Abandoned or Degraded Areas in Historic Cities: The Importance of Multifunctional Reuse for Development through the Example of the Historic Commercial Triangle (Emporiko Trigono) of Athens

This article investigates the problem of changing land uses in historical city centers, a problem which often leads to the alteration of their historical, architectural and functional physiognomy, as well as the loss of their inhabitants. It also discusses the importance of land management and proposes a multifunctional reuse model for sustainable development in abandoned or degraded areas in historic cities. This problem is found in historical centers nowadays, especially in the European South, and many theoretical texts and urban studies deal with the issue. Taking under consideration the case of the Historical “Commercial Triangle” of Athens, this article presents the results of an extensive field work, which led to the mapping and analysis of the neighborhood’s special identity. Subsequently, these results lead to the presentation of the problems caused by the dominating uses of recreation and tourism, which suppress the traditional existing commercial uses and the residency. It concludes by proposing preservation strategies for the reuse and development of the area and emphasizes the importance of a management plan aiming towards the preservation of the historical character of the commercial center and its sustainable development. The work presented in this paper is based on an assignment produced in 2020 for the purposes of the post-graduate course “Protection and Preservation of a historical urban center or settlement”, which is part of the post-graduate program “Protection of Monuments” in the School of Architecture, NTUA.

Planning experiences in historic cities protected by UNESCO

This article arises from the need to clarify the field of heritage preservation and conservation at the beginning of the 21st century, especially in central areas and historic cities. We went through this reflection in the face of the expressive homogenization of places and mischaracterizations of the landscapes produced with artificial interventions aimed at exploratory tourism, which directly reflect on the loss of the identity of urban heritage and, more ambitiously, with the cities-commodity in large cities, through management of urbanism with new contemporary interventions. The process of patrimonialization of historic cities is seen here from two distant angles in time, space, territory, culture and history, but they reflect the same repercussions for the city: scenography and gentrification, as is the case in Brazil, in Pelourinho in the city of Salvador, in 1992, and Portuguese, in the Quarteirão das Cardosas, in Porto, in 2009. With this, we were able to further question and denounce some perversions in architecture, the result of these economic speculations, which see facade renovation works as useful, that rip apart the entire interior of the heritage, neglecting the entire authentic experience of the city and demonstrate the perversions in the community in the face of the gentrification process, where landscape is transformed giving material form to the difference between cultural and economic power. We believe that it is possible to demonstrate in time to society, which is in constant threat of globalization, that heritage needs to be urgently recovered in order to remain on the continuum of life.

Problems of restoration and development of urban environment of old industrial centers]

The paper considers the urban development and reconstruction of industrial centers on the example of different cities. Design proposals are given for the renovation of the Russian factories and landscaping of industrial historic cities. Examples are given for the reconstruction of silk weaving enterprises near Moscow. Many factories are now in a derelict condition, and for the normal urban development need revitalization of enterprises and comprehensive improvement of adjacent areas. Thanks to the development of cloth production, small settlements in central Russia became industrial city-forming centers more than two hundred years ago. Small manufactories were transformed into large industrial complexes, and the unique exquisite fabrics surpassed the best European ones in price and quality. Russian fabrics were universally welcomed at international exhibitions, awarded with medals and long-term orders. Cities were growing, the economy was developing, housing construction helped to solve social problems, transportation and infrastructure of cities and settlements were developing. Early in the 21st century, glorious weaving factories became an integral part of historic cities, their decoration and pride. Architectural ensembles of industrial enterprises became not only monuments of the Russian cultural heritage, but also an important component of the Russian cities.

