Search results

The World Heritage Convention has reached a milestone, and this year, in 2022, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The aim of this article is to review whether and how the goals of the strategic action plan (SAP) for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (2012–2022) have been reached.

This article starts by considering the outcomes for three of the SAP goals, dealing with protection and management; the credibility of the World Heritage List and sustainable development, using additional information from the final implementation report of the SAP (UNESCO, 2021a), which provides key performance indicators and the implementation status for each goal and associated outcomes. This article then compares and contrasts available data, trends and examples to provide more in-depth analyses of the implementation of the three goals. Data have been gathered from my own research and from the work of other academics and practitioners.

The article finds several key positive changes, including the recent revisions of the Operational Guidelines to include provisions from the 2015 UNESCO Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development. However, a number of concerning or worsening trends relating to the protection and management of the World Heritage List, its increasing lack of credibility and sustainable development make it difficult to conclude that the implementation of the goals has been positive. The article concludes with suggestions for addressing these issues.

This paper fills a gap, as not much has yet been published on the state of implementation of the Convention at 50 years old.

Being awarded world heritage status is a distinguishing factor when it comes to promoting tourism in a city. Tourism in these cities should be developed in a way that does not compromise either the city’s heritage or the inhabitants' quality of life. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of a European city achieving world heritage status on the subjective quality of life of its citizens.

First of all, we classify European cities according to whether or not they have been declared world heritage sites. Then, we analyze the effect of this classification on the main aspects used to measure the residents' perception of quality of life that are available in the Flash Eurobarometer 419.

The results show that achieving world heritage status has a negative effect on residents' perceptions of the noise level, air quality and feeling of safety. However, it does not affect their perceptions of public transport or cleanliness. In addition, world heritage status positively affects residents’ perceptions of the cultural activities in the city and their ease of finding a job. Residents report high levels of happiness in both world heritage and non-heritage cities, although levels are somewhat higher in non-heritage cities.

Residents' perceptions of the influence of tourism on their quality of life are undoubtedly of major importance; however, due to a lack of available data, few studies have examined this subjective quality of life at the city level.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of beneficial externality generated by the World Heritage List (WHL) on residential property values in order to offer new insights into heritage discourses.

The study uses the hedonic price model to estimate empirically the difference in prices for residential properties located in the Old Rauma World Heritage. The study uses residential sales transaction data from the City of Rauma from January 2005 to September 2012 drawn from an online database called KVKL Hintaseurantapalvelu managed by the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies.

The research results indicate a positive, but insignificant, relationship between the property sale prices (euros/sqm) and heritage designation. However, the total sale prices are higher in Old Rauma as the properties are significantly larger in Old Rauma compared to other properties in Rauma.

Studies in heritage economics have assessed the influence of the property market on heritage listing and designation at either the national level, the local level or a mix of national/local levels. This paper contributes to the literature by analysing the impact of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage designation on residential property values. UNESCO is the leading global institution which deals with the protection of heritage sites that transcend national and local boundaries.

The study aims, based on the symbiotic relationship between tourism agencies and various stakeholders, to investigate what “policy-level” partners would advise their “practice-level” counterparts on, first, how the World Heritage Site (WHS) status of monuments can be made attractive for travellers, and second, what steps can be taken by stakeholders to enhance the WHS tourist experience.

A qualitative approach involving e-mail interviews was adopted. Content analyses of open-ended exploratory questions put to “policy-level” respondents yielded 10 major themes that can enhance the brand appeal of the WHS.

The findings offer in-depth solutions for better trip experiences of Heritage Tourists. Insights from the responses under ten thematic areas have direct relevance for application by tourism and hospitality facilitators.

Although this study was conducted in India, its findings hold implications for practice throughout the world. They could similarly be incorporated as elements of policy directed at incentivising communication of the value of preserving heritage for future generations.

While previous research focused on stakeholders for planning and policy making, this study explores the stakeholder's perspective for a more comprehensive understanding of how using the WHS brand can generate more holistic tourism development.

