Economic revitalization of historical paths, Analytical study of the tourist attraction property

Historical Paths suffer from negligence for a long time as a result of inappropriate interventions, the miss use of unsuitable activities and the loss of public space, which took away their tourist attraction. The research problem is represented by “the absence of obvious vision about the role of economic revitalization mechanisms as a type of sustainable revitalization in tourist attraction for the historical paths”. The aim of this paper is to revitalize the historical paths and makes them tourist hubs, while these paths suffer from a physical and economic obsolescence. As well as building a theoretical framework about economic revitalization and its relation to tourist attraction property. The research hypothesis is that “the mechanisms of economic revitalization have a role in achieving the tourist attraction of historical paths, preparing and activating them to become effective and attractive historical tourist paths”. The current study adopted the descriptive analytic methodology in describing and analyzing a selected sample (the path of Suq Al-Safafeer). The research finds that the mechanisms of economic revitalization (such as the density of lands using, functional diversity, functional regeneration and redirecting cultural and artistic activities) played a role in achieving tourist attraction for the historical paths. The research emphasized that economic revitalization can lead to activate these paths if it was invested in sustainable way.


Introduction
Historical paths suffer anegligence due to the deterioration of their urban structure as a result of the inappropriate interventions, the miss use of these paths by unsuitable activities, the absence of the public awareness, the lack of the basic function for the paths structure and the squatting on them. Thus, it was important to study economic revitalization, through which these paths can be transformed into historical and tourist paths, invest and activate them by number of mechanisms of economic revitalization, which enables the reproduction of handicrafts and industrial crafts.
The research addressed the most important literatures that studied economic revitalization and tourist attraction. The importance of this paper is to build a knowledge base about these concepts. To achieve the aim of the research the following methodology was adopted: • Building a comprehensive knowledge framework about the economic revitalization and tourist attraction property. • Building questionnaire and applying the items of the theoretical framework on a selected sample (Suq Al-Safafeer). • Reaching to results, conclusions and recommendations. The economic revitalization pattern, which is a type of sustainable revitalization of historical commercial paths, was studied by Liu Yang [1]. One of the mechanisms that is adopted in revitalization of these paths is functional restructuring, which has large and continuous economic effects through which the value of the land can be significantly increased, and this provides an opportunity for recreational and Tourist development. The functional restructuring represented by restoration of neglected historical urban spaces and physical structures of neglected or abandoned buildings and reuse them according to the nature of the region.
Vuralarslan Tulin et al. [2] addressed their study on the economic revitalization of historical urban areas through active economic use of buildings and spaces. Their study clarified the most important mechanisms for economic revitalization to restore the economic feasibility of historical commercial areas in long term. Then first mechanism is, (functional restructuring of historical buildings) as it indicates the introduction of a new job that replaces the former , and the provision of new facilities, the use of unused and abandoned buildings in addition to unused shopping paths to encourage tourist. The second mechanism is (functional regeneration) which is represented by maintaining and improving the competitive ability of retail trade, which means keeping the same function and activating it to meet the urban needs. The third is (functional diversity) which indicates new uses that coincide and support the economic basis of the region.
Harsimran Kaur et al. [3] indicated in their study that the economic revitalization whether for the historical center or the historical paths through activating the open and abandoned places with new and wide range of uses. In addition, improving the tourism contact with the region through historical paths and offer tourism as one of the options for economic revitalization. It also indicated that tourist attraction can enhance economic opportunities for the historical region, and stimulate the local community in order to enhance the production of local craft materials, and this would increase the possibility of selfsufficiency for the country and achieves the link between cultural heritage and the local economy.
Ibrahim F and Abdul Ghani S [4] offered mechanisms for the economic revitalization of deteriorated areas to revive them economically through economic restructuring, re-orientating the events, functional regeneration and the intensity of land use, that emphasize tourism improvement, in addition to the introduction of new activities for the old region, so that they do not affect its value and keep pace with times. It also helps to enhance the ability of city infrastructure to meet the requirements of creative economies.
Keyvanfar A et al. [5] focused in their article on the economic revitalization to achieve the tourist attraction of the region, and to improve the economic development of tourist places; as the tourist attraction helps in creating a strong relationship between tourist sites and the values of heritage and environmental places and to build a walk able external environment, and provide public facilities. Also it helps to develop mixed and various use, employment opportunities for the tourist industry, place promotion, provide ecosystems to conserve the environment, and encourage people to participate in economic rehabilitation projects.

