Journal: Engineering Heritage Journal (GWK)

Historic cities have heritage cores which are critical parts of the city that reduce cultural, architectural and historical awareness. The ever-growing rate of urbanization and the increasing need to establish modern transport infrastructure in these precincts pose a strong challenge in conservation. Infrastructure projects like extensions of the metro, expansion of roads and development of transit interchanges are often in opposition to the aims of heritage preservation and impose physical degradation, socio-economic disruption and visual intrusion, endangering the coherence and authenticity of heritage cores. The paper is a systematic review of the spatial, functional, and governance-related issues, occurring between the development of the transport infrastructure and the conservation of heritage cores. It includes a systematic review of the literature, as well as compares world-case studies to identify the causal preconditions and common trends. Results highlight disjointed governing frameworks, legal barriers, and inadequate heritage impact assessment processes that contribute to the heightening of the clashes that occur between the compulsions of mobility and the requirements of conservation. The paper examines most effective practices and effective planning strategies that have developed out of global models, such as the Historic Urban Landscape Methodology by UNESCO and principles of adaptive reuse. Improved technology e.g. GIS based risk mapping and vibration mitigation measures are also evaluated on ability to reduce undesirable effects. The paper supports the idea of participatory governance, combining land-use planning and transport planning, and multi-stakeholder cooperation as the key measures to promote sustainable urban development in respect of heritage values. The knowledge they create is added to the development of a comprehensive planning structure that balances the development of transport infrastructure with the preservation of heritage cores. The framework was developed to help urban planners, policy makers and conservation practitioners to develop resilient, inclusive and culturally aware urban environments. It also reaffirms the need to connect conservation priorities to the changing needs of urban mobility and therefore secure sustainable destinies of historic cities in the world.