Title: Urban Palimpsests: Architecture, Memory and Cultural Heritage in Smart Cities
Chair:
Assoc. Prof. Grigoriadou Maria
Department of Architecture
Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
Abstract/Description:
Cultural heritage, in its tangible and intangible dimensions, constitutes a fundamental component of urban identity, space continuity and collective memory.
In the cities that are rapidly transforming, historic buildings and settlements, landscapes, everyday routines, and new infrastructures, form complex layers that continually reshape contemporary urban life and future development paths.
This special session focuses on architectural and urban design approaches addressing the conservation, reinterpretation and integration of cultural and industrial heritage within the contemporary city. It explores how heritage can actively participate in urban regeneration processes, contributing to sustainable development, tourism and the creation of inclusive and resilient urban environments.
Emphasis is placed on the Historic Urban Landscape approach and design practices that link heritage conservation with social, economic and environmental goals. The session welcomes contributions that address adaptive reuse, spatial transformation of historic buildings and areas, the reshaping of cultural landscapes and the role of public space in mediating between past and present.
While smart city tools and digital technologies can support the management and interpretation of heritage, the session highlights architectural thinking, spatial quality and cultural meaning as key drivers in shaping cities where heritage is not simply preserved, but creatively experienced and transformed.
Indicative topics:
- Adaptive reuse of historic buildings and sites
- Spatial transformations in historic urban areas
- The cultural and industrial Urban Landscape approach in contemporary cities
- Sustainable architectural conservation
- Cultural landscapes and urban design
- Public space, memory and cultural identity
- Heritage as a driver of cultural tourism
- Contemporary architecture in historic contexts
- Heritage and resilience in smart cities
- Participatory approaches in heritage and urban design