Sustaining Heritage Patterns in Mining Towns of the North American West: A Historico-Geographical Approach

Abstract

Urban morphology provides essential methodologies to inform processes for heritage preservation and design intervention in historic places. Among principal research methods used by urban morphologists, the historico-geographical approach is particularly helpful for interpreting formative and transformative processes and for identifying key elements that define the physical structure of historic contexts at a town or neighbourhood scale. This article will discuss applications of an adapted historico-geographical approach to analyse heritage patterns in 19th-century mining towns located in mountainous regions of the western United States. Profiled case studies are part of an ongoing study intended to inform design and revitalization processes by architects, planners and community stakeholders in the region.

Keywords

• urban morphology
• historico-geographical
• town plan
• preservation
• design guidelines