In the 21st century, cities present themselves as scenarios where complex dynamics related to cultural heritage converge. The "old" cultural heritage, the cultural heritage that began to be protected, studied and enhanced in the 19th century, still survives today as an important symbolic reference point for cities. However, successively more complex and holistic visions of what we might call urban heritage have been integrated alongside it.  In a chronological order, first an enlargement of the heritage gaze is happen. The focus of interest shifted towards the urban space as a heritage asset and a new protected heritage category appeared with different names: "groups of buildings", "urban sites" or "historic areas" (“conjuntos históricos”, category of the Spanish Historical Heritage Law for instance). In relation to this, and more recently, we have begun to speak of Historic Urban Landscape, in accordance with the postulates of UNESCO. The objective was to overcome very focused visions on the built and/or topological dimension of historical urban sectors (urban fabric, views, architectural typology, design of urban space...)  to integrate immaterial aspects closely associated with their heritage values such as ways of life, social uses of space, customs, socio-economic dynamics of identity, etc. ......

 

In a new stage, and already at the beginning of the 21st century, the concern for the conservation and management of "traditional" urban heritage converges with a growing interest in the so-called "other urban heritages". We are witnessing interesting processes of heritagization of spaces and elements that had not been included in the concept of heritage. Industrial remains, workers' housing, urban infrastructures and facilities, dissonant heritage, intangible heritage of migrants and ethnic minorities all participate in this broadening of the concept and extend "heritage" to the urban and metropolitan peripheries, overcoming the classic association between urban cultural heritage and the historic centre.

 

Finally, in a last twist, it is striking how urban heritage is entering (or may enter) the world of the metaverse. The relationship between digitisation and heritage is already being deployed at an operational level in many areas: preventive conservation, documentation and analysis of cultural heritage, intelligent management of urban heritage spaces, incorporation of technology in the tasks of communication, presentation, training and/or dissemination of heritage, automation of administrative processes related to heritage management, etc. However, a technological future is beginning to take shape that can immerse us (and therefore immerse cultural and urban heritage) in a parallel world known as the metaverse, which is more complex than the virtual reality techniques developed to date. This is a space of virtual relationships in which there is (will be) not only social interaction, but also economic and labour relations and space for leisure, tourism and culture based on experiences that are situated in "another dimension". Why not learn about the incipient initiatives related to the incursion of urban heritage into the metaverse?