Exploring the Significance of Heritage Preservation in Enhancing the Settlement System Resilience

Abstract

The sustainable development of urban and rural settlements is considered one of the primary objectives of economic, social, and urban planning. Recent studies focused significant attention on the issue of the resilience of rural settlements due to the challenges and threats they face. One of the essential drivers affecting the resilience of rural settlements is cultural heritage preservation. The research methods were based on the complex systems approach. The study employed a multidimensional analysis method to evaluate the resilience of rural settlements based on five sub-systems: social, economic, environmental, physical, and managerial. The proposed method for evaluation of the settlement sustainability involves the application of a settlement development index and considers the preservation of cultural heritage objects. The data sources used contain open-access information and statistical data provided by municipal organizations, including GIS maps, statistical, and archival records. The study aim was to establish methodological frameworks for evaluating the influence of cultural heritage on the resilience of rural settlements as well as to obtain a quantitative assessment of the resilience of rural settlements within the Zavałočycy local council, located at Hlusk district, Mahiloŭ region, Belarus.