Thesis & Dissertations

Urban heritage management has emerged as a critical global concern in the early 21st century, with increasing challenges and pressures impacting world heritage cities. The swift urban development witnessed over the last century necessitates the development of intelligent methodologies for the conservation of urban heritage, aimed at preserving cultural and historical assets amidst ongoing and rapid urban expansion. This thesis, based on integrating BIM and GIS on one hand, and generating a public platform in which all stakeholders including the local communities provide data on the other hand, takes as a case study the Mar Mikhael area, Armenia Street in Beirut. Multidisciplinary documentation, visualization, simulation and assessment of the applied methodology were all performed on site. The integration of GIS using ArcPro3.0 and ArcGeoBIM with BIM generated two innovative models showing the crucial role that Urban Heritage Management plays in terms of civil society integration, social benefits, economic benefits as well as urban heritage values. The outcomes of both models are used to analyze the impact of development and urbanization on heritage resources and inform decision-making. Eventually, this thesis contributes to a more sustainable and equitable approach to urban heritage management which outcome is beneficial on all levels.