Reviving the past, enhancing the present: investigating urban morphology to enance urban heritage livability in Jordan's Salt City

In Jordan's heritage landscape, Salt City is a significant case study at the interaction between tangible and intangible qualities of liveable cities. Most Jordanian city centres are historical locations, including six designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Heritage preservation is linked to a larger physical and emotional context and reinforces a sense of affiliation with a location or space, unifying individuals with their ancestry. Enhancing liveability in historic city centres is a critical issue in contemporary societies. This research aims to develop a comprehensive theoretical foundation for cultural heritage preservation in Jordan, using Salt City as a case study. The article reviews literature on phenomena and<br/>theories affecting heritage preservation holistically, focusing on three main research areas: the heritage context, relevant theories, and understanding the morphological structure and spatial configuration of Salt City. Heritage sites in Jordan mainly suffer from rapid urbanization and unrestricted growth, adhering to the museum-style approach, in addition to the lack of comprehensive Jordanian Regulations to officially identify and safeguard modern heritage sites. The literature review results in a model for identifying phenomena and fields related to liveability, along with theories that influence the level of heritage preservation. This model holistically considers physical, spatial, emotional, and social aspects.