The paper examines theoretical and analytical premises for developing a systematic characterisation of spatial heritage in the urban landscape. Spatial heritage is proposed as alternative and active link between material and immaterial agencies in the formation of the cultural landscape over time. We probe the application of interdisciplinary research at the interface of spatial history, urban heritage, and space syntax studies to expand heritage definitions and understand the role of diachronic spatial elements in urban sustainability. With the use of space syntax analytical methods, we test quantitative descriptions of typological definition of ‘gateway-pathways’ in the urban landscape. The term refers to routes that historically connected peripheral settlements to the urban core of contemporary cities. The typology was developed during on-going research by the first author at the University of Zagreb as a part of Heritage Urbanism project with reference to a sample of 18 Central European cities that were formerly provincial capital cities of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This paper looks at the city of Zagreb, Croatia and assesses its historic pathway typologies via syntactical analysis using the transect method established by Bill Hillier. Results give a quantitative validation of the spatial significance of some historical urban pathways over others.

Underground space has always been used as a resilient solution in addressing the need for safety in terms of climate conditions and defense purposes. This research seeks to recognize the potential of the underground space in the city as a significant urban resilience strategy, with the aim of revealing how contemporary underground architecture is integrated with the public spaces on the surface and how this groundscape integration contributes to the quality of the use of the public spaces to achieve urban resilience. Public spaces have a crucial role in the environmental, social, and sustainable context of the city and are considered urban domains for spatial urban intervention that contribute to urban resilience in its broader understanding. Based on the review of underground space research and the comparative analysis of selected contemporary design projects, the research explores the integration of underground space in correlation with its utilization model based on contemporary design projects. The research results in the systematization of underground utilization among underground infrastructure, underground living settlements, and urban development to offer insights into the enhancement of resilience planning through the contemporary multifunctional usage of underground space. The contribution of this research is reflected in the methodology of developing the criteria for a groundscape resilience concept, in terms of perceiving underground space as an integral urban layer, its multifunctional utilization, and in terms of achieving urban resilience.

Numerous examples of urban, architectural, and landscape projects indicate global and continuous interest in memorial design without a comparative study of their contextual similarities and differences. There is no clear terminological and conceptual framework of how memorials are designed nor if they are perceived as diverse types of public places. This research combines multiple results of extensive and on-going research on memorials as places for people to reconnect with past events, circumstances, or persons, with the aim of building a theoretical and conceptual framework within the domain of architectural and urban design. The main question is how the design of memorials achieves remembrance as well as healing of both places and communities through conciliation, mediation, forgetting, learning, and planning new concepts for future urban development. The term (de)linking with the past is proposed for describing the importance of achieving these various memorial functions. The resulting dualistic conceptual framework of memorials includes eleven design principles based on models and methods of spatial interventions which can enable communities to move forward from traumatic events and negative emotions towards building a basis for a better future by learning from the past.

Cities are systems composed of urban and natural landscapes with intangible and tangible layers, continuously developing and overlapping

The urban fabric of cities is in constant flux. This paper is focused on two areas of former “Fotokemika” industrial complexes for production of photographic materials, located in Zagreb and Samobor. Complexes are analyzed based on previous studies, archive material and field research. The results compare their urban transformations in contemporary urban context with new uses. The aim is to detect urban, micro-urban and architectural characteristics in order to understand how they change through time within each city by comparing the initial contexts in the first half of the 20th century and contemporary situations followed in the period between 2020 and 2024.