scholarly journals A simplified methodology for risk analysis of historic centers: the world heritage site of San Gimignano, Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Giuliani ◽  
Anna De Falco ◽  
Valerio Cutini ◽  
Michele Di Sivo
Keyword(s):  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites

Purpose Worldwide, natural hazards are affecting urban cultural heritage and World Heritage Sites, exacerbating other environmental and human-induced threats deriving from deterioration, uncontrolled urbanization and unsustainable tourism. This paper aims to develop a disaster risk analysis in Italian historic centers because they are complex large-scale systems that are cultural and economic resources for the country, as well as fragile areas. Design/methodology/approach A heritage-oriented qualitative methodology for risk assessment is proposed based upon the formalization of risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability and exposure, taking into account the values of cultural heritage assets. Findings This work provides a contribution to the body of knowledge in the Italian context of disaster risk mitigation on World Heritage Sites, opening for further research on the monitoring and maintenance of the tangible heritage assets. The application to the site of San Gimignano proves the effectiveness of the methodology for proposing preventive measures and actions that ensure the preservation of cultural values and a safer built environment. Originality/value The application of a value-based simplified approach to risk analysis is a novelty for historic centers that are listed as World Heritage Sites.

The development of legal framework for the management of World Heritage Sites in Oman: a case study on Bahla Oasis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ali Mohamed Khalil ◽  
Eman Hanye Mohamed Nasr
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Heritage Management ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
The World ◽  
Heritage Legislation

PurposeThe study aims to analyze the development of Omani heritage legislation against the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (WHC), 1972 and WHC Operational Guidelines (WHC-OGs) to predict the possible effects of the recent developments on the management of the World Heritage Site in Oman.Design/methodology/approachThis study discusses the development of the heritage protection legislation in Sultanate of Oman since 1970; it analyses the Omani Cultural Heritage Law 35/2019 against the recommendations of the UNESCO WHC as well as the requirements of the World Heritage Operational Guidelines. Moreover, the research investigates the possible effects of the recent heritage legislation developments on the management of Bahla Fort and Oasis in Oman, which is the first Omani World Heritage Site and the only site with special management regulations.FindingsThe paper outlines the effects of both the Omani Cultural Heritage Law 35/2019 and the Special Management Regulations 81/2019 on the implementation of the Bahla Management Plan. Additionally, the research establishes how the customization of heritage legislation as a special heritage management regulation facilitates the implementation of national legislation to solve specific local problems.Originality/valueThe study establishes the significance of developing comprehensive legislation to protect and manage the rich Omani cultural heritage and World Heritage Sites in alignment with the WHC and the WHC-OGs.

scholarly journals The Assessment of Historic Towns’ Outstanding Universal Value Based on the Interchange of Human Values They Exhibit

Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1874-1891
Author(s):  
Abdel Tawab
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Human Values ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Outstanding Universal Value

Influences exerted by cultural heritage properties on developments in architecture, town planning, or landscape design represent one of the criteria that are used to evaluate the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties nominated for listing as World Heritage Sites, which is criterion (ii). In 1996, the wording of criterion (ii) was revised to address the interchange of human values exhibited by cultural heritage properties. The main aim of this study was to discuss the changes that occurred to the application of criterion (ii) following the revision of its wording of 1996, particularly in relation to historic towns. The study also aimed at investigating the applicability of the revised version of criterion (ii) to the particularity of the cultural heritage of an Egyptian historic town and a potential World Heritage Site, which is “Historic quarters and monuments of Rosetta/Rachid”. To achieve these aims, a sample of World Heritage Sites, or potential ones, representing both the pre-1996 and the post-1996 historic towns whose Outstanding Universal Value was justified based on criterion (ii), was adopted for the analysis of the changes in the application of criterion (ii). Subsequently, a brief preview of the major features that represent the mutual influences experienced throughout Rosetta’s wider cultural context was carried out. The findings revealed that the prevalent trend in the post-1996 listings of historic towns is the emphasis on other cultures’ influences exerted on the concerned historic towns through interchanges of human values that take the form of exchanges of technical know-how, traditions and religious values. The findings also indicated the applicability of the revised version of criterion (ii) to the particularity of Rosetta’s cultural heritage. The study recommends inscribing Rosetta on the World Heritage List based on criterion (ii).

