Videos by Samia Rab Kirchner
Prepared for the ICOMOS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020
ADVANCING RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE SHARED FUTURE
Ca... more Prepared for the ICOMOS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020
ADVANCING RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE SHARED FUTURE
Case Studies in Inclusive Preservation of Shared Heritage
BY:
Professor Samia Rab Kirchner, Ph.D., School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University; Chair, Morgan Internationalizing of Education Committee
Professor Barbara Paca, Ph.D., O.B.E., Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park; Cultural Envoy to Antigua and Barbuda
David Owe, BSAED student, Morgan State University 2 views
As media portrayal of Baltimore presents the city as a prime example of urban decay, Morgan State... more As media portrayal of Baltimore presents the city as a prime example of urban decay, Morgan State University is busy helping urban farmers create a sustainable and equitable oasis during the Pandemic. Plantation Park Heights Urban Farmers in Baltimore City are growing food over fourteen (14) City-owned vacant lots. Through a grant from the Center for the Study of Religion and the City, we co-designed a pilot Urban Seeds Kitchen. Once built, this open demonstration kitchen will bolster solidarity around production, processing and sharing of food across ages and cultures, giving school children hands on Food Supplement Nutrition Education while feeding residents healthy food. The co-design process connected Park Heights community organizations, Morgan students, school children and residents, planting seeds for life-long relationships. 5 views
Videos by Samia Rab Kirchner
Books by Samia Rab Kirchner
Conservation of Architecture, Urban Areas, Nature & Landscape: Towards a Sustainable Survival of Cultural Landscape, 2011
Preface
Built and natural environments are ultimately and collectively tangible records of histo... more Preface
Built and natural environments are ultimately and collectively tangible records of history and as “heritage” belong to time. Conservation, in its broadest sense, is concerned with the assessment of these environments in order to make it relevant for the present and ensure its survival in the future. At present, different legislative bodies are involved in promoting the conservation of the built and natural environments with minimal consideration of the interconnections between the two areas of conservation. A critical discussion regarding confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation.
The Heritage 2011 conference facilitated a critical and structured discussion on the confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” that is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation. It brought together scholars from multiple disciplines and focused on conservation ethics as an essential component of environmental design within existing urban settings. As cities in the region grow and evolve at an unprecedented rapid pace, reversing the threats facing historic cultural landscape requires rethinking of the field of conservation.
Cultural landscapes can encompass vast and diverse areas, which are usually administered by different territorial and specialized authorities (e.g. the Ministries of Culture, Housing, Urban Planning, Tourism, Environment, Agriculture, Water Resources etc.). Therefore, the different national and local authorities responsible for zoning, infrastructure development, environmental and architectural conservation must establish effective co-ordination and define appropriate management tools to authentically preserve features of cultural landscapes. Integrity of the relationship between natural and built (cultural) environments is essential for sustainable conservation, making it a shared responsibility.
In recent decades, most practitioners and professional networks of conventional approaches to heritage conservation have limited their foci to only one or two of the following scales: interior building and building; building and site; site and neighborhood; landscape and metropolitan region. Today, with increasingly complex and daunting environmental change, more holistic approaches to responding to conservation needs require thinking and operating at these four scales or more. Several disciplines must take part in giving a new lease of life to historic buildings and sites. Archaeologists excavate layers of history to piece together and reconstruct the social and cultural life of a past civilization. Architects investigate the relevance of these artifacts to the diverse stakeholders in the present and develop a comprehensive conservation plan. Conservationists document, interpret and pursue a course of action to preserve, restore, or conserve the physical aspects of significant monuments. Curators ensure the appropriate restoration and public display of artworks associated with these monuments. Conservation of cultural heritage thus pursued can promote sustainable survival of the built and natural environments.
For the architectural community to engage meaningfully in heritage conservation, responsibilities and opportunities revolving around this activity need to be recalled, analyzed, and articulated. Addressing this theme of responsibilities and opportunities, the conference organizers challenged architectural practitioners, educators, and researchers and their counterparts in the environmental design fields to develop a paper in a number of thematic tracks dealing with the heritage notion, design realm, conservation context, and education and information.
