Historic Urban Landscape Conservation: Current Status and Future Prospects

[Objective] It has been nearly 20 years since the concept of historic urban landscape(HUL) was put forward in 2005. At present, theoretical research on HUL is still being conducted at home and abroad by scholars with multidisciplinary backgrounds, and understanding the theoretical connotations of the cognition, preservation, and change management of HUL is of important scientific significance for contemporary heritage conservation.[Methods] This research draws keyword co-occurrence map and timeline analysis map by the biliometric analysis method and, in combination with a thorough reading of representative literature, sorts out the research areas,priorities, and trends related to the theory and practice of HUL conservation at home and abroad.[Results] The connotations of HUL are intrinsically linked to the value, attributes,layers, and setting, as evidenced by extensive research conducted both domestically and abroad. While foreign research primarily summarizes and practices the implementation steps and tools for conservation of HUL through global pilot cities, domestic research has evolved from an early conceptual introduction to an ongoing exploration of the theoretical methods for HUL conservation and their application in the practice of heritage conservation and urban renewal.[Conclusion] HUL as a "concept" is an object of heritage conservation, and clear theory and method have been formed for the cognition and conservation thereof. In addition, a research paradigm has been established, which takes time as a clue to understand how heritage landscape has evolved over time. HUL as a "method" is a method for cultural heritage conservation. The management research and practice of landscape evolution from the present to the future are still in their infancy, but theoretical and methodological exploration thereof can help guide urban renewal design and heritage resource conservation and management in the future, thus achieving the sustainable development of urban heritage.