Local community support, attitude and perceived benefits in the UNESCO World Heritage Site

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah ◽  
Mohd Raziff Jamaluddin ◽  
Agus Riyadi
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Unesco World Heritage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Unesco World Heritage Site ◽  
George Town

PurposeThis study aims to explore the support and attitudes of the local community together with the benefits of living in the vicinity of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. George Town is one of the popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA total of 319 respondents residing in the gazetted area of George Town World Heritage Sites were interviewed. The covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis was conducted to test the study’s hypotheses.FindingsThe community's attitudes and personal benefits were identified to strongly influence community’s support towards the conservation and development of the World Heritage Sites in George Town. While a small number of community members acknowledged the significant opportunities through tourism, majority of them expected economic and non-economic benefits from the development of World Heritage Sites.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study are expected to contribute to the ongoing debate on the perceived effects, benefits and future support of the World Heritage Sites from the local community's perspectives.Social implicationsUnderstanding the behaviour of the local community to create successful tourism planning, especially in delicate heritage destinations.Originality/valueThis study enriches the scarce empirical research study on community’s behaviour living in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) region.

scholarly journals A quantitative description of the spatial–temporal distribution and evolution pattern of world cultural heritage

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Yongqi ◽  
Yang Ruixia ◽  
Wang Pu ◽  
Yang Anlin ◽  
Chen Guolong
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Evolution Pattern ◽  
Modelling Analysis ◽  
Time Series Modelling ◽  
World Cultural Heritage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Peak Value

AbstractDepicting the temporal and spatial evolution pattern of global world cultural heritage systematically and finely is the basis of heritage recognition and protection. In this study, 869 world cultural heritage inscriptions (through 2019) were selected as the research objects, and the times and types of each World Heritage site were manually annotated from more than 5000 pieces of data. Through time series modelling, the advantages of and changes in heritage declarations in different regions and periods were analysed, and the impact of heritage strategy on the number of heritage sites included in each region was evaluated. The results showed that the implementation of heritage policy greatly impacted each region, especially on the number of heritage sites in Asia and the Pacific region. Using the heritage era to carry out modelling analysis, from the perspective of the integrity of historical heritage cultural types, it is considered that there may be cultural heritage sites in the Caribbean and Latin America that have not been given enough attention. The modelling analysis results of era attributes can support the fairness of heritage determination. By calculating the frequency and peak value of heritage sites at the national scale, the frequency and peak value of each country in the top 10 list are used to characterize the ability of national declarations of cultural heritage and reveal the differences in the ability of each member country to declare heritage sites and the heritage era. By calculating the distribution density of the heritage era, this study finds that the world’s cultural heritage is not concentrated in the Middle Ages (600–1450) but the periods of Reformation and Exploration (1450–1700) and Progress and Empire (1850–1914). The above analysis shows that there are imbalances and strategic adjustment effects concerning regions, countries, eras and types in World Heritage list development. The composition types of heritage are complex, and the combination types have obvious changes in different periods. It is suggested that the strategy of world cultural heritage collection should be further optimized to fully guarantee the balance of regions, countries and types, and the heritage value should be fully considered in heritage protection with more diversity and complexity of types.

Associative dimension in World Heritage: an analysis of criterion (vi)

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Herrmann ◽  
Christina Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Research Result ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The World ◽  
Outstanding Universal Value ◽  
Expert Meeting

Purpose – This paper is based on a presentation given at the international World Heritage expert meeting on criterion (vi) held in Warsaw, Poland, in March 2012. Results were updated and adapted to scientific standards. The purpose of this paper is to understand the associative dimension in World Heritage by looking at the evolution and application of criterion (vi). Design/methodology/approach – For this paper, historical and qualitative approaches were combined. An understanding of the evolution of the criterion (vi) wording was gained through historical analysis and the consultation of relevant World Heritage statutory documents. A selected number of criterion (vi) statements were analyzed in qualitative terms. Results were then discussed in relation to the evolution of criterion (vi) wording and the understanding of pertinent World Heritage concepts. Findings – Criterion (vi) holds a special position. It addresses an associative dimension of cultural World Heritage sites. Due to its special character, its wording was subject to several changes. While its wording became ever more flexible, this development has not fostered the inscription of exceptional cases or the equal use of cultural associations. An inconsistent interpretation has also weakened the concept of Outstanding Universal Value. Research limitations/implications – Only inscriptions were taken into consideration. They usually have a World Heritage Committee approved criterion (vi) statement. Limitations to this research result from this restriction. Originality/value – The paper represents a comprehensive study of the application and interpretation of criterion (vi) that combines the understanding of the evolution of the criterion’s wording with the analysis of a large number of World Heritage inscriptions. It is of interest to the World Heritage community and contributes to the World Heritage discourse.

scholarly journals Conceptual Framework for On-site Digital Interpretation Developments in Cultural Heritage Sites

2022 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 64-84
Author(s):  
R. Wimalasuriya ◽  
A. Kapukotuwa ◽  
G. Ranasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Five Phases ◽  
Cultural World ◽  
Heritage Interpretation

