PHILOSOPHY OF URBAN SPACE AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: CONTEMPORARY THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The contemporary city is a complex entity where historical heritage faces pressures from globalization, digitalization, and post-colonial reconsideration. This theoretical study aims to analyze how urban space, as an arena for socio-cultural and political interaction, is transformed by architectural heritage, and to define the role of digital technologies in its preservation and conceptualization. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating methods from philosophical analysis and critical urban studies. Its foundation is a comparative analysis of key transformation concepts: reconstruction, revitalization, renovation, and gentrification. These are examined not merely as urban practices but as philosophical constructs for deconstructing contemporary urban processes. The study finds that architectural heritage is evolving from a passive object of preservation into an active symbolic resource that shapes cultural identity and collective memory. Digitalization is identified as a key factor, not only documenting but also fundamentally redefining how heritage is conceptualized and engaged with. Furthermore, processes like gentrification and renovation are shown to be not just economic mechanisms but also instruments of cultural policy, influencing the inclusion or exclusion of social groups from the urban narrative. The scientific novelty of the work lies in synthesizing classical philosophical approaches with digital heritage practices. We conclude that modern urban philosophy must account for the dialectic of the material and the digital, where architectural heritage becomes a platform for cultural sustainability. This interdisciplinary perspective offers a refined framework for analyzing the evolving urban environment, highlighting heritage's role as a dynamic agent in city formation. The findings provide a theoretical basis for developing integrated urban strategies that balance technological innovation with the preservation of cultural authenticity