Historical paths
The historical path [6] is defined as one of the ancient paths exists in a city. It is one of the historical center components, which holds the values of historical and architectural heritage; it enjoys authenticity, architectural and urban style and unique historical features with their heritage landmarks and functional diversity. These paths are considered as archeological sites hold necessary economic values, and have some or all of these values: (Aesthetic, symbolic, spiritual, social, authenticity, and the value gained from collective memory).

Tourist historical paths
The tourist historical paths [7,8] is defined as a tourist historical elements connects several valuable tourist destinations, and it is a type of tourist space that achieve comprehensive development and balances between spatial values and the requirements of population and tourists due to its unique structural property. This element is featured by authenticity, uniqueness and promotion cultural, urban and natural heritage which linked with various activities. This type achieves sustainability through its dimensions (urban, economic and social dimensions) which benefit the society.

Economic revitalization
It is a type of long term sustainable revitalization, it deals with the function of the region or the building and how to refresh and revive them. Its purpose is to achieve economic sustainability that contributes to meeting human needs, improving their living conditions, addressing aspects related to mixed land use, tourism, economic attraction, economic stability, income level and employment [9]. This type linked to the functional component to meet contemporary needs in terms of (creation of new jobs in a given place, jobs diversity so that both resident and tourist accept them, as recreational and cultural activities, build an outdoor and a shopping environments that can be walked and improve the environmental quality) then, providing economic growth for the region [5].

Principles of economic revitalization
Economic revitalization is represented by a set of principles as follows [10]: (1) Mixed use. (2) Providing job opportunities. (3) Enhancing and improving living conditions and meeting human needs. (4) Improve the preservation and prosperity of the real estate market. (5) Providing services that serve the tourist industry. (6) Using local capabilities to create self-sufficiency, in order to secure long-term costs for preserving historic buildings and areas, and encourage local products and craft industries for economic restructuring.