Industrial heritage is considered an essential part of cultural heritage in the world. This heritage suffers from continued marginalisation in the Arab world, particularly in Jordan, where many industrial heritage sites have not been protected or studied well due to the lack of a clear definition of cultural heritage. Most of these sites, built in the 20th century, are gradually disappearing or scheduled for demolition. This paper explores the de-industrialisation discourse and the loss of modern industrial heritage in the Arab world, especially in Jordan.

This research investigates the modern industrial heritage in Jordan as a case study in the Arab world. A comprehensive understanding of the industrial heritage has been obtained by adopting a case study approach and using a reconnaissance survey of potential industrial heritage sites in Jordan.

Seven categories were used in the analysis of the de-industrialisation phenomenon of heritage sites: ownership, location, design and types; structure, significance, deterioration and physical condition and conservation attempts and alterations. Three main approaches to industrial heritage were identified: demolition, occasional maintenance and rare examples of conservation and adaptive reuse.

This study sheds light on the ownership issue of industrial structures in Jordan and invites policymakers, relevant authorities, private organisations and the public to consider the challenges and impact of de-industrialisation of such sites.

This research raises awareness of the de-industrialisation discourse, and highlights the value of industrial architecture dating back to the modernity period, which was short-lived in Jordan. It also calls for serious consideration of these sites to support sustainable development in the Arab World.

Conserving appropriately the culture and heritage of a city through sustainable tourism is a key element for its economic development. Heritage cities generate economic, social and environmental benefits through tourism management. This study aims to intend, in the context of economic sustainability of the territory and promotion, to improve the understanding of the relationship between the sources of information of tourists and their motivations, with satisfaction and future behaviour intentions. For this, a study has been carried out in the Old Town of Cáceres (Spain), a city recognised as a world heritage property by UNESCO.

This study applies a descriptive analysis, based on frequencies. For data collection, a structured questionnaire has been used to identify the opinion of tourists during their visit to the heritage city of Cáceres.

This study demonstrates the existence of a positive relationship between the sources of information and the tourist experience with their future behavioural intentions and satisfaction of their visit. All this in the global context of the destination for sustainable economy and the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Furthermore, the results of the study suggest that the motivations of tourists are the most important factor in explaining the overall experience and loyalty of tourists to a city.

A limitation of this study is the data set used. The results must be contextualised at the time and place when the questionnaire was conducted.

The proposed model makes it possible to advance future heritage tourism strategies, in terms of planning and communication of the heritage resources of a destination. Tourism heritage institutions should increasingly invest in communication improvements based on new technologies and social media. At the same time, integrated planning with special policies for the sustainable protection of heritage can make important progress in the tourist and cultural development of the destination.

This article tests for the first time within the context of heritage cities in Spain and in the context of a sustainable economy and cultural heritage for destination, the relationship between different sources of site promotion information and future tourist behaviour intentions. It provides original evidence of the value of applying the underlying theory of the proposed model in a world heritage tourist destination.

In 2019, Generation Z (Gen Z) accounted for 32% of the world population, as per the report by Bloomberg, Gen Z in India is world's largest with 472 million people, still there is very limited research conducted to explain their intention to visit heritage sites. This paper aims to report the findings of an empirical research focussing on Gen Z Indians' intention to visit heritage sites by applying theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with two additional constructs, i.e. environmental concern (EC) and environmental friendly activities (EFA).

As a fundamental theoretical framework, the TPB model is used. Data consists of responses of 434 Gen Z Indians which were collected through online questionnaires. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) technique, the measurement and structural model were tested with the help of AMOS 22 and SPSS 25 software.

The results of SEM indicate that the hypothesized relationships between attitude (AT), subjective norms (SN), EC, EFA and intention to visit heritage sites were all supported. However, perceived behavioural control (PBC) did not influence intention.

The study's findings have substantial practical implications for organizations/travel companies that primarily deal in heritage sites. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge about intention to visit heritage sites. As the study focuses mostly on Gene Z Indians, it is difficult to extrapolate the findings to other countries.