REGENERACIÓN URBANA, SENTIDO DE PERTENENCIA Y APROPIACIÓN EN ÁREAS PATRIMONIALES

El desapego y abandono de las ciudades históricas latinoamericanas aparece como una problemática recurrente, pese a los múltiples proyectos de regeneración que en décadas recientes se han implementado. En este contexto, se analiza la incidencia de este tipo de proyectos en el sentido de pertenencia y apropiación, de cuatro espacios públicos: tres plazas y un parque, ubicados en el Centro Histórico de Cuenca en Ecuador. Con el objetivo de identificar y estudiar la relación entre las características físico-espaciales y actividades en los espacios con el usuario y su percepción, para así corregir y potenciar futuras intervenciones. Se emplea una metodología con enfoque mixto, cualitativo y cuantitativo, mediante el desarrollo de herramientas que permiten analizar el sentido de pertenencia y apropiación de los usuarios tras los proyectos de regeneración. Se encuentra que las plazas y el parque estudiados se utilizan mayoritariamente de paso y que sus usuarios no se sienten identificados con ellos, debido principalmente a la falta de actividades cotidianas que fomenten la vida de barrio, situación vinculada a la pérdida de vivienda y de diversidad de usos. Finalmente, se concluye con una serie de recomendaciones que buscan fomentar el sentido de pertenencia y apropiación en espacios públicos de áreas patrimoniales. Palabras clave: Apego, vida urbana, patrimonialización. AbstractThe detachment and abandonment of Latin American historic cities appear as a recurrent problem, despite the multiple regeneration projects that have been implemented in recent decades. In this context, we analyze the incidence of this type of project on the sense of belonging and appropriation of four public spaces: three plazas and one park, located in the Historic Center of Cuenca in Ecuador. The objective is to identify and study the relationship between the physical-spatial and usage characteristics with the user and his perception, in order to correct and enhance future interventions. A methodology with a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach is used, through the development of tools that allow analyzing the sense of belonging and appropriation of the users after the regeneration projects. It is found that both, the plazas and the park studied, are mostly used for transit and their users do not feel identified with them, mainly due to the lack of daily activities that neighborhood life, a situation linked to the loss of housing and diversity of uses. Finally, we conclude with a series of recommendations that seek to foster a sense of belonging and appropriation in public spaces in heritage areas. Keywords: Attachment, urban life, patrimonialization.

Cultural Jugaad in historic city transformations: India

Several historic Indian cities have managed to retain the original urban character by using readily available materials, craftspeople, and cultural traditions despite increasing urban transformations. This notion of sustaining/preserving/continuing certain cultural elements and rituals has survived in various forms in the last two centuries. Historic cities showcase their living heritage at the global level and are exemplars for studying the strong linkages within traditions and indigenous modes of preservation. In such situations where stakeholders have centuries of association with the site, it is essential that professionals look beyond conventional solutions to better understand local perceptions and thereby establish the appropriateness of any urban level interventions. This article draws from various urban conservation works carried out in the historic cities of Rajasthan over the last two decades. It illustrates the discoveries and challenges in understanding the traditional local mindset for working in such areas. The indigenous methods practiced in these historic living cores are often at variance with the norms and logics of Western city planning being followed in post-colonial India. Examples in the cities and settlements of Jaipur, Udaipur and Ajmer, feature in this article, highlighting the urgent need to understand the local community mindset and the Indian approach to solutions for rapidly modernizing historic urban centres

Planar kinematic grids created on the basis of triangulation

Activities to protect historic cities and the revival of areas of historical importance are accompanied by a desire to maximize the entry of the natural environment into the city. Architects and builders often go on the use of non-standard design solutions to create a beautiful, healthy, beloved city. They widely use spatial coating constructions as the forms closest to natural. Construction with curvilinear outlines, that V.G. Shuhov had invented and patented in XIX century, had become the basis of modern architecture. The reticulated shells have unlimited possibilities for creating new architectural forms. The growing number of structures constructed using this technology indicates the prospects for the use of such structures, especially at low temperatures, in seismic and remote areas. The design of reticulated shells is self-supporting and has higher bearing properties compared to other types of structures. This is due to the uniform distribution of loads on all the rods of the structure, which virtually eliminates brittle fracture. The aerodynamic shape of the reticulated shells provides the best wind flow compared to other structures, which makes them stable during destructive hurricanes and tornadoes.

