An evaluation of historic urban landscape approach applications in post-conflict cities through scientific literature: The case of Aleppo

The UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, introduced in 2011, advocates for a holistic understanding of urban heritage by integrating heritage conservation into urban planning. This perspective provides crucial insights to guide planning decisions and manage urban change. However, as several researchers have argued, the implementation of this approach requires stronger support from academic studies to achieve broader adoption. Additionally, the application of its six-step action plan has been insufficient in post-conflict historic cities. A review of systematic studies on HUL-related research reveals that existing literature reviews have not adequately addressed the implementation of the HUL framework in post-conflict contexts, highlighting a significant gap in the field. This research aims to bridge this gap by identifying and evaluating the challenges in implementing the HUL approach in post-conflict cities, focusing specifically on scientific literature published between 2016 and 2024. The ancient city of Aleppo, which became a post-conflict city in 2016, serves as the case study. For this critical review, the study employed content analysis to conduct a systematic review of 35 selected studies on Aleppo. The six steps of the HUL action plan were used as the primary categories for the content analysis, with subcategories defined by specific keywords associated with each step. The findings revealed several limitations in applying the HUL framework in Aleppo, including an overemphasis on the Old City, data collection challenges, and a lack of participatory elements. Future research may focus on how to foster collaborative methodologies, expand the scope of case studies, and emphasize the integration of community memory and social healing into recovery efforts from a HUL approach. The six steps would bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring the HUL framework evolves into a comprehensive tool for sustainable urban recovery. Keywords: Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Approach, Post-conflict cities, Systematic literature review, Urban conservation, Aleppo.