More than two-hundred eighty authors from a diverse community of researchers responded with abstracts, and more than one hundred eighty of those submitted papers were submitted for blind peer review. The fifty-six papers that were selected for presentation at the conference come from a variety of disciplines and contribute to our understanding of digital media and its applications in cultural heritage. The critical nature of the subject has attracted authors from around the word and therefore the content of the publication provides a global perspective on the subject. This publication has been organized into twelve chapters that correspond to the conference sessions: Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Landscape Scale Conservation; Conservation of Rural and Vernacular Architecture; Cultural Landscape and Community Involvement; Addressing Physical Decay and Deterioration; Reflections on Conservation: Green Dimensions; Landscape, Ecosystem, and Environmental Conservation; Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Conservation vs Cultural Identity and Socio-Cultural Issues; Conservation Perspectives from the Middle East; Sustainability in Conservation and Heritage Management; and Reflections on Conservation: Contemporary Perspectives.
This Volume of papers provides a structured path towards a regional framework for integrating conservation ethics in architectural, urban and environmental design.
The Editors and Conference Conveners,
Amman, March 2011
Chapters by Samia Rab Kirchner
Papers by Samia Rab Kirchner
ARCC-EAEE, 2018
Urban open spaces play a vital role in the social life of city residents. This paper presents a t... more Urban open spaces play a vital role in the social life of city residents. This paper presents a taxonomy of urban spaces and explores the role of cemeteries as an open space that may enhance the social sustainability of neighborhoods. As urban infrastructure, cemeteries provide a resting space for departed citizens and express historical continuity for evolving communities. As superstructure, cemeteries offer spaces for contemplation and chance encounters for the living, contributing to historically-grounded civic identity. Baltimore's Mount Auburn Cemetery was established in 1861 as a rural burial space on farmland outside the City of the Dead . It is more than a place of rest for the dead and expresses the importance of ritual and ceremony over form and related Euro-American concepts of perpetual maintenance (Jones, 2011). Recognizing its uniqueness as an African American cultural landscape, this paper presents a socially sustainability framework for the revitalization of this privately-owned cemetery into a public memorial park taking into account the full life cycle of urban communities. It also posits the role of universities in developing Partnership and Revitalization Plans through community engagement with varied stakeholders to take care of these resting places and design spaces for meditative contemplation for the living.
This paper focuses on two public squares (Maidans) in rapidly growing cities in the Middle East: ... more This paper focuses on two public squares (Maidans) in rapidly growing cities in the Middle East: Maidan Naghsh-e-Jahan in Isfahan, Iran and Maidan Rolla in Sharjah, UAE. These cities are selected for their social diversity and the intentional use of public squares in formalizing and directing city growth. As epicenters of urban performances, both Maidans have historically attracted diverse people across social strata and age. While Iran and UAE may not be considered model democratic states and each has a distinct demographic composition, the enhanced social interaction that takes place in the two case Maidans have lessons for making “safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces” (Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development). In comparatively analyzing the two case Maidans, we aim to: 1) Identify their socio-spatial features; 2) present indicators of socially interactive and integrated public places. Using mixed-methods research, we first layer hist...
In 1998, UNESCO selected the Emirate of Sharjah as the cultural capital of the Arab World. At pre... more In 1998, UNESCO selected the Emirate of Sharjah as the cultural capital of the Arab World. At present though, Sharjah's historic area (Al Mureijah and Al Shueiyheen) is suffering from traffic congestion and environmental degradation that make it unattractive ...
Book Reviews by Samia Rab Kirchner
Journal of Arabian Studies, 2015
Journal of Urban Design, 2016
Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and iconicit... more Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and iconicity of the built environment in the Arab Gulf Region, its aesthetics, language and performative characteristics. Bringing together a range of studies by artists, curators and scholars, it demonstrates how Dubai appeared – at least until the financial crisis – to be leading the construction race and has already completed a large number of its landmark architecture and strategic facilities. In contrast, cities like the Qatari capital Doha still appear to be heavily ‘under construction’ and in countries like the Sultanate of Oman, ultra-luxury tourism projects were started only recently. While the construction of artificial islands, theme parks and prestige sport facilities has attracted considerable attention, much less is known about the region’s widespread implementation of innovative infrastructure such as global container ports, free zones, inter-island causeways and metro lines. This vo...
