Geographic Information Systems for Urban Identity, Morphology and Transformation - Bridging the Gap Between Urban Space and Heritage Changes

This book is an in-depth and insightful exploration of the pivotal role Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play in understanding heritage changes and revitalizing urban identities amidst rapid urbanization and transformation. Geographic Information Systems for Urban Identity, Urban Morphology and Urban Transformation: Bridging the Gap between Urban Space and Heritage Transformation presents a comprehensive guide to how GIS technology can bridge the gap between urban development and heritage changes by preserving the unique values of the historic cities. 
Through meticulous research and best practices, the authors delve into the intricate ways in which GIS tools and techniques are used to map, analyze, and visualize urban spaces, cultural heritage (tangible and intangible), and other layers of the cities such as natural resources, or infrastructure network. The book highlights how GIS empowers a wide range of stakeholders, i.e. urban planners, architects, preservationists, and policymakers, to make informed decisions that balance the need for a sustainable development with the imperative to manage change of historic cities.
The chapters are enriched with detailed explorations of urban transformation projects where GIS has been instrumental in ensuring that progress does not come at the cost of heritage. From mapping historical districts and assessing the historic urban fabric and the attributes that convey the heritage values and their condition to identifying areas for adaptive reuse, readers gain a profound understanding of how GIS acts as a guiding compass in urban development that respects the past while embracing the future. 
The relevance of "GIS for Urban Identity" is its interdisciplinary approach that brings together insights from geography, urban planning, architecture, cultural studies, and technology. The book is not just a technical manual, but a thoughtful discourse on how GIS fosters collaboration between stakeholders with diverse interests, such as community members, heritage organizations, and city officials. By showcasing successful examples of urban identity preservation from around the world, the authors inspire readers to adopt innovative approaches in their own endeavors. 
Furthermore, the book engages in critical discussions about the challenges, ethical considerations, and potential limitations of using GIS in urban identity continuity. It prompts readers to reflect on the socio-cultural implications of urban transformation and how technology can serve as both a tool and a catalyst to manage change. 
"Geographic Information Systems for Urban Identity, Urban Morphology and Urban Transformation: Bridging the Gap between Urban Space and Heritage Transformation" is a must-read for urban planners, heritage advocates, GIS professionals, researchers, policy makers and practitioners who seek to navigate between development and heritage conservation. With its comprehensive insights, case studies, and thought-provoking analysis, this book serves as an invaluable resource for understanding how GIS technology can pave the way for sustainable, culturally enriched urban futures. 

List of contents

Chapter 1: GIS-based Analysis and Visualization Tools for Cultural Heritage in the Context of Urban Transformation.- Chapter 2: Between Waves and Skylines: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Development and GIS Applications in Quazhou and Semarang.- Chapter 3: Growth of Modern High-Rises Replacing the Traditional Chawls of Mumbai: A Perspective on the Loss of Urban Heritage.- Chapter 4: Challenging Post-Earthquake Recovery of Antioch: Potentials of GIS-Based Inventory Studies.- Chapter 5: Sustainable Smart City Planning: Introducing a Strategic Model for Iran.- Chapter 6: Assessing Sea Level Rise Impact on Urban Landscape Using GIS and Meteorological Data in Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.- Chapter 7: Intangible Cultural Heritage in Territorial Space: Historical Trend Characteristics and Development Strategic Routes.- Chapter 8: Intangible Culture Heritage and Local Culture: Local Culture Potential and Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Local Culture Clusters.- Chapter 9: Mapping the Heartbeat of Benin City: GIS and the Exploration of Compound Communal Road Networks.- Chapter 10: Mapping the Acoustic Identity of Heritage Sites: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Soundscape Analysis in El-Manial Island, Cairo.- Chapter 11: Rethinking Urban Dynamics: Unveiling Ancient Landscapes through the Lens of a Roman Villa in Eastern Naples.- Chapter 12: Found in Translation. Digitally transforming the information gathering of cultural heritage data for urban development purposes.- Chapter 13: Rethinking Heritage Exploration: A GIS-Facilitated Framework for Flexible Heritage Walks.- Chapter 14: Unravelling the Tapestry: Mapping Colonial Hanoi s Craft Streets through GIS.

About the author

Dr. Matthias Ripp is a senior heritage manager with a background in historical geography, coordinator of the heritage site the Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof and adjunct professor at WOXSEN University, Hyderabad.  He has published a number of books and peer-reviewed articles on heritage management, urban resilience, heritage-based urban development, urban transformation and heritage interpretation and is active in numerous networks, such as Heritage Europe and ICOMOS. He coordinated the EU HerO (Heritage as Opportunity) project and chairs the UNESCO World Heritage Working Group on Historic City Centres in the German Association of Cities.Since November 2011 he has also been regional coordinator for the North West European and North‑American region of the Organization of World Heritage Heritage Cities (OWHC) and has worked as a consultant and expert for various governments, the European Commission and entities like the Getty Institute. He enjoys teaching at several universities, and works also as a trainer, facilitator and coach.
 
