Sustainable Conservation and Urban Regeneration ― The Luxor Example

This book documents research activities and design experimentation carried out within the scope of a project addressing conservation, urban regeneration, responsible use of resources, and sustainable development in a truly exceptional place: the city of Luxor. The project is a collaborative venture between the Politecnico di Milano, the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, and the Luxor Governorate and is one outcome of a program established by the Egyptian government in 2009 with the goal of discovering a buried treasure, the “Avenue of Sphinxes”, which connected the Karnak and Luxor temples in ancient times. Readers will find an account of the excavations themselves, discussion of issues in restoration and conservation, and, above all, archaeological contextualization. Information is provided on integrated solutions to the problems arising from the scale of the excavation, for example in relation to urban morphology, the environment, road systems, infrastructure, housing, tourism, and individual and collective use of spaces. The book will appeal to all with an interest in strategies for enhancement of historical heritage in conjunction with urban regeneration and sustainable development.

Maria Grazia Folli graduated in Architecture after studying under Paolo Portoghesi at the Politecnico di Milano in 1972. She subsequently worked as a researcher, lecturer, and associate professor at CNR and Politecnico di Milano, and in 2000 was appointed Full Professor in Architectural and Urban Design. She has also been a Visiting Professor at Columbia University, New York; the Technische Hochschule, Zurich; the Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture de Paris-La Villette; and the Ecole d’Architecture de Lyon. Dr. Folli has been responsible for numerous design projects within Italy and overseas and has been the recipient of many awards in international design competitions. Recently, she has been coordinator of the project Architecture and Sustainable Development based on Eco-Humanistic Principles and Advanced Technologies without Losing Identity, within the European TEMPUS Program. She has also published extensively, her output including books and essays on contemporary themes in architecture and sustainable development.