East Asia abounds in water, with wetlands in every corner, and the culture of wetlands is entrenched in daily life. The epitome of this is the rice paddy, but there are other traditions as well. The hope is that this document can increase the discourse on the unique cultural characteristics of each country and region as well as the similarities unifying East Asian cultures.
The aim of this research is to: 1) identify the negative impact of conservation policies implemented in living World Heritage sites on the social quality of traditional communities; 2) develop a design tool constraining spatial morphology to overcome the negative influences on the social quality The study leads to a new approach to conservation planning that takes into account sustaining social quality while enforcing UNESCO World Heritage conservation program.
