Application of digital tools in heritage landscapes: A Systematic Literature Review

This study provides a systematic literature review of the academic research on the deployment of digital tools and applications in Heritage Landscapes (HL) that are designated by UNESCO. While we frame HL as the sites of historical interaction between man and environment, in this paper we aim to document, analyze, and evaluate the scholarly efforts that illustrate how digital tools were applied within diverse context of HL including world heritage sites (e.g., historic urban areas, nature parks), biosphere reserves, and global geoparks. The study employed a scoping review methodology, starting with the definition of eligibility criteria, followed by the identification of suitable papers through search, screening, and selection. Followingly, a thematic analysis was conducted to systematically categorize and evaluate selected papers covering five key questions: Who (Researchers), What (HL type), Where (HL location), When (UNESCO recognition year), and Which (Digital technologies applied in HL). The results highlight four key observations: (1) While non-European researchers focus on the digitalization of HL within their own countries, European researchers are more involved in digitalizing HL in non-European contexts, (2) The scale of HL influences the choice of digital tools, (3) Certain digital tools are transversal across different types of HL, (4) There has been a shift in UNESCO site designations after the 1990s to include non-European HL.