Research Information System
8TH INTERNATIONAL "ARTEMIS" SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, İzmir, Turkey, 28 - 30 June 2024, pp.229-231, (Summary Text)
The UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, introduced in 2011, promotes a holistic view
of urban heritage, integrating spatial, social, and economic dimensions into heritage conservation
policies. This method aims to provide essential knowledge for guiding planning decisions and managing
change within urban settings. While numerous studies have addressed urban renewal in historically
significant cities during post-war recovery periods, the application and discussion of the HUL approach,
especially its six-step action plan, remain limited in post-war historic cities. Despite the ongoing war in
Syria since the HUL approach's introduction, few academic studies have examined its implementation
or effectiveness in post-war cities such as Aleppo. This indicates a significant gap in the literature
regarding the practical application of the HUL approach in such contexts.
This research seeks to investigate and address this gap in academic literature by evaluating the
implementation and effectiveness of the HUL approach in post-war cities, with a specific focus on
Aleppo. The study aims to review relevant research to explore how the tools and steps of the HUL
approach are utilized in current research and identify which aspects are most focused on. Additionally,
the research aims to determine challenges and opportunities for historic urban landscape planning from
the perspective of urban renewal and recovery in post-war cities.
The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) of academic journal articles, book chapters, and
books published between 2014 and 2024. The search was conducted in three publication databases:
Scopus, Web-of-Science, and Google Scholar, using a comprehensive set of search terms related to the
HUL approach and post-war urban renewal. The search terms included combinations of the keywords
and key-phrases: "historic urban landscape," "urban heritage conservation," "post-war," "post-war,"
"post-war," and "Aleppo". Publications were selected based on inclusion criteria, which ensures that the
publication is addressing historic urban landscapes in post-war contexts, presenting empirical research
or theoretical frameworks, and being published in English. Exclusion criteria was used to remove studies
if they were not focused on the relevant topics, not peer-reviewed articles, or duplicates.
The bibliometric analysis showed an increased interest in the HUL approach for post-war cities after
2017. Journal articles formed the majority of surveyed publications, with significant contributions from
the fields of sustainability, humanities, social sciences, and urban studies. Leading publishing outlets
included the journals: "Sustainability," "International Journal of Heritage," "Landscape Research," and
"Historic Environment-Policy & Practice". A citation analysis underscored the fragmented nature of
research networks, suggesting a need for stronger connections among the topics scholars researched in
HUL’s implementation in post-war cities. The analysis also highlighted the importance of certain
publications that serve as key references in the field.
The findings suggest that while there is significant interest in the topic, more focused research is needed
to fully understand the practical applications of the HUL approach in urban recovery settings.
Our findings also highlighted: [1] Limited focus on post-war cities: Despite numerous studies on the
HUL approach, few have explored its application in post-war cities. The literature review highlights a
gap in research linking the HUL approach to urban recovery in these contexts. [2] Predominant focus on
Aleppo: Research has primarily centered on Aleppo rather than other Syrian cities like Damascus or
Homs. Aleppo’s unique heritage value and extensive destruction have made it a focal point for studies
on post-war urban renewal. [3] Increased research interest after 2017: The analysis of 75 selected papers
revealed an increased interest in HUL approach post-2017, with a peak in publications in 2020. Studies
during this period often included interviews with local residents and experts, questionnaires, and partial
applications of the HUL approach, although not always directly linked to the HUL framework. [4] Rather
weaker co-citation networks than expected: Among the 164 authors studied, only 56 were co-cited by
others, indicating weak co-citation networks and limited scholarly interconnectedness in the field of HUL
application in post-war settings. [5] Prominent scholarly research: The review identified Badarin’s
studies and UNESCO publications as the most references that researcher referred to within this field.
These works are frequently cited and serve as foundational texts for further research on the HUL
approach. [6] Keyword co-occurrence: A textual analysis of keywords revealed that terms like "heritage,"
"heritage values," "city," and "identity" frequently occur and intersect, reflecting central themes of the
HUL approach. However, terms such as "conflict," "trauma," "war," or "disaster" are rarely used,
indicating a less connection between the HUL approach and its application in post-war city restoration
and reconstruction.
The research has conducted a systematic literature review to investigate and address the potential and
gaps in the implementation of HUL in post-war cities. The SLR results show that despite the rich
academic literature on the HUL approach, its application in post-war urban settings remains
underexplored. Aleppo has emerged as a primary focus of the study due to its unique heritage and
extensive war-related damage. Increased research interest post-2017 has led to valuable insights, but the
field suffers from weak co-citation networks and a lack of direct application of the HUL framework in
post-war settings. The study calls for more comprehensive research linking the HUL approach directly
to urban recovery, with a focus on practical implementation and effectiveness in post-war cities.
Keywords: Historic Urban Landscape (HUL), post-war cities, Aleppo, Systematic literature review,
recovery