Further investigation on pockets of quiet within historical city centres: the case of widenings

Making available quiet zones for the urban population is a key factor to offer them the possibility to have restorative experiences and relief from stressful city life. Although these zones are often associated with vast green parks, the latter are usually located outside or far from cities' centres. Moreover, if we consider the case of historical city centres, they are almost absent. In previous research, we have focused on searching for alternative quiet spaces that inhabitants and tourists could use as a temporary refuge from urban noise and chaos. In these studies, we have shown that thanks to their acoustics peculiarities and several other non-acoustic characteristics, the cloisters and the courts of historic buildings have a high potential to induce restoration. Nevertheless, among the narrow streets of the historic cities centres, the widenings can also provide a small contribution to a temporary restoration of people. This paper investigates the restorative potentiality of these further spaces and compares the outcomes carried out from binaural recordings and in situ interviews with those of cloisters and courts of historic buildings within the ancient city centre of Naples.

Analysis of Public Space in Historic Districts of Historic Cities Based on Community Governance

Purpose: Based on the perspective of community governance, the paper explores the research path of public space renewal in historic city districts. Taking the historical public space of Lhasa City as an example, this paper analyzes the causes of the characteristics of public space, analyzes the logical relationship between public space and urban renewal and community governance, and finally optimizes the pattern of historical public space of Lhasa City by improving the spatial structure. Create intelligent living blocks and optimize the life mode of historical blocks; Significance: From the human-oriented perspective, the exploration of the public space renewal in the Historic Districts was in essence a process in which people develop continuously and their needs are continuously satisfied. It could meet the multi-level needs of residents at different stages. Secondly, from a social perspective, the innovative pattern of community governance could help achieve self-satisfaction within the district, radiate to the surrounding industries, and relieve the pressure of social employment. Thirdly, from the perspective of urban renewal implementation, the research on the public space renewal the Historic Districts would help promote the balance of social ecological environment, improve the regional governance and promote the high-quality development of the city.

A Cityscape below the Winds

After a preface which describes the heritage of downtown Melaka, Chapter 1 introduces the theme of the book: UNESCO World Heritage and urban politics in Melaka, the most celebrated of Malaysian historic cities which is inscribed, together with George Town, on the World Heritage List since 2008. Afterwards, the chapter presents the field site, its history, and its inhabitants, in the context of the city’s geographic, political, and administrative configurations. This is followed by a reflection on the ethnographic fieldwork carried out by the author in Melaka between 2012 and 2014. This research is primarily based on interviews with, and participant observation among, a wide range of interlocutors: from residents to heritage experts, and from public officials to activists.

Contribution of Earth Observation and Geospatial Information for Urban Planning of Historic Cities’ Centres: The Case Study of Nicosia, Cyprus

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations state that cities and human settlements need to be more inclusive, safe and resilient. In Europe cities have experienced dramatic physical, social and economic changes during the last decades while historic centres of European cities, among the most important assets of the European cultural heritage, are living paradoxes. They are defined as “a collection of beauty, icon of well-being, model of sustainability, but abandoned”. This study investigates the changes in the urban landscape of Nicosia, a particular historical centre in the Mediterranean region (Cyprus). The city centre is characterised by exceptionally well-preserved Venetian fortifications. Due to political circumstances, the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, is still divided and has been ruled by two different administrations for several decades. This study used optical multi-spectral satellite datasets processing, like the Landsat and the most recent Sentinel-2 products, to detect, identify and characterise significant morphological transformations within the walled city and around it. This paper’s central thesis promotes a more systematic use of earth observation products and derivatives in decision-making processes that regard planning, use and management of urban resources in Europe, especially in support of urban planning strategies of historic cities.