Items of concluded theoretical framework
These items are given by the following subsections: 6.1. Tourist attraction property Dictionary of hospitality travel and tourism has defined tourist attraction as the property of a place that includes a group of activities and additional specified services as an important part of culture, comfort and welfare, to receive tourists to historical sites. It represents the most important property, that must be available in tourist cities in general, and historical centers in particular, because of their heritage, architectural and urban values. Tourist attraction within the historical paths achieved through several items, these are: 6.1.1. Tourist attraction tool: It is represented by the functional activities of the tourist paths, and represented the core of the tourism product, as follows [8]: (a) The comprehensive tourist path: It provides the tourists with live views in terms of many stages that the region has passed through until this day. It also shows the architectural, historical and cultural richness of the region. Through the comprehensive path, the tourist can take a comprehensive and complete view of the old city, which is characterized by its wide range of functions and activities along the path. (b) Traditional trade tourist path: The path combines shopping and wandering in the markets areas that allows identifying the archaeological and heritage monuments of the old city at the same time, and it reviews traditional commercial and industrial products. The purpose of this path is to take the tourist in a tour through a wide range of crafts and various important markets in the places of traditional crafts and shopping, and they include two types of markets path: covered markets, and open markets. (c) Tourist heritage cultural path: It is a path where the artistic and cultural activities, such as museums and heritage landmarks, which represented as tourist attraction. (d) Natural entertainer tourist path: It is a path extending along the a river edge from one or two sides and represents the natural attraction. (e) Spiritual path (religious tourist path): It includes the religious buildings. 6.1.2. Tourist attraction elements: Tourist attraction include many elements as follows: (a) The identity of the place: Identity represents the formations of formal structures plus local conditions, and is determined by the general formation pattern of blocks, the basic patterns of the structure (traditionally represented by the organic pattern, contemporary represented by the grid iron system) .Voiding and opening around the tourist element to enhance its function through establishing various activities. Schulz [11] pointed out that identity depends on the concept of belonging to space, represented by the detailed elements (architectural details) in order to achieve a sense of place through symbols, inspired by the culture and memory of society, and borrowing traditional details of facades from the style of the historic region itself (arches, openings, entrances, roofing methods, finishing materials, ... etc.). Also, rehabilitation of traditional uses can support the traditional tourist identity and harmonization in design [11]. (b) Accessibility: Accessibility is very important for connecting people to public spaces and different service locations and surrounding places, that are related to the nature of movement within historical paths as being obstacle or easy. It is considered an obstacle through ( the presence of vehicle movement, the exploitation of shop owners by displaying their goods in front of their stores, and waste) . The clarity of the entrances, the locations of the stop points that are along sidewalks, private parking on secondary streets, providing parking lots, and their availability near the intended place. Their absence affects negatively on the point of tourist attraction, and thus affects the tourist income in the city [12]. (c) Image and comfort: They are emphasized through (furniture elements within the path), which are considered as attraction element, and encourages tourists to attend, and influence the use and satisfaction [13]. Furnishing elements include tourist signs, guiding boards, plants climbers, lighting poles, shading, seating and waste containers [14]. Comfort depends on tourists satisfaction through providing these elements in the historical path [13]. (d) Uses and Activity: They are provided to meet the needs of residents and tourists through the activation of economic injections represented by entertainment, cultural, marketing, and industrial handicrafts activities [10]. The cultural tourism uses represent by (community art shows, festivals and celebrations, exhibitions, heritage events and cultural festivals, such as highlighting the customs and traditions that identifies the place) [12]. Other use is commercial , which is located within the historical paths and alleys designated for a certain purpose, and extend along the path in the old centers and includes (traditional markets, retail, market services, traditional handicraft industries, bazaars) [12]. These activities help to promote a sustainable tourist environment that is attractive to society, and make the paths as effective attractiveness. They include commercial, cultural and recreational activities .

The Standards of evaluating the tourist attraction:
The attraction Standards include: (a) Tourists services: Include restaurants, cafes, ticket parts and public transportation [15]. (b) Safety and security: Safety and security are among the tourist attraction standards that include (information about theft incidents, fire accidents) [15]. (c) Environmental quality: Includes introducing clean technologies to the environment, solving sanitation problems in the area, providing open spaces, reducing waste, awareness and cleaning campaigns inside the paths [15].

Mechanisms of economic revitalization
This section aims to display the mechanisms of economic revitalization on the functional revival level and as follows: 6.2.1. Land use intensity: Through creating some urban spaces, changing the use of some nodes, exploiting empty places and removing random activities, as it works to create vital places, that meet the needs of society, and the effective economic use of protected buildings and public spaces.

Functional restructuring:
A change can be made in the uses or new activities that replace previous uses on a large scale [16].

Functional diversity:
It is introducing new uses within the path with a specific effectiveness (the introduction of a permanent function). They should be complementary to the old job, enhance and strengthen it, in order to attract people more to that place. For example cultural events, marketing activities, and craftsmanship to display manual manufacture of local heritage products and learn how to manufacture them. The entertainment activities include (the presence of restaurants, cafes and places for displaying the tourist destinations and the inherited value of the selected region through monitors, to introduce visitors to the most important landmarks and the way to visit them [16]. 6.2.4. Functional regeneration: Keeping the remaining uses , but operate them more efficiently or profitably on a large scale according to the requirements of the times in the region and improve them. The economic regeneration is the revitalization of the region, the activation and stimulation of the economy and the restructuring of the economic industries, represented by (reactivating the place) [16]. 6.2.5. Re-orienting artistic events: In order to form a historical marketing path with a number of events, by finding attractive activities in historical centers (bazaars, handicraft, musical performances, plastic arts), they are called temporary attractive activities. These activities work to strengthen the identity of the historical path and the historical region, restore its cultural role and increase the recipient's awareness of the place [16].