On-site heritage interpretation plays a vital role in cultural heritage sites in conveying the significance and multiple heritage values to the visitors. In an era where the world is transforming with innovative digital applications, the heritage sites are also being integrated with digital interpretation techniques to deliver a better interpretation and new dimensional experience to the visitors. Though multiple digital solutions are available, not all the techniques are appropriate, applicable and feasible to every site. Besides, neither proper worldwide principles nor framework has been exerted for these digital heritage interpretation developments. Therefore, this study is focused on building a generic conceptual framework to select the most appropriate digital interpretation technique(s) that fit the context of the heritage site, giving special reference to the six Cultural World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. The relevant qualitative and quantitative data were gathered via in-depth interviews, field observation, literature survey and a visitor survey questionnaire. The main themes and sub-themes derived through the thematic analysis were adopted as the theoretical framework for the research to analyze the collected data of the six Cultural World Heritage Sites and the selected digital techniques. Based on the results, the study recommends appropriate digital techniques for each Cultural World Heritage Sites of the country. Further as aimed, the study presents a conceptual framework for on-site digital interpretation developments for cultural heritage sites by categorizing the 24 criteria derived for data analysis under five phases namely ‘Prepare’, ‘Assess’, ‘Design’, ‘Implement’ and ‘Sustain’.

A risk-reduction framework for urban cultural heritage: a comparative study on Italian historic centres

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Giuliani ◽  
Rosa Grazia De Paoli ◽  
Enrica Di Miceli
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Step Procedure ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
A Site ◽  
Key Resources

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present and validate a large-scale methodology for risk assessment and management in cultural heritage sites, taking into account their specific tangible or intangible values. Emphasis is given to historic centres that are key resources in building resilience to disasters but are also highly vulnerable due to several factors, such as the characteristics of the built environment, the community and social life, the lack of risk awareness and maintenance and finally the poor regulatory framework for their management and valorisation.Design/methodology/approachThe multi-step procedure starts from the assessment of the attributes of cultural heritage in order to identify priorities and address the analysis. Then, it evaluates the primary and secondary hazards in the area, the vulnerabilities and threats of the site and the impacts of the chain of events. Finally, it allows for calibrating a site-specific set of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery measures.FindingsThe application to two case studies in the Italian peninsula, the historic centres of San Gimignano and Reggio Calabria, allows for identifying research gaps and practical opportunities towards the adoption of common guidelines for the selection of safety measures.Originality/valueBy providing a qualitative assessment of risks, the research points out the potentialities of the methodology in the disaster risk management of cultural heritage due to its capacity to be comprehensive and inclusive towards disciplines and professionals.

scholarly journals Protecting Outstanding Underwater Cultural Heritage through the World Heritage Convention: The Titanic and Lusitania as World Heritage Sites

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh B. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
Underwater Cultural Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
World Heritage Convention ◽  
World Heritage List ◽  
The World ◽  
The Many

Abstract Despite growing recognition of the global value of underwater cultural heritage (uch), along with intensified international efforts to ensure its protection, the possibility of its inscription on the World Heritage List has never been comprehensively examined. Arguing that the unesco 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (uch Convention) is insufficient alone to protect globally outstanding wrecks, such as the Titanic and the Lusitania, this article examines in detail the many legal and practical challenges involved with listing such sites under the World Heritage Convention. By reviewing key international agreements such as the uch Convention, World Heritage Convention, Law of the Sea Convention and the International Titanic Agreement, it draws the conclusion that it is the improved offshore management of uch—through ‘cultural’ marine protected areas operating under the framework of the uch Convention—which would open the possibility of nomination to the World Heritage List.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Online 360° Virtual Reality World Heritage Site During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1192-1215
Author(s):  
Wei Ren ◽  
Xianhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Interpretation

Abstract This study developed a framework to evaluate, in the context of COVID-19, the performance of an OVRWCHT (online 360° virtual reality world cultural heritage tourism) system created by the authors for the purpose of heritage interpretation and presentation. The research framework was based on the seven main principles of the ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites, and evaluation criteria were established for each. This framework was used to evaluate an OVRWCHT for the Hailongtun Tusi World Heritage Site in Guizhou Province, China. Data were mainly based on 1,062 questionnaires and analyses of the developed system. The findings indicated that, whether in terms of user experience or the interpretation of the UNESCO criterion “outstanding universal value,” Stakeholders agreed that OVRWCHT has played a positive role in heritage interpretation. Yet, more data support is needed to improve both technology and theory – especially the transferability of OVRWCHT to countries other than China. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the International Council on Monuments and Sites should continue to issue charters on how emerging technologies can support heritage site interpretation and presentation.

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