Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas

A significant part of the cultural heritage of towns and cities worldwide is the built heritage. The historic centre of several European cities has been preserved as an important part of the urban landscape. New analytical tools and concepts are thus required, which would enrich and expand the conve...

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Main Authors: Maria Giannopoulou, Athanasios P. Vavatsikos, Konstantinos Lykostratis, Anastasia Roukouni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Università di Napoli Federico II 2014-05-01
Series:TeMA: Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.tema.unina.it/index.php/tema/article/view/2525
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author Maria Giannopoulou
Athanasios P. Vavatsikos
Konstantinos Lykostratis
Anastasia Roukouni
author_facet Maria Giannopoulou
Athanasios P. Vavatsikos
Konstantinos Lykostratis
Anastasia Roukouni
author_sort Maria Giannopoulou
collection DOAJ
description A significant part of the cultural heritage of towns and cities worldwide is the built heritage. The historic centre of several European cities has been preserved as an important part of the urban landscape. New analytical tools and concepts are thus required, which would enrich and expand the conventional methods and achieve sustainability of cultural heritage in any urban context, among which are Geographical Information Systems (GIS), digital mapping systems that link spatial and non – spatial data of landscape features, and can contribute substantially in documenting different urban features and furthermore in modelling the urban process and its impact on heritage regions. This paper is part of a wider research still in progress and refers to the creation of a specialised GIS, which includes a great range of geometric and descriptive information that can be used for the interpretation, monitoring, visualisation and evaluation of urban heritage areas. The case study of the paper is the Old Town of Xanthi, one of the most important examples of the 19<sup>th</sup> century’s urban civilization in Northern Greece. The paper focuses on the elaboration of the data concerning the built environment and more precisely to its systematic retrieval and import to the GIS system; moreover it examines 17 chosen variables using a combination of Multivariable analysis methods (Correspondence and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis). The analysis has shown the existence of four distinctive and very interesting groups which have their own specific characteristics. Ideas for further research include the collaboration with specialised sophisticated software which would facilitate the thorough examination, analysis and correlation of parameters involved, towards the principles of sustainable and smart city development. A significant part of the cultural heritage of towns and cities worldwide is the built heritage. The historic centre of several European cities has been preserved as an important part of the urban landscape. New analytical tools and concepts are thus required, which would enrich and expand the conventional methods and achieve sustainability of cultural heritage in any urban context, among which are Geographical Information Systems (GIS), digital mapping systems that link spatial and non – spatial data of landscape features, and can contribute substantially in documenting different urban features and furthermore in modelling the urban process and its impact on heritage regions. This paper is part of a wider research still in progress and refers to the creation of a specialised GIS, which includes a great range of geometric and descriptive information that can be used for the interpretation, monitoring, visualisation and evaluation of urban heritage areas. The case study of the paper is the Old Town of Xanthi, one of the most important examples of the 19<sup>th</sup> century’s urban civilization in Northern Greece. The paper focuses on the elaboration of the data concerning the built environment and more precisely to its systematic retrieval and import to the GIS system; moreover it examines 17 chosen variables using a combination of Multivariable analysis methods (Correspondence and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis). The analysis has shown the existence of four distinctive and very interesting groups which have their own specific characteristics. Ideas for further research include the collaboration with specialised sophisticated software which would facilitate the thorough examination, analysis and correlation of parameters involved, towards the principles of sustainable and smart city development.
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spelling doaj.art-eb9cd39aeaf64d5ebc980040d2f6bdc92024-04-02T01:14:13ZengUniversità di Napoli Federico IITeMA: Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment1970-98891970-98702014-05-010010.6092/1970-9870/25251630Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban AreasMaria Giannopoulou0Athanasios P. Vavatsikos1Konstantinos Lykostratis2Anastasia Roukouni3Associate Professor, Democritus University of ThraceLecturer, Democritus University of Thrace, Ph.D, Dip.EngPhD Candidate, Democritus University of ThracePhD Candidate, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiA significant part of the cultural heritage of towns and cities worldwide is the built heritage. The historic centre of several European cities has been preserved as an important part of the urban landscape. New analytical tools and concepts are thus required, which would enrich and expand the conventional methods and achieve sustainability of cultural heritage in any urban context, among which are Geographical Information Systems (GIS), digital mapping systems that link spatial and non – spatial data of landscape features, and can contribute substantially in documenting different urban features and furthermore in modelling the urban process and its impact on heritage regions. This paper is part of a wider research still in progress and refers to the creation of a specialised GIS, which includes a great range of geometric and descriptive information that can be used for the interpretation, monitoring, visualisation and evaluation of urban heritage areas. The case study of the paper is the Old Town of Xanthi, one of the most important examples of the 19<sup>th</sup> century’s urban civilization in Northern Greece. The paper focuses on the elaboration of the data concerning the built environment and more precisely to its systematic retrieval and import to the GIS system; moreover it examines 17 chosen variables using a combination of Multivariable analysis methods (Correspondence and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis). The analysis has shown the existence of four distinctive and very interesting groups which have their own specific characteristics. Ideas for further research include the collaboration with specialised sophisticated software which would facilitate the thorough examination, analysis and correlation of parameters involved, towards the principles of sustainable and smart city development. A significant part of the cultural heritage of towns and cities worldwide is the built heritage. The historic centre of several European cities has been preserved as an important part of the urban landscape. New analytical tools and concepts are thus required, which would enrich and expand the conventional methods and achieve sustainability of cultural heritage in any urban context, among which are Geographical Information Systems (GIS), digital mapping systems that link spatial and non – spatial data of landscape features, and can contribute substantially in documenting different urban features and furthermore in modelling the urban process and its impact on heritage regions. This paper is part of a wider research still in progress and refers to the creation of a specialised GIS, which includes a great range of geometric and descriptive information that can be used for the interpretation, monitoring, visualisation and evaluation of urban heritage areas. The case study of the paper is the Old Town of Xanthi, one of the most important examples of the 19<sup>th</sup> century’s urban civilization in Northern Greece. The paper focuses on the elaboration of the data concerning the built environment and more precisely to its systematic retrieval and import to the GIS system; moreover it examines 17 chosen variables using a combination of Multivariable analysis methods (Correspondence and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis). The analysis has shown the existence of four distinctive and very interesting groups which have their own specific characteristics. Ideas for further research include the collaboration with specialised sophisticated software which would facilitate the thorough examination, analysis and correlation of parameters involved, towards the principles of sustainable and smart city development.http://www.tema.unina.it/index.php/tema/article/view/2525GISUrban heritageBuilt environment
spellingShingle Maria Giannopoulou
Athanasios P. Vavatsikos
Konstantinos Lykostratis
Anastasia Roukouni
Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
TeMA: Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment
GIS
Urban heritage
Built environment
title Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
title_full Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
title_fullStr Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
title_full_unstemmed Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
title_short Using GIS to Record and Analyse Historical Urban Areas
title_sort using gis to record and analyse historical urban areas
topic GIS
Urban heritage
Built environment
url http://www.tema.unina.it/index.php/tema/article/view/2525
work_keys_str_mv AT mariagiannopoulou usinggistorecordandanalysehistoricalurbanareas
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