Journal of Urban Design, 2016
ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and... more ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and iconicity of the built environment in the Arab Gulf Region, its aesthetics, language and performative characteristics. Bringing together a range of studies by artists, curators and scholars, it demonstrates how Dubai appeared – at least until the financial crisis – to be leading the construction race and has already completed a large number of its landmark architecture and strategic facilities. In contrast, cities like the Qatari capital Doha still appear to be heavily ‘under construction’ and in countries like the Sultanate of Oman, ultra-luxury tourism projects were started only recently. While the construction of artificial islands, theme parks and prestige sport facilities has attracted considerable attention, much less is known about the region’s widespread implementation of innovative infrastructure such as global container ports, free zones, inter-island causeways and metro lines. This volume argues that these endeavours are not simply part of a strategy to prepare for the post-oil era for future economic survival and prosperity in the Lower Gulf region, but that they are also aiming to strengthen identitarian patterns and specific national brands. In doing so, they exhibit similar, yet remarkably diverse modes of engaging with certain global trends and present – questionably – distinct ideas for putting themselves on the global map. Each country aims to grab attention with regard to the worldwide flow of goods and capital and thus provide its own citizens with a socially acceptable trajectory for the future. By doing that, the countries in the Gulf are articulating a new semiotic and paradigm of urban development. For the first time, this volume maps these trends in their relation to architecture and infrastructure, in particular by treating them as semiotics in their own right. It suggests that recent developments in this region of the world not only represent a showcase of extraordinary initiatives by which these desert states have transformed, but also that the commodification of local ‘traditions’ acts as an essential element in the countries’ effort to design an Arab version of (hyper-)modernity and to position themselves as a regional and global archetype, which has frequently been adopted elsewhere.
Articles by Samia Rab Kirchner
2020 ICOMOS 6 ISCs Joint Meeting Proceedings, 2020
Rising inequality across the world poses a critical challenge to the implementation of UN Sustain... more Rising inequality across the world poses a critical challenge to the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030. The legacy of slavery that shaped intergenerational wealth disparity across the African diaspora anchors local mistrust of globally regulated policy systems. Though many historic estates are repurposed to museums for tourists and private event venues, each chooses to represent the history of the space in its own way; and very few preserve and present the legacy of slavery.
Thinking historically in the present, these properties are functioning as stages for reparation enhancing deeper understanding and respect for the African Diaspora. Our paper examines two former estates, Antigua’s Government House in St. John’s, and the Clifton Mansion in Baltimore, where custodians have engaged communities in preserving the building character and present shared histories of the sites to build character of marginalized citizens. Both properties serve as exemplary award-winning models for cultural institutions across the world. They embody cutting edge practices in low-cost conservation for empowerment, where the building character preservation becomes a catalyst for character building of marginalized communities. The positive impact of these approaches on tourism is obvious, particularly for sophisticated
travelers, who now gravitate toward destinations with inclusive approaches to embracing complex, shared and contested histories. Particularly now, when the pandemic and Black Lives Matters Movement have given us pause to rethink the motivations behind encounters with other cultures.
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Videos by Samia Rab Kirchner
ADVANCING RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE SHARED FUTURE
Case Studies in Inclusive Preservation of Shared Heritage
BY:
Professor Samia Rab Kirchner, Ph.D., School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University; Chair, Morgan Internationalizing of Education Committee
Professor Barbara Paca, Ph.D., O.B.E., Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park; Cultural Envoy to Antigua and Barbuda
David Owe, BSAED student, Morgan State University
Videos by Samia Rab Kirchner
Books by Samia Rab Kirchner
Built and natural environments are ultimately and collectively tangible records of history and as “heritage” belong to time. Conservation, in its broadest sense, is concerned with the assessment of these environments in order to make it relevant for the present and ensure its survival in the future. At present, different legislative bodies are involved in promoting the conservation of the built and natural environments with minimal consideration of the interconnections between the two areas of conservation. A critical discussion regarding confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation.
The Heritage 2011 conference facilitated a critical and structured discussion on the confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” that is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation. It brought together scholars from multiple disciplines and focused on conservation ethics as an essential component of environmental design within existing urban settings. As cities in the region grow and evolve at an unprecedented rapid pace, reversing the threats facing historic cultural landscape requires rethinking of the field of conservation.
