Archaeology and nature: hyblean cultural landscape and territorial ...

like the Park are fundamental for the construction of the identity and sociability. That is, therefore, a
sustainable contribution to the areas of the city with social problems (12).
The sustainable development processes for cultural heritage preservation requires an understanding of
communities’ multi-variants (16), where the territory embodies the heterogeneity and complexity of urban
live, which in turn requires multicultural recognition (28). A territory that embraces the historical landscape of
a minority’s culture, its aural and its visual memory, is a landscape that can be seen, smell, heard, full of
colors, full of remembrance. Then the functions of the urban space are also cultural heritage (4) and its
sustainability is understood as a socio-historical process (9).
If the cultural heritage is taken as a component of the sustainable development through the social
sustainability approach, it would be a huge step to go beyond the traditional cultural heritage preservation
approaches. At the same time, it would let the heritage to be stand into the socio-cultural components of the
sustainable development in a comprehensive way.
5. Conclusion
The Spirit of Place theory for cultural heritage preservation converges with social sustainability by linking the
people, its natural and created environments and their “chances of life” in the space. So, when it comes to
cultural heritage preservation, both theories lean on the protection of the existent relationship between
humanity and its surrounding nature and space, rather than on the material elements and the physical
objects resulting from this connection. This means the traditional perspective for cultural heritage
preservation is inverted: before it was first the recognition of the object (material features) to then recognize
the subject (community). Now, framing the cultural heritage into the social sustainability approach for
sustainable development, the subject (community) is recognized as the first component, thus the social
function of the cultural heritage lies in the recognition of the subject to then heed the object.
The case of the park Mirador de los Nevados is an example of how an urban renewal project for cultural
heritage preservation, rather than starting from the recovery of a physical object, it can began dealing with
the socio-cultural representation of a specific community, and then make it tangible through the
materialization of the Spirit of Place. Namely, the perspectives for cultural heritage preservation do not
necessarily need to be based on the material heritage. Instead, this process must be done based on the
cultural and social needs of the people living in the area that is going to be protected, preserving the Spirit of
Place without splitting the tangible and intangible components of the heritage.
Social sustainability establishes that to make tangible the immeasurable Spirit of Place for cultural heritage
preservation, it is necessary the inclusion of the community. The cultural heritage existence is not
represented only by its materiality. The reason of the existence of cultural heritage lies on its constant
revitalization through the daily usage given by the community. The inclusion of the community into the
cultural heritage preservation process has to be focused on the social function of the cultural heritage which
contributes to its renovation. Not considering the habitants, their experiences and values, lead to what Van
Der Hammen (2009) calls “shell heritage”, cultural heritage conservation processes fragile like an eggshell: if
there are no people willing to live and preserve heritage in their everyday life, it would be very easily broken.
Another important alternative to shift the traditional cultural heritage preservation to contemporary ones,
where the heritage becomes an essential foundation for sustainable development, can be found in the social
sustainability “soft themes” which are also totally linked to the perspective of Spirit of Place. Although there is
a lack of methodologies to assess the intangible expression of the social sustainability, that does not mean
these “soft themes” are not fundamental elements for the placement of the cultural heritage into the social
sustainability approach. Well-being, happiness, memory and identity seem to be subjective and
immeasurable, but when they are connected to cultural heritage processes, they become expressions of
equity, inclusion, adaptability and security. The park has become a fundamental scene for equity and
inclusion for the Musica and the Suba inhabitant to participate in community as cultural and social groups or
as individuals. Also, this site is also a tool for the people’s adaptability to social and urban changes, as well
as offers a safe and supportive environment.
When the communities’ identity is recognized and printed in the space, its infrastructure and in urban
policies, those themes are notorious in the way the inhabitant uses and experiences the space, as well as it
can be noticed how the social tensions are reduced. In the case of the park Mirador de los Nevados, it is
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