Balancing Social and Cultural Priorities in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for UNESCO World Heritage Cities

UNESCO World Heritage Cities face significant challenges in balancing social and cultural sustainability during urban regeneration, despite frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), New Urban Agenda (NUA), and Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) initiatives. Research on As-Salt, a recently inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals that current SDG targets and indicators inadequately address these issues, often leading to gentrification, excessive tourism, and social exclusion. A content analysis of the three initiatives identified gaps in monitoring cultural sustainability. The study proposes an integrated approach under the SDGs to foster more sustainable heritage-led urban regeneration for World Heritage Cities.

El Faouri, B. F., & Sibley, M. (2024). Balancing Social and Cultural Priorities in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for UNESCO World Heritage Cities. Sustainability, 16(14), 5833. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145833