Hisari, Lorika; (2025) Urban heritage in a post-war context: implications and approach for sustainable recovery and resilience, the Case of Kosova. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

During the war time, heritage sites are mostly deliberately attacked and at the same time are used as means for reconciliation in post-war historic cities. While this demonstrates a belief to peacebuilding capacities of 3 heritage, it is a multidimensional and a delicate task. Beyond the reinstatement of the physical fabric of buildings and sites, mutual dialogue, negotiation and trust building are equally important, especially if they are instigated by a compromising political decision. This is a challenging process and within a constantly changing nature of urban heritage environment. The evolved concept of urban heritage now encompasses tangible and intangible forms, spatial network, social and economic dimension and more importantly the meanings it has for local people. As such, urban heritage is part of a complex and dynamic urban system with an essential position in the sustainability agenda. This research employs an integrated approach to urban heritage preservation in a post-war context by combining heritage preservation and urban planning - as heritage planning, incorporating the component of public participation as a sustainable practice. The aim of the research is to reveal the ways in which heritage can act as a catalyst for sustainable post-war recovery, resilience and peacebuilding by identifying the factors that enable or hinder the peacebuilding potential of heritage. Kosovo is used as a case study with two historic areas as units of analysis - Historic Centre of Prizren and Monastery of Decan. Mixed qualitative ethnographic methods with multiple sources of evidence are employed – interviews, questionnaires, documents, field observations, online sources and socio-political public discourse observations. With a grounded theory approach in data processing, hybrid methods of data analysis are utilized combining multimodal thematic analysis (coding), narrative analysis and critical discourse analysis. The research advances the systems thinking approach contributing to Urban Heritage Dynamics theory that originates from Urban Dynamics theory by contextualizing it in a post-war historic urban environment. The contribution to practice is made with a set of practical recommendations in five different pathways particularly related to the approach the parties are encouraged to take in the process of heritage planning and political decision-making to ensure sustainable future of diverse historic cities.

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