Abstracted theoretical framework and items coding
The abstracted theoretical framework included two items, namely the tourist attraction property and the mechanisms of economic revitalization, as in the following tables 1 and 2: The historical path as a tool of attraction (X1-1) Traditional commercial tourist path. (X1-1)1 Industrial craftsmanship tourist path.
The pattern of general formal composition of blocks (traditional, contemporary). (X1-2)2 Belonging to space Facades architectural details , inspired by the culture, memory of society and historical events.
(X3-4)5 Uses and activity (X1-5) Cultural uses (community art shows / festivals / heritage events / restaurants and cafes).  To test the validity of the research hypothesis; a questionnaire was prepared. The form addressed the most important main and secondary term and possible values of the two terms (the tourist attraction property, and economic revitalization), which are explained in the abstracted theoretical framework. A mechanism of measurement was developed for each indicator of items by identifying a question, and the answer was specified in two ways (yes, no). Where (yes) indicates a weighting value (1)    Suq Al-Safafeer path is part of Bab Al-Wastani/ tradtional markets in old Rusafa, and is one of the most valuable architectural markets. It is specialized by selling copper accessories, traditional and folk industries, handicrafts and folkloric trades that attract tourists, and it consists of shops, khans, and traditional twisted and narrow alleys that shops are attached to both sides of them, it is a type of covered market [18].
Despite the architectural importance of Suq Al-Safafeer, it is at risk of collapse due to the succession of its use over centuries and its neglect ion over that period and declining tourist importance. It is a narrow, long broken path of width ranges from (3.5 -5) m .Its width at the beginning is (3.5) m, and (5) m at the center, when the path breaks. Most spaces within the path were transformed into goods storage spaces as a result of the increased places of wholesale trade areas, which led to pressure on the urban structure in the region and to an increment of the narrowing of the marketing corridor due to displaying goods and the exploitation of sellers to the marketing path. It was changed from the traditional utensils crafts to a diversity of goods display such as fabrics, heaters wick, welding and decorations. This opposites the movement of the people with the goods movement and difficulties of access and obstacles of parking, these factors caused the loss of vitality of the path in particular, the historical center in general, and reduced the investments mainly and terminated its sustainability.

1. Results of analyzing the first item (tourist attraction) property (X1)
The item X1 is related to the achievement of eight secondary items (the historical tourist path as a tool for tourist attraction, place identity, accessibility, comfort and image, uses and activity, tourist services, safety and security, environmental quality). By analyzing the measurement results of this main items through its secondary items, it was found that:          Figure 14. By analyzing the results of measuring the main item (tourist attraction) (X1) within its secondary item,, we conclude that there is a variety within its secondary items, where the (identity of place)item (X1-2) achieved a clear superiority (92.5%) of the item value. Secondly came the item (the historical tourist path as a tool of attraction) (X1-1) which achieved a ratio of (77.5%) of the item value, followed by (security and safety) (X1-7) which achieved (65%) of the item value verification, Then followed by (uses and activity) (X1-5) which achieved (42.5%) of the value, and then (Accessibility) (X1-3) which achieved (36.25%) of the item value, followed by (Environmental Quality) (X1-8) which achieved a small percentage (17.5%) of the item value, and then (comfort and image) (X1-4), which also achieved a small percentage (12.5%) of the item value, and finally (Tourist services) (X1-6) which recorded the lowest percentage, (7.5%) of the item achievement. Therefore, we note that the tourist attraction (X1) achieved (43.6%) in Al-Safafeer path in the real situation as shown in Figure 15.

