Challenges concerning geoheritage in urban areas

Urbanisation is a rapidly growing global phenomenon. It is predicted that by 2050, over two-thirds of the world’s population will reside in urban areas, which will continue to expand in size. Urban sustainability presents a significant challenge, and the role of Earth Sciences in addressing this challenge is often underestimated. This includes the impact of urbanisation on natural resources, the built environment, and the health and well-being of urban populations. The location and site selection of a city are closely tied to geological geomorphological and hydrological factors. To comprehend cities and gain a correct understanding of their future development, it is crucial to understand the geological settings of the area prior to human presence and how the latter has impacted the abiotic components of the landscape over time. By taking a more comprehensive approach to urban geology, we can better understand the complex interactions between the natural and built environments and improve more effective strategies for sustainable urban development. While much of the scientific literature on urban geology has focused on geological hazards that can affect cities, such as hydro(geo)logical issues, landslides, seismic and volcanic risks and although risk evaluation is crucial for proper urban planning, geological disciplines offer more than just that. Natural hazards related to abiotic components represent a significant challenge to urbanisation, and are a fundamental prerequisite for comprehending the interrelationship between cities and abiotic parameters. In addition, the presence of geological resources is also a factor to be considered. The geological nature of rocks, the availability of water and mineral resources, the topographic and morphological conformation, the underground cavities of anthropogenic nature are fundamental resources for cities. Finally, the palaeontological heritage or the landscape observed from viewpoints in the city are other aspects of geoheritage in urban areas. Urban geoheritage has been extensively studied in numerous cities across various geographical regions. Most case studies are concentrated in Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, and United Kingdom. Additional case studies cover non-European countries such as Brazil , China, Iran, Mexico, and Nigeria. Identifying, evaluating, protecting and promoting urban geoheritage is an imperative objective for geoheritage research and for the sustainable growth of the cities of the future. In this chapter, the characteristics and specificities of urban geoheritage, the methods used for its assessment, the vulnerability of urban geoheritage, and its potentials for geotourism and education are successively addressed.