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Heritage Preservation in a Changing Climate: The Potential of Green Infrastructure on the Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal

McLean, Samantha
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490354190081635

Abstract Details

2017, MCP, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning.
The imminent effects of climate change pose a great threat to the livelihood of social, ecological, and built environments. An important aspect of those environments is tangible cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is not a relic of the past. It has historic and aesthetic value for contemporary and future societies; however, it is currently threatened by the changing climate. This research explores how heritage sites can build resilience in the face of climate change threats using green infrastructure, while preserving their authenticity and integrity. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal, is examined as a case study. The Ile de Saint-Louis is remarkable for its architecture, town plan, and unique landscape in a river delta. Its location in the middle of the Senegal River, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and dense urban fabric make it vulnerable to climate change. The very future of the heritage site is contingent upon building climate change resilience, requiring a preservation approach that extends beyond the restoration of individual buildings. This research uses mixed methodologies to answer its research question: “In light of the climate change threats facing heritage sites, how can climate change planning in heritage sites use green infrastructure?” The case study methodology includes an in-depth study of site components and current and future climate risks faced by the site. Following this study, a vulnerability analysis is conducted for each block on the island using composite variables of sensitivity and exposure to climate. The results of the vulnerability analysis are combined with opportunity for green infrastructure variables to create a weighted suitability for green infrastructure intervention analysis. This analysis identifies blocks on the island most suitable for green infrastructure intervention. Informant interviews are used to illuminate threats to and characteristics of the heritage site. Finally, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is conducted for two site management plans, determining aspects of the plan that support or dissuade the use of green infrastructure tools. The findings of these methodologies yield insights into appropriate green infrastructure tools and locations for intervention on the heritage site. While there are increased restrictions on the types of interventions allowed in heritage sites, there are still opportunities to use green infrastructure while maintaining the historic authenticity of the site. This research provides a framework for heritage site managers to use when considering if and where to incorporate green infrastructure to increase their site’s climate change resilience.
Leah Hollstein, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Elizabeth Riorden, M.Arch. (Committee Member)
167 p.
Urban Planning
Urban Planning; Climate Change; Historic Preservation; Green Infrastructure; Senegal; UNESCO

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Citations

  • McLean, S. (2017). Heritage Preservation in a Changing Climate: The Potential of Green Infrastructure on the Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490354190081635

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McLean, Samantha. Heritage Preservation in a Changing Climate: The Potential of Green Infrastructure on the Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal. 2017. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490354190081635.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McLean, Samantha. "Heritage Preservation in a Changing Climate: The Potential of Green Infrastructure on the Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490354190081635

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1490354190081635
654
© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Heritage Preservation in a Changing Climate: The Potential of Green Infrastructure on the Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal by Samantha McLean is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.