Planning for Urban Historical-Cultural Heritage: A Geo-Imaging Multicriteria Approach

The development of city systems takes place between rapid dynamics and conservation of heritage – a tension investigated in this paper. Particular attention is given to the existence of multiple policy criteria and of different classes of stakeholders. The main aim is to demonstrate that visualization methods – in combination with modern plan evaluation approaches – may offer a novel contribution to contemporary urban planning. A new methodology based on a multi-stakeholder multi-criteria analysis, called MAMCA, is used to provide a practical assessment framework for policy choices. This approach is applied to the development of an historical harbour front and shipyard area in Amsterdam (the NDSM district) by using geo-imaging methods to elicit stakeholders' priorities for various land-use planning options for the area (called 'urban faces'). It turns out that a particular land-use plan focused on intensive revitalization of the area may enjoy the highest appreciation of most stakeholders, as this plan may create new opportunities for visitors and business firms. The results and their robustness are extensively discussed.