Information strategy to support the building intervention in rural Middle Eastern city centers: a multi-level knowledge for the management of Bethlehem city center

The urban reality of Middle East cities defines a close coexistence between their resilient historical center and the contemporary areas of expansion. The case study of the city of Bethlehem identifies a complex social reality in which remarkable architectural complexes and building construction features emerge as unique traditional examples of the stratified city. The presented research belongs to the cooperation project "3D Bethlehem - Management and control of urban growth for the development of heritage and improvement of life in the city of Bethlehem'', co-financed by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development AICS. The international collaboration between universities, territorial administrations and professional boards is developed under the scientific coordination of the University of Pavia that plans strategies of knowledge for the urban heritage of Bethlehem. The project deals with an action of international collaboration to plan strategies of knowledge and sustainable transformation for the urban heritage of Bethlehem. The structure of the city is studied according to a computational logic that provides for the recognition of minimal units of analysis. The original nuclei, the hosh, and the different mechanisms of aggregation and development of the houses are identified. Starting from these identifications, the elements and sections that make up the fabric of the historic city are catalogued. This city partition introduces a dense organization of agglomerates constituted by Building Units of several types and variations recovered together in a harmonious and compact system. Remarkable architectural complexes and building constructive characters emerge as unique traditional examples of the stratified city, considering both the historical values and the lack of best practices for architectural conservation. The criticalities of building intervention emerge and make it difficult to support the demolition and reconstruction initiatives promoted by private owners and monitored by territorial administration, while preserving the local heritage. The digitization of building-related information in an information system makes it possible to aggregate and show the results of a morphological, material, and technological census. The information collected regarding the conservation and functional status of the buildings is the dataset from which it begins the structuring of building and conservation operations, compatible with the theories of urban image conservation. The information system becomes a tool for managing urban complexity in order to develop the management and maintenance of the building heritage. The final objectives are to build an archive for preserving the memory of the urban image and simultaneously to provide the municipal administration with a tool advanced from scientific research and practically applied to urban planning and management.