Cultural landscapes can encompass vast and diverse areas, which are usually administered by different territorial and specialized authorities (e.g. the Ministries of Culture, Housing, Urban Planning, Tourism, Environment, Agriculture, Water Resources etc.). Therefore, the different national and local authorities responsible for zoning, infrastructure development, environmental and architectural conservation must establish effective co-ordination and define appropriate management tools to authentically preserve features of cultural landscapes. Integrity of the relationship between natural and built (cultural) environments is essential for sustainable conservation, making it a shared responsibility.
In recent decades, most practitioners and professional networks of conventional approaches to heritage conservation have limited their foci to only one or two of the following scales: interior building and building; building and site; site and neighborhood; landscape and metropolitan region. Today, with increasingly complex and daunting environmental change, more holistic approaches to responding to conservation needs require thinking and operating at these four scales or more. Several disciplines must take part in giving a new lease of life to historic buildings and sites. Archaeologists excavate layers of history to piece together and reconstruct the social and cultural life of a past civilization. Architects investigate the relevance of these artifacts to the diverse stakeholders in the present and develop a comprehensive conservation plan. Conservationists document, interpret and pursue a course of action to preserve, restore, or conserve the physical aspects of significant monuments. Curators ensure the appropriate restoration and public display of artworks associated with these monuments. Conservation of cultural heritage thus pursued can promote sustainable survival of the built and natural environments.
For the architectural community to engage meaningfully in heritage conservation, responsibilities and opportunities revolving around this activity need to be recalled, analyzed, and articulated. Addressing this theme of responsibilities and opportunities, the conference organizers challenged architectural practitioners, educators, and researchers and their counterparts in the environmental design fields to develop a paper in a number of thematic tracks dealing with the heritage notion, design realm, conservation context, and education and information.
More than two-hundred eighty authors from a diverse community of researchers responded with abstracts, and more than one hundred eighty of those submitted papers were submitted for blind peer review. The fifty-six papers that were selected for presentation at the conference come from a variety of disciplines and contribute to our understanding of digital media and its applications in cultural heritage. The critical nature of the subject has attracted authors from around the word and therefore the content of the publication provides a global perspective on the subject. This publication has been organized into twelve chapters that correspond to the conference sessions: Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Landscape Scale Conservation; Conservation of Rural and Vernacular Architecture; Cultural Landscape and Community Involvement; Addressing Physical Decay and Deterioration; Reflections on Conservation: Green Dimensions; Landscape, Ecosystem, and Environmental Conservation; Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Conservation vs Cultural Identity and Socio-Cultural Issues; Conservation Perspectives from the Middle East; Sustainability in Conservation and Heritage Management; and Reflections on Conservation: Contemporary Perspectives.
This Volume of papers provides a structured path towards a regional framework for integrating conservation ethics in architectural, urban and environmental design.
The Editors and Conference Conveners,
Amman, March 2011
Chapters by Samia Rab Kirchner
Papers by Samia Rab Kirchner
Book Reviews by Samia Rab Kirchner
Articles by Samia Rab Kirchner
Thinking historically in the present, these properties are functioning as stages for reparation enhancing deeper understanding and respect for the African Diaspora. Our paper examines two former estates, Antigua’s Government House in St. John’s, and the Clifton Mansion in Baltimore, where custodians have engaged communities in preserving the building character and present shared histories of the sites to build character of marginalized citizens. Both properties serve as exemplary award-winning models for cultural institutions across the world. They embody cutting edge practices in low-cost conservation for empowerment, where the building character preservation becomes a catalyst for character building of marginalized communities. The positive impact of these approaches on tourism is obvious, particularly for sophisticated
travelers, who now gravitate toward destinations with inclusive approaches to embracing complex, shared and contested histories. Particularly now, when the pandemic and Black Lives Matters Movement have given us pause to rethink the motivations behind encounters with other cultures.
ADVANCING RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE SHARED FUTURE
Case Studies in Inclusive Preservation of Shared Heritage
BY:
Professor Samia Rab Kirchner, Ph.D., School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University; Chair, Morgan Internationalizing of Education Committee
Professor Barbara Paca, Ph.D., O.B.E., Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park; Cultural Envoy to Antigua and Barbuda
David Owe, BSAED student, Morgan State University
Built and natural environments are ultimately and collectively tangible records of history and as “heritage” belong to time. Conservation, in its broadest sense, is concerned with the assessment of these environments in order to make it relevant for the present and ensure its survival in the future. At present, different legislative bodies are involved in promoting the conservation of the built and natural environments with minimal consideration of the interconnections between the two areas of conservation. A critical discussion regarding confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation.
