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Cultural Landscape Modelling: A Practical Approach for Evaluating Sustainability. The Historic Village “Maymand” in Iran

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Placemaking and Cultural Landscapes

Part of the book series: Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences ((AGES))

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Abstract

The rural landscapes are particular due to cultural characteristics. As local residents in rural areas tend to use modern technology, the preservation of cultural values and natural attractions should not be underestimated. There are many criteria which must be considered to achieve sustainability. The research aims to answer the question: “How landscape sustainability is affected by culture, economy and qualities of natural resources?” This research will focus on rural landscapes investigating a sustainable approach to the relationships between people and nature. The case study—Maymand—has been continuously inhabited between 2000 and 3000 years which makes it one of Iran’s oldest villages. It consists of several natural and man-made caves that are still used today for housing and sheltering. The rural landscape characteristics in this village were studied to find the signs of sustainability. Using Pasture landscape and agricultural landscape for livestock and planting simultaneously has led to ecological-economical sustainability in this rural landscape. Finally, the research revealed that rich cultures, the traditional manner of life and the biodiversity of the landscapes are the main causes of sustainability within this rural cultural landscape.

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Acknowledgements

The author specially thanks Dr. Nasrin Kowkabi, from the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia for her valuable comments on final editing of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Art, Tehran, Iran

    Leila Kowkabi

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  1. Leila Kowkabi
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Correspondence to Leila Kowkabi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rana P. B. Singh

  2. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Olimpia Niglio

  3. Tourism Management, Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Pravin S. Rana

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Kowkabi, L. (2023). Cultural Landscape Modelling: A Practical Approach for Evaluating Sustainability. The Historic Village “Maymand” in Iran. In: Singh, R.P.B., Niglio, O., Rana, P.S. (eds) Placemaking and Cultural Landscapes. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6274-5_17

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