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This chapter explores how European cities function as dynamic cultural landscapes shaped by the interrelations of sustainability, environment, identity, and heritage. It critically engages with key sustainability theories—including resilience, ecological footprint, doughnut economics, and the triple bottom line—framing urban environments as socio-ecological systems under pressure from climate change, globalization, and socio-economic inequality. The chapter traces the evolution of cultural landscape theory, from Sauer’s foundational work to contemporary interpretations influenced by feminist, post-humanist, and Foucauldian thought. Urban cultural landscapes are presented not as static backdrops but as living, contested terrains where space, place, memory, and identity converge. Particular attention is paid to the role of cultural heritage in sustainable urban development, viewed through UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. European case studies (e.g., Brussels, Amsterdam, Athens, Venice) illustrate the tensions between preservation and development, tourism and gentrification, as well as top-down planning and grassroots participation. The chapter further addresses biopolitical dynamics in urban heritage governance, drawing on Foucault’s concepts of governmentality, heterotopia, and biopower to examine how urban space is used to regulate populations and shape cultural narratives. It argues that the integration of cultural heritage into urban policy and planning is essential for fostering inclusive, resilient, and meaningful cities in the face of global transformation.

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The Context of Culture, Environment, and Sustainability: The European Cities as Cultural Landscapes

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Eugenia Bitsani,
  • Theodoros Tsekos,
  • Isidora Thymi,
  • Georgia Marava

摘要

This chapter explores how European cities function as dynamic cultural landscapes shaped by the interrelations of sustainability, environment, identity, and heritage. It critically engages with key sustainability theories—including resilience, ecological footprint, doughnut economics, and the triple bottom line—framing urban environments as socio-ecological systems under pressure from climate change, globalization, and socio-economic inequality. The chapter traces the evolution of cultural landscape theory, from Sauer’s foundational work to contemporary interpretations influenced by feminist, post-humanist, and Foucauldian thought. Urban cultural landscapes are presented not as static backdrops but as living, contested terrains where space, place, memory, and identity converge. Particular attention is paid to the role of cultural heritage in sustainable urban development, viewed through UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach. European case studies (e.g., Brussels, Amsterdam, Athens, Venice) illustrate the tensions between preservation and development, tourism and gentrification, as well as top-down planning and grassroots participation. The chapter further addresses biopolitical dynamics in urban heritage governance, drawing on Foucault’s concepts of governmentality, heterotopia, and biopower to examine how urban space is used to regulate populations and shape cultural narratives. It argues that the integration of cultural heritage into urban policy and planning is essential for fostering inclusive, resilient, and meaningful cities in the face of global transformation.