Historic City protection vs Resilient City transformation
Date Issued
2022-07
Author(s)
Andonova, Elena
DOI
10.7480/iphs.2022.1.6510
Abstract
The city of Skopje is a result of dialectical contradictions of diachronically different concepts
of development and superimposed planning concepts of unfinished layers. The Old Bazaar
represents one of the oldest urban fragments and shows a strong resilience and capacity to
overcome numerous disastrous events. Unfortunately, due to the development constraints set
by the preservation measures, and speculative building actions in the context, it is gradually
but progressively losing its cultural identity and role as a creative socio-economic hub. Weak
development policies and non-adaptive preservation regulations to changing environment
and socio-economic development are urging actions to adopt new regeneration measures and
appropriate approaches that could bring life into the valuable cultural heritage setting. Existing patterns emerging from the unique uses and spatiality of the Old Bazaar, as an exclusive
area of commercial use and traditional urban fabric of cultural heritage, have to be preserved,
but simultaneously it is important to introduce novel tools for applied creative industries and
adaptive re-use of the building heritage. All efforts of appropriation of the cultural heritage
area of the Old Bazaar according to the new sustainable and equitable economic opportunities, should be carefully tested and implemented in the context, in order to avoid any socio-environmental decay.
of development and superimposed planning concepts of unfinished layers. The Old Bazaar
represents one of the oldest urban fragments and shows a strong resilience and capacity to
overcome numerous disastrous events. Unfortunately, due to the development constraints set
by the preservation measures, and speculative building actions in the context, it is gradually
but progressively losing its cultural identity and role as a creative socio-economic hub. Weak
development policies and non-adaptive preservation regulations to changing environment
and socio-economic development are urging actions to adopt new regeneration measures and
appropriate approaches that could bring life into the valuable cultural heritage setting. Existing patterns emerging from the unique uses and spatiality of the Old Bazaar, as an exclusive
area of commercial use and traditional urban fabric of cultural heritage, have to be preserved,
but simultaneously it is important to introduce novel tools for applied creative industries and
adaptive re-use of the building heritage. All efforts of appropriation of the cultural heritage
area of the Old Bazaar according to the new sustainable and equitable economic opportunities, should be carefully tested and implemented in the context, in order to avoid any socio-environmental decay.
Subjects