Dr. Sushobhan Majumdar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Smriti Mahavidyalaya (affiliated to Bankura University, Bankura, West Bengal, India). He is presently engaged in research on the design and development of environmental geographies. Urban geography, social geography, regional development and planning, remote sensing and GIS, and geography of transport are among his main areas of study. Additionally, he is working on different development projects for the Government of West Bengal's Socio Economic Planning Unit of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). He has more than 50 research papers published in a variety of reputable journals, proceedings, and edited volumes both nationally and internationally. He has already authored three edited volumes for Springer Nature and Routledge Group on urban-related issues.  He is now editor of various renowned publishing houses like Elsevier, Royal Society of Chemistry, Springer, CRC Press, AAP Press, Wiley, Cambridge Scholars Publishing etc. In excess of 30 national and international seminars and conferences, both in India and overseas, he has presented papers. He gave guest or special talks as part of numerous national and regional programs. He holds memberships in the Geographical Society of India, the Regional Science Association of India (RSAI), the Institute of Indian Geographers (IIG), and the National Association of Geographers of India (NAGI).
 
Dr. Ona Vileikis is an architect and heritage specialist, with ample work and research experience abroad regarding heritage documentation, digital technologies and the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Ona is currently unit head of Documentation and Data Analytics at the Historic Environment, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). She has collaborated worldwide at governmental and local levels, international organizations, and the private sector, in capacity building and consulting. Dr. Vileikis holds a PhD in Civil Engineering of the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC), University of Leuven, Belgium and a MA in World Heritage Studies, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany. She worked as researcher in GIS and digital heritage technologies related projects at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UCL), UK; Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) at Carleton University, Canada; and the University of Leuven, Belgium. At ICOMOS, Ona is Secretary-General of CIPA Heritage Documentation ICOMOS - ISPRS International Scientific Committee, and representative of the Sustainable Development Goals Working Group. She was the international co-chair of the ICOMOS General Assembly Scientific Symposium 2023 in Sydney. Dr. Vileikis has been co-author of more than 50 publications. She is editor of theJournal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development (JCHMSD) at Emerald Publishing. Since 2010, Ona has been actively serving as advisor to the UNESCO Silk Roads World Heritage nominations.

Summary

This book is an in-depth and insightful exploration of the pivotal role Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play in understanding heritage changes and revitalizing urban identities amidst rapid urbanization and transformation. Geographic Information Systems for Urban Identity, Urban Morphology and Urban Transformation: Bridging the Gap between Urban Space and Heritage Transformation presents a comprehensive guide to how GIS technology can bridge the gap between urban development and heritage changes by preserving the unique values of the historic cities. 
Through meticulous research and best practices, the authors delve into the intricate ways in which GIS tools and techniques are used to map, analyze, and visualize urban spaces, cultural heritage (tangible and intangible), and other layers of the cities such as natural resources, or infrastructure network. The book highlights how GIS empowers a wide range of stakeholders, i.e. urban planners, architects, preservationists, and policymakers, to make informed decisions that balance the need for a sustainable development with the imperative to manage change of historic cities.
The chapters are enriched with detailed explorations of urban transformation projects where GIS has been instrumental in ensuring that progress does not come at the cost of heritage. From mapping historical districts and assessing the historic urban fabric and the attributes that convey the heritage values and their condition to identifying areas for adaptive reuse, readers gain a profound understanding of how GIS acts as a guiding compass in urban development that respects the past while embracing the future. 
The relevance of "GIS for Urban Identity" is its interdisciplinary approach that brings together insights from geography, urban planning, architecture, cultural studies, and technology. The book is not just a technical manual, but a thoughtful discourse on how GIS fosters collaboration between stakeholders with diverse interests, such as community members, heritage organizations, and city officials. By showcasing successful examples of urban identity preservation from around the world, the authors inspire readers to adopt innovative approaches in their own endeavors. 
Furthermore, the book engages in critical discussions about the challenges, ethical considerations, and potential limitations of using GIS in urban identity continuity. It prompts readers to reflect on the socio-cultural implications of urban transformation and how technology can serve as both a tool and a catalyst to manage change. 
"Geographic Information Systems for Urban Identity, Urban Morphology and Urban Transformation: Bridging the Gap between Urban Space and Heritage Transformation" is a must-read for urban planners, heritage advocates, GIS professionals, researchers, policy makers and practitioners who seek to navigate between development and heritage conservation. With its comprehensive insights, case studies, and thought-provoking analysis, this book serves as an invaluable resource for understanding how GIS technology can pave the way for sustainable, culturally enriched urban futures. 

Product details

• Assisted by: Sushobhan Majumdar (Editor), Matthias Ripp (Editor), Ona Vileikis (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 26.07.2025
• EAN: 9783031859472
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3185947-2
• No. of pages: 334
• Illustrations: XVI, 334 p. 100 illus., 60 illus. in color.
• Series: Cities, Heritage and Transformation
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; Soziologie, Umwelt, Kulturwissenschaften, Städte, Stadtgemeinden, Regionale Geographie, Humangeographie, Urban Planning, Museums- und Denkmalkunde, GIS, Environmental Social Sciences, Cultural Heritage, Urban Sociology, Geographical Information System, Human Geography, Regional Geography, Heritage preservation, urban space transformations, urban identity