The Heritage 2011 conference facilitated a critical and structured discussion on the confluence of built and natural heritage in promoting the notion of “cultural landscape” that is essential to further and more comprehensively develop the field of conservation. It brought together scholars from multiple disciplines and focused on conservation ethics as an essential component of environmental design within existing urban settings. As cities in the region grow and evolve at an unprecedented rapid pace, reversing the threats facing historic cultural landscape requires rethinking of the field of conservation.
Cultural landscapes can encompass vast and diverse areas, which are usually administered by different territorial and specialized authorities (e.g. the Ministries of Culture, Housing, Urban Planning, Tourism, Environment, Agriculture, Water Resources etc.). Therefore, the different national and local authorities responsible for zoning, infrastructure development, environmental and architectural conservation must establish effective co-ordination and define appropriate management tools to authentically preserve features of cultural landscapes. Integrity of the relationship between natural and built (cultural) environments is essential for sustainable conservation, making it a shared responsibility.
In recent decades, most practitioners and professional networks of conventional approaches to heritage conservation have limited their foci to only one or two of the following scales: interior building and building; building and site; site and neighborhood; landscape and metropolitan region. Today, with increasingly complex and daunting environmental change, more holistic approaches to responding to conservation needs require thinking and operating at these four scales or more. Several disciplines must take part in giving a new lease of life to historic buildings and sites. Archaeologists excavate layers of history to piece together and reconstruct the social and cultural life of a past civilization. Architects investigate the relevance of these artifacts to the diverse stakeholders in the present and develop a comprehensive conservation plan. Conservationists document, interpret and pursue a course of action to preserve, restore, or conserve the physical aspects of significant monuments. Curators ensure the appropriate restoration and public display of artworks associated with these monuments. Conservation of cultural heritage thus pursued can promote sustainable survival of the built and natural environments.
For the architectural community to engage meaningfully in heritage conservation, responsibilities and opportunities revolving around this activity need to be recalled, analyzed, and articulated. Addressing this theme of responsibilities and opportunities, the conference organizers challenged architectural practitioners, educators, and researchers and their counterparts in the environmental design fields to develop a paper in a number of thematic tracks dealing with the heritage notion, design realm, conservation context, and education and information.
More than two-hundred eighty authors from a diverse community of researchers responded with abstracts, and more than one hundred eighty of those submitted papers were submitted for blind peer review. The fifty-six papers that were selected for presentation at the conference come from a variety of disciplines and contribute to our understanding of digital media and its applications in cultural heritage. The critical nature of the subject has attracted authors from around the word and therefore the content of the publication provides a global perspective on the subject. This publication has been organized into twelve chapters that correspond to the conference sessions: Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Landscape Scale Conservation; Conservation of Rural and Vernacular Architecture; Cultural Landscape and Community Involvement; Addressing Physical Decay and Deterioration; Reflections on Conservation: Green Dimensions; Landscape, Ecosystem, and Environmental Conservation; Development Policies vs Urban Conservation; Conservation vs Cultural Identity and Socio-Cultural Issues; Conservation Perspectives from the Middle East; Sustainability in Conservation and Heritage Management; and Reflections on Conservation: Contemporary Perspectives.
This Volume of papers provides a structured path towards a regional framework for integrating conservation ethics in architectural, urban and environmental design.
The Editors and Conference Conveners,
Amman, March 2011
Thinking historically in the present, these properties are functioning as stages for reparation enhancing deeper understanding and respect for the African Diaspora. Our paper examines two former estates, Antigua’s Government House in St. John’s, and the Clifton Mansion in Baltimore, where custodians have engaged communities in preserving the building character and present shared histories of the sites to build character of marginalized citizens. Both properties serve as exemplary award-winning models for cultural institutions across the world. They embody cutting edge practices in low-cost conservation for empowerment, where the building character preservation becomes a catalyst for character building of marginalized communities. The positive impact of these approaches on tourism is obvious, particularly for sophisticated
travelers, who now gravitate toward destinations with inclusive approaches to embracing complex, shared and contested histories. Particularly now, when the pandemic and Black Lives Matters Movement have given us pause to rethink the motivations behind encounters with other cultures.