World Heritage cities: Amsterdam's canal district case study

The aim of this paper is to describe the impact of building merges on the condition of the Amsterdam canal district in terms of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as World Heritage property. The effect of building merges is investigated within a broader research and mapping process; that defines, locates and analyses the OUV of the property and aims to contribute new insight to management and monitoring discussions within Amsterdam as World Heritage city. This is achieved by researching the nature and occurrence of building merges and relating it to other mapping themes that describe the value of the architectural ensemble within the historic urban landscape of Amsterdam. Results indicate a causal link between building merges and the integrity of the property in terms of its building scale, façade composition, functional mix and architectural typology.