Cultural and Landscape Approach to Investigation, Preservation, and Development of Historic Towns

Abstract

Application of cultural and landscape approach ensures better opportunities for explorers and designers to control the development of historic towns and the formation on their territories of a sustainable system for cultural and natural heritage protection. The following principles form the basic notion of historical and cultural town landscape: the townscape is functionally set up in the process of interaction between the man and nature; there is a close interrelation between material and non-material components of the townscape; the important role of the spatial and visual relations in the townscape and its position in the historical and cyclic time should be considered. The concept of the historic town in the context of the cultural and landscape approach requires consideration of such characteristics as authenticity, integrity, historical representativeness, and actuality. Particular attention has been given to the necessity of the formation of cultural and landscape essential frame and its significant role in the preservation of historic town as a holistic and diversified cultural townscape. In this case, not only the sites of most valuable architectural monuments and natural objects should be considered, but also the urban landscape loci that allow obtaining the comprehensive idea of the historic town. Of special interest is the role of art and culture in the adaptation of historic territorial objects for the new functions compatible with the modern requirements of inhabitants.