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Geospatial Tool Development for the Management of Historical Hiking Trails—The Case of the Holy Site of Meteora

Author

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  • Chryssy Potsiou

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Charalabos Ioannidis

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Sofia Soile

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Argyro-Maria Boutsi

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Regina Chliverou

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Konstantinos Apostolopoulos

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Maria Gkeli

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

  • Fotis Bourexis

    (School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

This paper presents a holistic guiding methodology for the development of a geospatial tool to be used for the documentation, planning, smart management and dissemination of a country’s network of historic hiking trails. To deal with the challenges and to ensure the sustainability of a historic site, geospatial documentation merging authoritative and crowdsourced data and a WebGIS-based spatial analysis is necessary. Geospatial data collection should include professional field surveys, professional and crowdsourced photographic documentation and video recording of the existing historic walking/hiking trails. A geodatabase, structured using relational model technology, including vector spatial entities (feature classes), mosaics (raster) and tabulated data (geodatabase tables), should be developed on a commercial or open platform; in this case, the ArcGIS Pro is used. Entities with embedded descriptive information and metadata for the technical, legal, historical, and administrative context may then be created. An object-oriented data model is needed to connect spatial and descriptive information. Spatial and descriptive queries or correlations between attribute fields of spatial entities must be enabled for specialized information retrieval by either experts or users. Next, a web GIS application to present the developed geodatabase in a visually appealing and informative way is created. It should integrate 2D maps with built-in tools and should support advanced functionalities, such as: (i) pop-ups that display brief information and images about specific spots along the trails; (ii) dynamic visualization of the vertical profile of each trail; (iii) multimedia information about landmarks, natural features and scenic viewpoints. Finally, the tool includes a feedback service and continuous efficiency monitoring and assessment, and enables adjustments, if and where needed. The tool is tested and used for 10 historical walking/hiking trails of the archaeological and Holy Site of Meteora, Central Greece. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The network, with a total length of 35 km, leads to six monasteries, still active since the 12th century, passing by gigantic rocks and beautiful natural landscapes. The site is famous globally and the greater area is continuously overcrowded with visitors. The tool is anticipated to be used for the documentation and management of the whole walking/hiking historic trail network of Greece in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Chryssy Potsiou & Charalabos Ioannidis & Sofia Soile & Argyro-Maria Boutsi & Regina Chliverou & Konstantinos Apostolopoulos & Maria Gkeli & Fotis Bourexis, 2023. "Geospatial Tool Development for the Management of Historical Hiking Trails—The Case of the Holy Site of Meteora," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:8:p:1530-:d:1208787
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huan Yang & Ling Qiu & Xin Fu, 2021. "Toward Cultural Heritage Sustainability through Participatory Planning Based on Investigation of the Value Perceptions and Preservation Attitudes: Qing Mu Chuan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Shuang Zhao & Diechuan Yang & Chi Gao, 2023. "Identifying Landscape Character for Large Linear Heritage: A Case Study of the Ming Great Wall in Ji-Town, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Francesca Nocca, 2017. "The Role of Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Development: Multidimensional Indicators as Decision-Making Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-28, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ana Luque & Luiz Alves, 2024. "The Importance of Automatic Counters for Sustainable Management in Rural Areas: The Case of Hiking Trails in Historic Villages of Portugal," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Monica Moscatelli, 2024. "Heritage as a Driver of Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case Study of the Darb Zubaydah Hajj Pilgrimage Route," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-24, August.

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