This paper will help the researchers and practitioners to understand the Gen Z Indians' intention of visiting heritage sites. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that predicts intention of Gen Z Indians to visit heritage sites.

This paper serves as a pilot study for the education of cultural landscape heritage conservation (CLHC) and review the preparedness of landscape architecture curricula in the Philippines for the CLHC specialization. It proposes the utilization of the “Geodesign” framework in formulating a developmental process and validation of the interrelationship and collaborative activity created by the thematic areas towards landscape heritage education and professionalization. The goal of the study is to create new possibilities for the profession through the study and professionalization of cultural landscapes, thus, raising awareness and significance of cultural heritage and heritage conservation in the lenses of the Philippine landscapes.

The research opted for literature reviews, comprehensive desktop reviews of the landscape architecture syllabi of higher education institutions (HEIs) and SWOT and PESTEL analyses as qualitative assessments, including stakeholder feedback discussions with the current four (4) HEIs, Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA), Technical Committee for Landscape Architecture, Commission on Higher Education (TCLA CHED), Professional Regulation Commission–Board of Landscape Architecture (PRC–BOLA) and the ICOMOS IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes, National Philippine Committee (Philippine NSCCL). The data were complemented by a quantitative assessment using Leopold and Lohani and Thann assessment matrix on importance (without considering magnitude), and for this study, it is the level of preparedness and integration.

The paper brings forth to the conclusion that the landscape architecture curricula at the bachelor's degree level of the University of the Philippines – Diliman (UP – Diliman) in Quezon City and University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu are prepared to integrate and/or consider updating their respective curriculum in accordance to the CLHC specialization. The curricula of Bulacan State University (BulSU) in Malolos, Bulacan, and the University of San Agustin (USA) in Iloilo may need to consider introducing courses related to the thematic areas to be able to create an area of basis for integration.

The study is initiated as part of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines Internship programme during a master degree study wherein the research is bounded within the limit of its duration. Therefore, the study was able to only identify and chose the possible thematic areas and course concentrations for the specialization of CLHC; select, review and propose courses related to CLHC; screen courses from the landscape architecture curricula of the universities based on its course title, course information (if provided) and cross–checked with Government syllabi; and allocation of units and time per identified course as well as required prerequisite from thematic areas was not covered in this study.

The paper can be used as a tool to engage discussions with the PRC–BOLA in its development of the specialization of CLHC currently being planned. Study topics and themes identified can be the starting point of training programmes that can benefit students of the current four universities in the study and landscape architecture professionals alike. This will eventually translate to benefits to society as heritage conservation methodologies are developed by practitioners who can apply such knowledge to places of cultural and natural significance and develop learnings to concrete heritage laws and policies protecting landscapes.

This paper serves as a pilot study for the education and professionalization of CLHC in the Philippines. Significantly, the development of CLHC specialization in the Philippines shall open various opportunities in developing Philippine cultural landscape heritage conservationists trained at the local context.

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.

Analyses of cultural landscapes need to combine natural and social-cultural components to promote discussions on landscape planning and heritage management. This qualitative research explores the integrated case study of ten municipalities in the “Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato”, Italy, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. The research aims to raise awareness of its aesthetic-perceptive features, the importance of effective identification of visual impacts and to promote mitigation strategies/actions for updating the current Management Plan.

Two rounds of interviews and focus groups with mayors were performed in 2015 and 2020 to identify trends and drivers of change affecting the territories. Potential mitigation strategies and actions were voted on and selected in response to five critical themes that emerged from the survey, mainly related to real estate and its supplies.

The results suggest tools and policies in the fields of landscape architecture and landscape design that could benefit planning and management at different levels. They support the design of sustainable scenarios, improving mayors' understanding of the significance of cultural landscapes and promoting them as heritage managers. Furthermore, they intend to preserve the authenticity of the landscape by supporting its attributes for long-term conservation.

The research makes an original contribution on the visual implications of anthropogenic landscape transformations in ten municipalities constituting this serial property, six years after its UNESCO nomination (2014).