Urban Commerce and Protected Cultural Landscape

From the analysis of the urban landscape, the investigation focuses on the role of commerce in historical urban areas and their relations at present with the landscape, in relation to the preservation of heritage values. Trade plays an essential role in historical urban areas, both in its past and in its present, since it is part of the urban landscape, creating it and modifying it but also preserving it. The historical protected urban areas contain diverse elements that reflect the impact of the commercial activity existing in the city throughout history. At present, the urban landscape of commercial activity is made up of a multiplicity of typologies and formats. Trade interacts with the historical landscape in which it is developed and the heritage values of that landscape, using them to strengthen its strategies of attraction, differentiation and sales. The shop owners contribute to the preservation of historic urban areas by maintaining the commercial function in them. Therefore, we affirm that the role of commercial activity in the preservation of urban protected areas is essential. However, further research is needed because the scientific community specializing in the management of cultural heritage has not deepened in this aspect.