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The paper introduces a lesser-known cultural landscape along the sacred Bhagirathi-Hooghly river in the Indian city of Kolkata, with particular reference to its built and natural heritage. The narratives cover the cultural and ecological qualities of the unique “ghat-scape” (riverfront pavilions with steps descending into the river) and their contemporary urban challenges. It also explores the suitability of the Historic Cultural Landscape (HCL) tools, or their adapted versions, in managing this exceptional landscape.

The paper is structured under six discrete sections covering the inventory and assessment, interpretation and evaluation and possible roadmap for the ecological restoration of the riverfront cultural landscape. Primary and secondary studies were conducted to understand the related challenges and opportunities. The authors then examined the application of the HCL tools based on a conceptual framework and identified the alternative approaches suitable for its restoration. Finally, a successfully restored ghat environ is taken as a model and reviewed against the most potent approach in addressing the eco-cultural criticalities.

The paper argues in favour of a paradigm shift from riverfront “development” to riverfront “restoration” with particular emphasis on the ghat-architecture. Three eco-cultural restoration alternatives were derived out of the HCL principles. A practical case study found that a community-led approach positively influences restorative actions, cultural heritage management and long-term sustainability.

The HCL tools comprising planning, regulatory systems, financial designs and community engagement have been explored for the first time in the context of the unique riverfront “ghatscape” of Kolkata. An under-discussed topic, it has been brought to the centre stage to gain new insights into the Indian cultural landscape heritage. An HCL-based new approach in their management came forth through a review of a successful case study.

This paper investigates the adaptive capacity expressed by an agricultural region in response to changing conditions as a mean to address the future of cultural landscapes in a time of extreme uncertainty. Through the conceptual framework of biocultural diversity, the work assesses regimes shifts and persistence as a dialectic between natural and anthropogenic components of the landscape.

Specifically, the mechanisms of progressive landscape adaptation are explored by using an integrated method to align manifestations of biological and cultural diversity. Through a multidimensional approach applied to spatial analysis, the study determines a relationship between the footprint of past and modern landscape regimes and contemporary rural management practices in McLaren Vale, South Australia.

The biological and cultural diversity patterns along riparian corridors, or “biocultural corridors” are indicators of past and current adaptive capacity, which are able to convey novel trajectories of sustainable management in the landscape system.

Understanding the positive feedback loops between nature and human interactions as represented by their interrelationships in the landscape can inform planning decisions for sustainable agricultural development and enable effective regional long-term trajectories of resilience.

With the development of small towns in China, the country pays more and more attention to the protection of landscape resources. It is an urgent problem that is how to protect landscape resources and ecological environment while developing economic industry in small towns. Establishing an ecotourism evaluation model can provide valuable reference for ecotourism planning, development protection and sustainable development of small towns.

This paper uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to construct the ecotourism evaluation system that accords with the characteristics of small towns. A judgment matrix is constructed to determine specific indicators and factor values based on expert survey results. Based on the AHP theory and considering 4 aspects, construction conditions of featured small towns, ecological and environmental conditions, ecotourism resources endowment and development conditions and tourism capacity. In addition, 16 factor evaluations were selected, evaluation model of ecotourism resources were built and each evaluation index value was confirmed by adopting expert's advice.

Ecological environment, socioeconomic, uniqueness, esthetic ornamental value, small-scale industry scale, type and development level, type and scale, tourism talent level, therapeutic and leisure value were the indispensable components of evaluation of ecotourism resources in featured small towns.

The ideas of ecological environment development are rooted in the hearts of the people with the development of times. The model in this research is pertinent, typical and universal to some extent. Thus it is worth popularizing and applying.

The UNESCO recommendation under the historic urban landscapes (HUL) title and Operational Guidelines (OPG) were used to create dynamic protective boundaries to maintain the integrity and authenticity of Isfahan's heritage waterways. Accordingly, by using GIS and Isfahan urban layers, three protective zones were proposed and evaluated; the central zone, the functional zone and the visual zone.

Heritage waterways in historic cities are not adequately protected against the negative impacts of urban development, and there is a lack of a dynamic protective system to protect their integrity and authenticity. The problem can be observed in Isfahan, a historic Iranian city, where the boundaries of urban heritage waterways (Madi canals) are usually rigid and arbitrary. This study aims to develop a practicable paradigm for determining protection boundaries for Isfahan's Jolfa Madi, an urban heritage waterway.

Compared to the current protective boundaries, the authors found that proposed protective boundaries create a greater amount of protection space, which makes a strong connection among the ecological, historical and socio-economic characteristics of the urban context. Furthermore, the protective zones based on the HUL approach give Isfahan's urban planning policy the opportunity to consider participatory tools, financial tools and regulatory systems.

Many studies have emphasized a fixed-width buffer or an arbitrary distance from the urban waterway's axis (urban heritage) or its banks. Although these protections include technical conservation or setting restrictions on the adjacent buildings and blocks, studying crucial concepts such as urban dynamic, urban heritage context and producing a particular technique for protected boundaries has not been investigated. In this article three dynamic boundaries are delineated with various functions in order to provide urban heritage with dynamic preservation and sustainable development for the historic urban landscapes.

