Applying the HUL approach to walled towns of Mediterranean seaport cities

Abstract

Purpose In last year, the innovations in shipbuilding and logistics have opened the walled towns of Mediterranean port cities to cruise tourism and other culture-led regeneration strategies. Thus, walled towns in Mediterranean port cities have a particular development potential which questions about the opportunities and risks connected to any comprehensive regeneration strategy with a cultural and tourist purpose, especially for fortified systems whose continuity has been undermined. The paper aims to provide some guidelines for policy-makers and planners in port cities which have decided or are deciding to develop a comprehensive strategy and a knowledge framework for the walled town similar to those already adopted for fortified sites in the World Heritage List. Design/methodology/approach The paper investigates on the opportunities and risks connected to any comprehensive regeneration strategy with a cultural and tourist purpose for the walled towns through a comparative analysis of four Mediterranean seaport cities, selected as case studies. Cities which have developed an integrated strategy to inscribe their walled towns to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Findings On the base of the case studies’ analysis, the paper proposes a critical reflection upon the management strategies for the UNESCO’s walled towns and supports a better understating of context factors as a way to strengthen the HUL approach when applied to Mediterranean seaport cities. Originality/value The paper sheds light on the application of the historic urban landscape approach to the walled towns of Mediterranean seaport cities. The paper is original because it provides: guidelines for policy-makers and planners in walled towns of Mediterranean seaport cities which have decided or are deciding to develop a comprehensive regeneration strategy for the city centre in line with those adopted in UNESCO’s fortified sites; a critical reflection upon the context factors which can strengthen the HUL approach when applied to Mediterranean seaport cities; criteria to update the HUL approach by UNESCO in analysing the conservation state, the managerial aspects, the participation and social aspects of walled towns.

Stakeholders' consciousness of cultural heritage and the reconciliation of different needs for sustainable development

“…The search for multi-stakeholder dialogue and engagement represented a fundamental step because, as emerged from the questionnaire, there are different stakeholders' perceptions and needs associated with the historical centre that have to be reconciled. As in the case of historical walled cities (Colavitti and Usai, 2019), laying the foundations for the discussion and resolution of conflicts between city users must be considered in order to define an integrated strategy for CH.…”

“…The search for multi-stakeholder dialogue and engagement represented a fundamental step because, as emerged from the questionnaire, there are different stakeholders' perceptions and needs associated with the historical centre that have to be reconciled. As in the case of historical walled cities (Colavitti and Usai, 2019), laying the foundations for the discussion and resolution of conflicts between city users must be considered in order to define an integrated strategy for CH. The questionnaire results showed that permanent inhabitants are concerned about the cleanliness and preservation of the historical centre, whilst students (and tourists to some extent) focus on their daily needs in the historical centre as any other modern city.…”

The Pandemic and the Creative Performance of Cities: An Empirical Study in Portugal

“…Huybrechts [35], Lee and Rodríguez-Pose [36] posit that cities are centres of innovation and invention of ideas, but they are also places where most people live. In this sense, Colavitti, Usai [37] and Rodwell [38] argued that creativity in cities is a fundamental axis for people who choose to live in urban spaces to fulfil their dreams [33,34].…”

Placemaking at a Time of Changing Port City Relations

“…In terms of the regeneration of the waterfront, including fishermen's districts and related infrastructure, many strategies have followed the cultural-tourist model that focuses on consumption and is led by policymakers (Pinassi & Silenzi, 2019). Heritage-making practices have shifted towards developing knowledge frameworks and integrated systems with the HUL approach, as it put together conservation policies, the management of inhabited cities and cultural landscapes, values-based conservation and placemaking processes (Bandarin & Van Oers, 2012, 2015De Rosa & Di Palma, 2013;Fusco Girard, 2013;HUL Forum, 2017;Potter, 2020;Colaviti & Usai, 2019). Such an approach requires awareness of water-and port-related activities, which are often future oriented and can conflict with heritage needs.…”