Principles and methods of a historical town study, preservation and developing in the context of cultural landscape approach

Abstract

Application of cultural and landscape approach ensures better opportunities for explorers and designers to control the development of historic towns and the formation on their territories of sustainable system for protection of cultural and natural heritage. The following principles form the basic notion of historical and cultural town landscape: the townscape is functionally set up in the process of interaction between men and nature; there is a close interrelation between material and non-material components of the townscape; the important role of the spatial and visual relations in the townscape and its position in the historical and cyclic time should be taken into consideration. The concept of the historic town in the context of the cultural and landscape approach requires consideration of such characteristics as authenticity, integrity, historical representativeness and actuality. The necessity of the formation of cultural and landscape essential frame and its significant role in the preservation of historic town as a holistic and diversified cultural townscape.