La conservación del patrimonio cultural es una responsabilidad colectiva que requiere fomentar la educación entre las generaciones más jóvenes, para lo cual es necesario favorecer el desarrollo de un sentimiento de vinculación. Con este objetivo, el presente texto analiza la aplicación de la Investigación Acción Participativa (IAP) como herramienta metodológica para generar conciencia social y vinculación con el patrimonio cultural. Aprovechando el marco del proyecto de investigación europeo ENACT-15mC, se presenta la aplicación en dos contextos formativos distintos: el Máster Habilitante de Arquitectura de la Universitat Politècnica de València y el ciclo superior de Formación Profesional de la Escuela de Artesanos de Valencia. Además de documentar y diagnosticar la crítica situación de los comercios emblemáticos del distrito de Ciutat Vella (Valencia), ha sido posible fomentar el desarrollo de una vinculación directa entre el alumnado y su propio patrimonio cultural, así como desarrollar cierto pensamiento crítico y compromiso con una realidad social próxima. En este sentido, los resultados evidencian el potencial de esta metodología para transformar la educación en una experiencia significativa, fomentando un sentido de pertenencia y responsabilidad colectiva indispensable para la protección del patrimonio cultural.

From the 1960s onwards, Benidorm (Alicante, Spain) established itself as an international tourist destination after undergoing an accelerated urban transformation that has presented challenges and opportunities for the preservation of its cultural and architectural heritage. Although its historical roots date back to the 14th century, the growth of tourism in the 20th century and the proliferation of skyscrapers have generated an urban landscape characterized by a striking contrast between its traditional and contemporary heritage. This study seeks to understand this complex urban evolution and its impact on Benidorm's cultural identity through historical analysis and its traditional and modern heritage features. Firstly, a historical study is carried out through the compilation of writings, plans, and photographs documented up to the present day and a detailed analysis of the urban evolution of the town, considering factors such as economic development, urban policies, and the transformation of land use. This is followed by a qualitative analysis of traditional heritage, which includes historic buildings and urban elements of cultural value, and modern heritage, represented by skyscrapers and other contemporary constructions that have redefined the city's urban profile. The study highlights how both types of heritage, although sometimes perceived in tension, are now an integral part of Benidorm's identity. This analysis seeks to contribute to the definition of strategies to balance the conservation of traditional heritage with the valorization of modern constructions, promoting a sustainable and respectful approach to the cultural and architectural richness of the city.

In the last decade, but especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, several cities around the world such as Paris, Melbourne, Shanghai and Ottawa or Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, are adopting urban replanning models to offer basic services to residents within a maximum radius of 15 minutes. This model of smart city, recently launched by Franco-Colombian urban planner Carlos Moreno, advocates a polycentric, multi-service and functional city in which every citizen can access the six priority urban functions to guarantee their quality of life: housing, work, local commerce, healthcare, sociability and public space. Ensuring these urban functions also allows us to move closer to achieving the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. The research presented here addresses the study of Valencia and in particular its historic centre from the perspective of a smart city or 15-minute city. The first part presents the methodology used to analyse whether or not these functions for urban life are fulfilled based on the most recent publications. Secondly, the databases offered by the Statistics Office of the Valencia City Council are analysed and interpreted to compare the data obtained with some existing works that grant the city of Valencia a fulfillment of more than 90%.

The European rural population has been in continuous decline since the 20th century. In the early decades, depopulation was primarily driven by rural-to-urban migration. Since 1960, demographic decline has intensified due to low birth rates and population ageing. These shifts have led to the loss of generational transmission of culture, values, knowledge, and traditions. Since vernacular architecture is predominantly located in rural areas, its preservation has been significantly affected by this phenomenon. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining a coded qualitative analysis of academic documents on demography, culture, architecture, and heritage using Atlas.ti software, version 26.0.2.33998, with a quantitative territorial risk assessment. The most recurrent themes since the 19th century are classified into two categories: threats and risks, or values and recommendations. By translating the codes identified in the literature into quantifiable vulnerability factors, a methodology was developed to evaluate risk levels affecting vernacular architecture in areas experiencing population decline. These were grouped into three categories: sociocultural, physical, and management factors. The results reveal that vernacular architecture vulnerability is shaped by the combined effects of demographic decline, the weakening of cultural transmission processes, deterioration of the building stock, and deficiencies in protection and management systems. This approach was validated through its application in 180 depopulated municipalities within the Valencian Community, Spain, demonstrating its ability to identify priority intervention areas, support evidence-based heritage management strategies, and provide a scalable framework for application in similar national and international contexts.