conservation of cultural and natural heritage for sustainable urban development in Asia

Project Summary:

This topic is being investigated as part of a research project funded by the Hong Kong University Grants Council (General Research Fund) from 2023-2026, titled ‘Assessing the potential of urban heritage conservation in the development of green cities in Asia’. The conservation of cultural and natural heritage has acquired increasing importance for rapidly urbanising cities seeking to foster more sustainable forms of urban development (Bandarin and van Oers, 2012). This project seeks to determine whether and how the integration and conservation of cultural and natural heritage in cities can encourage more genuine green transitions in Asian cities. While heritage is increasingly recognised by the UN and other organisations as a critical component in sustainable development initiatives, it is an area that requires greater attention by policy makers, municipal governments, and academics alike. Moreover, there are a lack of focused case studies illustrating how exactly cities can harness cultural and natural heritage to achieve sustainable development goals. This project therefore seeks to address the under-studied role of natural and cultural heritage conservation in developing more socially and ecologically sustainable cities.

Deliverables:

Could be an essay, co-authored academic paper or poster.

Preferred discipline(s):

preferably students in social science/humanities disciplines or conservation.

Project Essential Skills:

N/A

Other Selection Criteria (if any):

N/A

Details of supervision arrangements:

no lab work, but could include some site visits in Hong Kong. Meetings could be conducted physically or virtually.