Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Approaches For Digital Urban Heritage Management (UHM) of Al Ain City’s Landscape

Abstract

The purpose this thesis is to explore, explain and examine the integration of sustainable urban development (SUD), urban heritage management (UHM), historical urban landscape (HUL) and digital technology (DT) in Al Ain city's landscape. The theoretical lenses used to view this field of research are: theories of the city; theories of Cultural Heritage Management; The Historic Urban Landscape approach; and theories of Digital Transformation. The ultimate research aim is to identify a suitable SUD approach for application to Al Ain city’s UHM using DT. This aim is pursued through four research objectives: to identify different SUD approaches which use DT; to examine SUD approaches adopted in Al Ain city’s UHM; to compare different SUD approaches using DT in UHM; and to identify suitable DT for SUD approach for the UHM of Al Ain city’s landscape. The thesis is also framed by four research sub-questions and tested five research hypotheses. The research methodology and methods are post-positivist with constructivist with the research paradigm being informed by pragmatism. The research approach being dual, of subjectivism with inductive reasoning and of objectivism with deductive reasoning leading to a combined reasoning of abduction. In practical used individual interviews with experts and an online survey questionnaires targeting urban planners and heritage experts in Al Ain City. The findings reveal the SUD approaches adopted in Al Ain city’s UHM and landscape management using DT. They reveal the benefits / advantages / features along with the challenges / limitations / disadvantages faced in the existing systems and practices. Some limitations were found while doing the study that were of limited availability and access to data, there were some time constraints and delays arising due to the lingering effect of Covid-19 pandemic recovery phase back to business continuity. This resulted in some pauses during the initial stage of the study. The lack of previous research studies directly related to the topic with scarce theoretical foundations were also a barrier. Despite these challenges the thesis offers several recommendations to improve urban heritage practices in Al Ain city.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Mark Whitehead (Supervisor), Julio Munoz (Supervisor) & Reyer Zwiggelaar (Supervisor)