologies and new services, to the definition of a barrier-free built environment suitable to satisfy the citizen’s environmental well-being in an equitable manner. The integrated approach involved users and key factors such as: disabled associations, sectors of the Municipality, representatives and operators of cultural institutions.

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The current pressure on the built historical heritage requires a global evaluation to develop strategies for its preservation. A combined vision of the state of conservation of architectural heritage is essential to highlight the vulnerabilities of the structure from which harmonized measures can be proposed for its mitigation. This study proposes a multi-criteria analysis methodology that considers a qualitative and quantitative approach to organize the global conservation state of heritage buildings hierarchically. A global index can be determined on the basis of the generation of an interoperable data matrix by defining a set of indicators to assess different components of a building. This index describes the risk with respect to the stability, safety, and habitability of the building. This methodology aims to achieve the state of the building in an integral way by obtaining a simple and objective index that enables efficient comparison among different buildings. The application of this methodology to a historic area allows creating a hierarchical map of risk to stablish priorities for intervention and enable a sustainable and critical management and planning over the actions of maintenance, conservation, and restoration. In this way, a holistic vision of the complex reality of built heritage and the urban landscape is obtained to identify critical areas of priority intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the methodological approach proposed within H2020 ROCK project, on the adaptive reuse of public spaces in the historic city, particularly focussing on accessibility. The methodology is applied in a test-bed site of the historical context with the aim to identify integrated and effective strategies capable of shifting attention from the single building to the urban scale, following a performance-oriented approach. The goal is to contribute, through a light infrastructure, enabling technologies and new services, to the definition of a barrier-free built environment suitable to satisfy the citizen's environmental well-being in an equitable manner. The integrated approach involved users and key factors such as: disabled associations, sectors of the Municipality, representatives and operators of cultural institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of World War II, old town squares have undergone significant functional transformations. They no longer have a market squares function in the sense of regular trade on the square, instead squares bother the functions of representative and recreational spaces, but trade and services are still present in them in the square frontages. The aim of the article is to assess the buildings around the square in Uniejów in terms of the level of square closure, taking into account the each sides - walls of the town square, as well as its functional structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]