Sustainable tourism demands a positivistic and holistic look at the true costs and benefits of the industry to host communities. To aid leaders in starting the process, the article proposes a tourism options navigation model looking at varying number of visitors, their average daily spend and leakages, on the socio‐economic, cultural and environmental landscape of island communities. The article aims to identify various tourism options, their expected effects and potential strategies to mitigating negative outcomes and to later apply the model to the case of the rural parish of St Thomas, Jamaica.

To achieve the objectives outlined a comprehensive review of related literature was conducted. The researcher interviewed six of Jamaica's national tourism leaders and analyzed their responses.

It was posited that by employing strategies that impact the number of visitors to the area, their average daily spend and industry‐related economic import leakages, leaders can control the economic, social, cultural and environmental effects of tourism on communities but the process must begin with a clear articulation of the desired effects.

The model could be a useful decision‐making tool for leaders considering tourism as a developmental option or in analyzing the current state of their communities' tourism industry. It could also form the basis for a more objective look at tourism success by researchers.

The model is unique as it provides a single comprehensive look at the causes and effects of tourism and possible ways forward.

This work critiques the situation of the ecological and cultural heritage in many coastal territories and analyses how current land planning methodologies are responding to it. The study builds a new integrated approach founded on ecocultural values and local knowledge as resources for an effective territorial planning and sustainable development.

The proposed framework was developed through: (1) analysing coastal planning needs and problems in European coastal areas; (2) identifying ecocultural values, including local knowledge, in such areas; (3) selecting best approaches and tools in spatial planning; (4) applying the selected planning approaches to use ecocultural values as resources for spatial planning and sustainable development; and (5) validating the final methodology.

A dynamic approach for maritime-land planning was developed projecting coastal waters and river basins as strategic drivers for sustainable development, based on the natural capacity of water to shape and integrate the ecological and cultural territory. A participatory governance planning methodology supports the new articulations of space based on ecocultural value chains and networks as synergistic vectors, focusing on local knowledge as psychosocial capital for a collective mapping of cultural, historical, social, economic and ecological values into ecocultural littoral plans.

The results show the potentials of combining new approaches applying cultural and ecological heritage into an effective strategy of integration between society and territory as a powerful driver for effective sustainable planning and development.

The present study aims to understand how a culture associated with proximity to the Mediterranean Sea transcends political boundaries fostering common values and beliefs across three countries.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Italy, Spain and France to assess similarities and differences between respondents. The qualitative data were augmented with the literature pertaining to Mediterranean identity, culture and the influence of contextual factors on its development.

The three geographically proximate countries all border on the Mediterranean Sea. The interviews revealed common cultural elements that transcend political boundaries suggesting that the common context fosters similar cultural elements. At the same time, there are important cultural elements that are uniquely associated with each country.

The geographic composition of the sample limits the generality of the results. By design, it focuses on three countries to limit other sources of variation such as affluence and religion. A sample across additional countries would have provided greater confidence in the results, although the selected countries are representative of a large portion of the Mediterranean area, especially in terms of values. Inclusion of respondents from countries with different levels of wealth, religious and political ideologies would likely uncover additional facets of Mediterranean identity.

A key implication relates to the extent that similar values and beliefs appear to cut across political boundaries suggesting the existence of transnational segments. It also suggests the importance of considering contextual factors when developing an understanding of consumer behavior.

The paper provides insights into the concept of Mediterranean identity, through an examination of the literature and respondents’ perceptions and attitudes about the sense of belonging and attachment to Europe, their country of birth and about being Mediterranean. The notion of a Mediterranean culture has been examined conceptually, but not empirically. This study begins the process of establishing the degree to which Mediterranean identity and the extent to which it exists across multiple countries.

The Ibaloy is an indigenous ethnic group in the Northern Philippines. Due to modernization, changes in lifestyle, livelihood and spiritual inclination many have forgotten about their culture. Income-generating activities such as handicraft businesses and food security are among their needs and aspirations. With the potential that indigenous entrepreneurship has in improving their cultural and economic status, this study aims to identify which crafts in their material culture can be publicly shared as tourism products and to assess the landscape within which indigenous entrepreneurship can be undertaken.

The study utilized a qualitative methodology which involved a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. An interview guide which consisted of open-ended questions that focused on themes such as identification of Ibaloy crafts, the crafts’ various categorization and significance, the challenges and opportunities and their perceptions on what they want done for their crafts and material culture in general was developed for this purpose. The primary respondents were the Ibaloys themselves and other key informants from government and other stakeholders.

Other than serving their purpose in an Ibaloy household and as objects used for special occasions, Ibaloy crafts have the potential to be developed as tourism products. While many challenges abound, availability of resources and collaborative support by the government and other institutions can bring opportunities that will lead Ibaloy crafts to become prime tourism products.

The findings point to a compelling need for policymakers and concerned authorities to take immediate action to ensure the culture and heritage of the Ibaloys are protected.

The study adds to the literature about Filipino indigenous peoples, particularly the Ibaloys of Cordillera, and their aspirations for the inclusion of their material culture to the tourism industry. It can serve as a guide in addressing issues and concerns related to indigenous entrepreneurship that may be addressed through policy intervention and support from stakeholders.