Cultural Heritage and Sustainability: what is state of the art?

A systematic literature review

Authors

  • Marianna Marzano UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
  • Monia Castellini University of Ferrara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7433/s124.2024.04

Keywords:

systematic literature review, cultural and artistic heritage;, Sustainability, sustainable development

Abstract

Purpose of the paper: The paper is a systematic literature review on the topic of sustainability in the cultural heritage sector. The purpose is to understand where studies and research stand in analysing the sustainability factors of a specific enhancement project involving cultural heritage or cultural heritage management per se.

Methodology: A structured literature review was conducted, recurring to the PRISMA methodology. It has mapped the current knowledge of the academic debate on the topic, providing a holistic and interdisciplinary.

Findings: The literature review highlights the temporal evolution of studies regarding the topic and the main focuses analysed. At the same time, it allows us to highlight how sustainability factors (economic, social as well as environmental) are addressed and interpreted about cultural heritage. The results highlight multiple aspects, for example, how studies have increased under the impetus of the formulation of Agenda 2030, the importance of intercepting interdisciplinary methods to understand how to implement and subsequently measure sustainability, knowing which tools and indicators to refer to, and, finally, trying to increase collaboration between theoretical and applied research from non-academic research center.

Research limits: It's a snapshot in time and there may be future developments to consider.  In addition, it can be difficult to be comprehensive considering the cultural heritage from other perspectives of research.

Practical implications: The study reveals gaps that need to be filled for more effective and sustainable management of cultural heritage in the context of sustainability, such as improving research methodology, promoting interdisciplinary, actively involving local communities, and improving data collection and accessibility.

Originality of the paper: It still shows a lack of studies on the topic, given the complexity related to collecting sustainability information and the subject matter.

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Published

2024-08-26