No Report, No Densification? A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Densification and Reporting Practices in World Heritage Properties

Moses Katontoka (), Francesca Noardo, Daniela Palacios-Lopez, Thomas Esch, Pirouz Nourian, Fulong Chen and Ana Pereira Roders
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Moses Katontoka: Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Francesca Noardo: Open Geospatial Consortium Europe, Technologielaan 3, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
Daniela Palacios-Lopez: Department of Land Surface Dynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), Oberpfaffenhofen, D-82234 Weßling, Germany
Thomas Esch: Department of Land Surface Dynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), Oberpfaffenhofen, D-82234 Weßling, Germany
Pirouz Nourian: Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, 7522NH Enschede, The Netherlands
Fulong Chen: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China
Ana Pereira Roders: UNESCO Chair in Heritage and Values, Delft University of Technology, 2628BL Delft, The Netherlands

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: As urbanization accelerates, World Heritage properties, critical conservation areas, face a growing threat of urban densification, jeopardizing their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). States Parties, the countries that have ratified the World Heritage Convention, are responsible for submitting periodic reports on the state-of-conservation of their World Heritage properties. These reports should explicitly address any instances of urban densification that may be occurring. But do they? This research investigates the relationship between urban densification and reporting practices in World Heritage properties over time and space. Through a spatiotemporal analysis, by analyzing changes in the built-up area within the core zones of cultural World Heritage properties from 1985 to 2015. We found that urban development, including housing, infrastructure, and tourism facilities, has significantly impacted World Heritage properties and an increase in built-up area can be observed especially in properties not reporting on urban threats.

Keywords: World Heritage; heritage properties; world settlement footprint evolution; urban built-up; land cover; UNESCO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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