Results of analyzing the second item (the mechanisms of economic revitalization) (X2)
The main item (the mechanisms of economic revitalization) (X2) is related to the achievement of five secondary items (land use intensity, functional restructuring, functional diversity, functional regeneration, reorientation of cultural and artistic activities). By analyzing the measurement results for this major item in its secondary items, it was found that: , where it achieved (34.3%) of the item value, followed by the index (exhibits of Suq Al-Safafeer) ((X2-2)1), where it achieved a percentage of (25.7%) ) of the item value. Through the item of functional restructuring, it is possible to introduce a new function that replaces the preceding of some abandoned, closed and worn out buildings located on Al-Safafeer path , as introducing (crafts museum, exhibitions, educational craft workshops) in addition to restructuring the (Khans) by entering new function to them, this is also applied to abandoned buildings, especially on the first floor that serve as warehouses only and most of them are abandoned, to activate the aspect and make it a tourist attraction, as shown in Figure 17.    2) that achieved (75%) of the item value achievement. This means that through the functional regeneration of the path (maintaining the functional craftsmanship and updating it more efficiently according to the age) helps to revive and refresh the region, as shown in Figure 19. 10.2.4. Redirecting cultural and artistic activities item (X2-5): Result analysis showed that there is a difference between the indicators, where the superiority of the (bazaars) index ((X2-5)1) appeared, it achieved (43.7%) of the item value verification , followed by the (Fine Arts) index [(X2-5)3] that achieved (34.4%) of the value, then followed by the (Musical Performances) index ((X2-5)2] which achieved a small percentage (21.9%) of the item value achievement. It is possible to reveal these temporary activities at certain times, along the path for its uniqueness compared with other days, as shown in figure 20. By analyzing the results of measurements of the main item (the mechanisms of economic revitalization) (X2) within its secondary items, we conclude that the secondary items are close to each other, where the (functional restructuring) item (X2-2) achieved a clear superiority of (87.5%) ) ,followed by the item (functional renewal) (X2-4) which achieved (83.3%), followed by the item (reorientation of cultural and artistic activities)) (X2-5) achieved (80 %) of item achievement value, then followed by the item (functional diversity) (X2-3) that achieved (77.5%) of the main item value, and finally the item (land use intensity) (X2-1) which achieved the lowest percentage (57.5%) of the item value, as shown in Figure 21. Thus, we notice that the item of mechanisms of economic revitalization (X2) achieved (77.16%).

Conclusions
1. It is concluded that the historical paths have the bases of tourist attraction and can be transformed into tourist paths for their architectural and cultural character, which helps to motivate attraction and tourism. 2. It is necessary to focus on the aspect that reflects the historic and cultural product of the country through the identity of the place. When the paths owns identity, in addition to its uniqueness with traditional pattern and sense of belonging to space, it will achieve the tourist attraction plus the sense of security. 3. It is necessary to focus on providing tourist services within the path, through the nature of path movement, accessibility, providing private parking, and provide public transportation to reach the path easily, in addition to providing other tourist services such as restaurants and cafes inside the path. These services lead to tourist attendance in the historical path, and then increase its attractiveness. 4. To increase the attraction of the historical path, there must be elements of furnishing the path, especially those that give psychological comfort to tourists and users. 5. The research focused on how to transform the historical path into an attractive and effective tourist path through several mechanisms of economic revitalization such as (land use intensity, functional restructuring, functional diversity, jobs renewal, reorientation of temporary activities). 6. It is necessary to introduce of (new functions), this is called functional restructuring, that is, the introduction of cultural uses such as artistic performances, heritage activities, cafes and restaurants, which are at the level of (Khans), and neglected buildings and the currently closed and worn ones to activate and return them to life after being neglected and used for storage only. Also it is necessary to exploit abandoned places and remove random activities that are incompatible with the value of the path. 7. In addition to the traditional commercial function of the path, it is possible to introduce entertainment and cultural functions, that can be complementary and permanent to the original functions of the path , through functional diversity. 8. Reorienting cultural and artistic activities that use temporary jobs that may be at some times (occasions) along the path, such as fine arts, musical performances, bazaars, etc.