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The main aim of this paper is to determine how well the UNESCO 2011 Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape (hereafter, the HUL approach) is understood by the academic community today. It will review relevant research, highlight shortcomings regarding the HUL concept and approach and explore how well the six proposed steps are being considered when implementing the HUL approach.

This paper presents and discusses the results of a systematic review of 140 peer-reviewed publications, published in international academic journals between 2008 and 2019 and available in databases such as WoS and Scopus, such as journal articles, book chapters and books. More specifically, this research takes the six-step process as its theoretical framework in order to understand if the six steps are being followed in the case studies where the HUL approach has been implemented. Following this, it assesses gaps in the HUL concept and approach. The paper explores the HUL implementation management process, investigating what is being done, how it is being done and who is involved.

The concept ‘Historic Urban Landscape’ has been used in research since 2008. However, the first case studies implementing the HUL approach were not published until 2013. While there is an abundance of theoretical research in relation to the HUL concept and approach from different perspectives and to varying degrees of depth, the case studies which practically demonstrate the HUL approach and its six steps are scarce. This paper will also show how feasible the steps are and which are used the most.

This research demonstrates if the HUL approach is being understood in the academic field and if the implementation of the six steps is being reflected in the literature. This approach will reveal how these steps are being implemented and if this is having an effect on the heritage planning process.

The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology developed on the basis of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) notion applied for the city of Cuenca in Ecuador. The identification of cultural values – among all the actors involved in the city – draws up a series of sustainable urban development strategies.

This methodology is based on the city analysis from the local community and multiple disciplines such as geomorphology, environment, urban planning, historic cartography, architecture, archaeology, anthropology, and economy. Further qualitative data collection methods included 16 workshops with 168 citizens, specific surveys, mapping, and on-site observations. The challenge of this methodology is not only its implementation in the world heritage city of Cuenca in Ecuador, but also the integration of the management of the historic centre within the overall city development plan.

The application of the HUL concept has allowed the identification of a series of strategies for the urban development where the points of view coming from different stakeholders were gathered. The project reveals the existence of values and attributes, so far overlooked in the actual heritage management system. In addition, a Geographic Information System database has been created with all the information related to Cuenca with the possibility of making it available for the community in the future.

The project has been developed within one year with scarce economic resources: that is the reason why the planned activities took longer than expected.

Social participation has played a key role in the development of the project.

This research process in Cuenca has led to its incorporation as a Latin-American pilot city for a programme developed by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region.

Cuenca, a World Heritage City, faces urban expansion as residents move to the outskirts, leaving the historic center abandoned and deteriorating. The challenge now is to relocate these spaces into sustainable and cohesive nodes. This research aims to identify cultural facility oversupply in the city center and understand the required usage for heritage buildings to promote a habitable, sustainable and cohesive historic center.

The study consisted of two phases. Firstly, a georeferenced spatial analysis and monthly usage frequency of each facility is proposed. Secondly, interviews explored the criteria for designating heritage buildings as cultural facilities. Additionally, a survey assessed urban habitability in three historic center parishes, measuring aspects like coverage, satisfaction and security from residents' perspectives.

The underutilization of cultural facilities demonstrates both inefficient heritage management and a lack of resident interest in cultural activities and neighborhood decision-making. Thus, ensuring collective ownership of heritage assets becomes crucial. Additionally, the municipality's approach to heritage must be reconsidered. While implementing a cultural program may seem faster and cheaper, the long-term cost-benefit of maintaining a cohesive historical center outweighs that of a dispersed city.

This paper calls for a fundamental reimagining of the concept of built heritage, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and integrated approach that goes beyond museum and tourism-driven strategies. This perspective recognizes the importance of social, cultural and environmental sustainability in revitalizing the historic center, considering the broader context of the city and its diverse inhabitants.