Environmental features were inscribed by human hands to mark their achievement and accomplishments in the frame of built-structures and advanced culture of urban world (historic cities). After passage of time, such natural and constructed places commonly became centres of advanced human activities and interaction, serving as pivot of harmonizing the world through their inherent messages and underpinning meanings, ensembles in the Urban Cultural Landscapes, UCL, and Historic Urban Landscape, HUL. That is how they require special care for understanding and planning – Preservation & Regeneration, and also care for maintaining them as nexus of visioning future and fulfilling the SDGs as envisioned by the UNO/UNESCO. The special issue of Esempi di Architecttura (vol. 9, 2022) attempts to keep pace with these issues. Papers are invited by the professionals and scholars from various cross- and multi- disciplines to deliberate and explain the role of current issues of preservation and regeneration of historic cities, illustrated with cultural landscapes and sacredscapes framed with attributes of cultural-religious heritage – those all historically and culturally imbued – from experientiality to sustainability: Theory vs. Practice: Understanding vs. Exposition – all aimed at enhancing this ‘Complex Whole’ of Cultural Heritage, an important resource for the future sustainability of the world.
Any of the sub-themes to be covered, focussing on the Historic Cities: i) Cultural Landscapes of Historic Cities – Philosophy and Context, Meanings, Regional Differentiations; ii) Historic Urban Landscapes HCL – HUL and Heritage inclusive Planning; iii) Sacredscapes in Cities: Historic-Holy cities and processes of ‘Succession-Sustenance-Sustainability’; iv) Historic Cities & Ritual Landscapes – Pilgrimage paths and Heritage Cities, Mythology; v) Cognitive Mapping of Holy-Heritage Cities – Cultural contexts, Contrasts and Similarities; vi) Heritage making in Historic Cities – Attributes, Manifestation, Scenic beauty, Narrative and Symbolism; vii) Heritage Typology in Historic Cities – Bases/frames of Typology, Tangible, Intangible, and Transitory; viii) Heritage Cities & SDGs – Status of heritage, Heritagization, Contestation & Planning.