An Interdisciplinary Methodology for the Characterization and Visualization of the Heritage of Roadway Corridors

Abstract

Roads and particularly those adapted to the automobile, constitute an essential element in the shaping of landscapes. In Europe they were built within historic

Mapping Heritage: Geospatial Online Databases of Historic Roads. The Case of the N-340 Roadway Corridor on the Spanish Mediterranean

“…Specifically, it characterizes the historic roadway heritage present in the western section of the N-340 between the coastal cities of Malaga (province of Malaga) and Algeciras (province of Cadiz), a distance of 160 km ( Figure 2). The online geospatial database was developed within the framework of a general methodology for the heritage characterization of historic roadways [1]. The following aspects of its design and development are highlighted: an interdisciplinary approach to roadway heritage is proposed that transcends the current fragmented approach to its characterization, enabling the integration of natural, cultural, and historical features into a cohesive form.…”

“…This is the first publication to offer a thorough monographic study of an online geospatial heritage database for historic roadways. The results have been partially presented in a general methodological framework developed in the same research project [1]. Systematization and categorization of heritage assets certainly constitute a relevant field within heritage studies.…”

“…The system is based on an open-source content-management system (CMS) and framework called ProcessWire, which allows for greater flexibility in the definition of data fields and offsets the need to work within a predetermined data-field structure (Figure 3). Therefore, the system does not place any restrictions on content or design, and facilitates multiple search criteria and interpretations of complex data [1] (p. 494).…”

“…It is also coherent with the proposed conceptual approach to heritage, enabling the creation of a group of items that form a sequence-a concept that was developed in the framework of the project: "By applying an integrated approach, heritage sequences with their own historical and geographical rationale can be identified. These sections of road contain high concentrations of heritage assets due to a combination of factors, including geographical conditions, existing features of the area prior to road construction, road infrastructure, and the waves of transformation that this has brought about" [1] (p. 495).…”

“…In the first phase, official heritage geo-data provided by international, national, and regional institutions in WMS and Shape file formats was transferred and integrated into the heritage characterization of the corridor. A table displaying data sources has been published [1] (p. 497).…”