Cultural landscapes are at the interface between nature and culture. They represent the permanent interaction between humans and their environment, shaping the surface of the earth. With the rapid social and economic development cultural landscapes belong to the most fragile and threatened sites on earth. Adapted protection and proper management is urgently needed. Since 1992 outstanding cultural landscapes can be protected under the World Heritage Convention. Thus, the World Heritage Convention is the first international legal instrument recognizing and safeguarding this type of property for future generations. This important step has led to enhanced international and national recognition. The present volume aims to contribute to enhanced protection and management of cultural landscapes around the world. It furthermore highlights in a truly interdisciplinary approach some of the most outstanding cultural landscapes of universal value in their geocultural and environmental context.

One of our deepest needs is for a sense of identity and belonging. A common feature in this is human attachment to landscape and how we find identity in landscape and place. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a remarkable flowering of interest in, and understanding of, cultural landscapes. With these came a challenge to the 1960s and 1970s concept of heritage concentrating on great monuments and archaeological locations, famous architectural ensembles, or historic sites with connections to the rich and famous. Managing Cultural Landscapes explores the latest thought in landscape and place by: airing critical discussion of key issues in cultural landscapes through accessible accounts of how the concept of cultural landscape applies in diverse contexts across the globe and is inextricably tied to notions of living history where landscape itself is a rich social history record widening the notion that landscape only involves rural settings to embrace historic urban landscapes/townscapes examining critical issues of identity, maintenance of traditional skills and knowledge bases in the face of globalization, and new technologies fostering international debate with interdisciplinary appeal to provide a critical text for academics, students, practitioners, and informed community organizations discussing how the cultural landscape concept can be a useful management tool relative to current issues and challenges. With contributions from an international group of authors, Managing Cultural Landscapes provides an examination of the management of heritage values of cultural landscapes from Australia, Japan, China, USA, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, Pacific Islands, India and the Philippines; it reviews critically the factors behind the removal of Dresden and its cultural landscape from World Heritage listing and gives an overview of Historic Urban Landscape thinking.

New approaches to both cultural landscapes and historic urban landscapes increasingly recognize the need to guide future change, rather than simply protecting the fabric of the past. Challenging traditional notions of historic preservation, Conserving Cultural Landscapes takes a dynamic multifaceted approach to conservation. It builds on the premise that a successful approach to urban and cultural landscape conservation recognizes cultural as well as natural values, sustains traditional connections to place, and engages people in stewardship where they live and work. It brings together academics within the humanities and humanistic social sciences, conservation and preservation professionals, practitioners, and stakeholders to rethink the meaning and practice of cultural heritage conservation, encourage international cooperation, and stimulate collaborative research and scholarship.

Cultural landscapes are at the interface between nature and culture. They represent the permanent interaction between humans and their environment, shaping the surface of the earth. With the rapid social and economic development cultural landscapes belong to the most fragile and threatened sites on earth. Adapted protection and proper management is urgently needed. Since 1992 outstanding cultural landscapes can be protected under the World Heritage Convention. Thus, the World Heritage Convention is the first international legal instrument recognizing and safeguarding this type of property for future generations. This important step has led to enhanced international and national recognition. The present volume aims to contribute to enhanced protection and management of cultural landscapes around the world. It furthermore highlights in a truly interdisciplinary approach some of the most outstanding cultural landscapes of universal value in their geocultural and environmental context.