Environmental and policy perspectives in managing revolutionary heritage under urbanization challenges

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vietnam’s rapidly expanding urban centers, particularly Ho Chi Minh City, are encountering significant challenges in preserving revolutionary historical sites. These locations not only reflect the cultural and historical heritage of the country but also play educational, symbolic, and socio-political functions. However, urbanization has intensified land-use conflicts, led to the degradation of surrounding environments, and threatened the authenticity of these heritage spaces. The study aimed to analyze the connection between urbanization impacts the preservation of revolutionary heritage, in addition to evaluating the potential for including these sites in enduring sustainable tourism strategies. The Rừng Sác Revolutionary Site in Cần Giờ District is selected as a representative case due to its exceptional historical significance and location within an ecologically sensitive biosphere reserve.METHODS: This study employs a quantitative methodology, using survey data obtained from two hundred eleven participants, comprising residents, managers of heritage sites, and policy specialists. A structural equation modeling (also referred to as structural equation modeling in the main text) framework is developed to assess the influence of five primary factors on preservation outcomes: institutional policy, financial resources, community awareness, communication technology, and urbanization and infrastructure development.FINDING: All five factors were found to have a statistically significant positive influence on heritage preservation efforts. The most impactful factor has been urbanization, with communication technologies and public awareness following closely behind. While urbanization introduces substantial risks such as encroachment, landscape alteration, and authenticity loss, it simultaneously offers new opportunities to reposition revolutionary heritage within broader urban development and planning strategies.CONCLUSION: This study presents a validated analytical framework that merges policy, technology, and social aspects in managing heritage under urban challenges. It underscores the importance of policy alignment, digital innovation, and community involvement. The findings from the Rừng Sác case contribute to the broader discourse on managing cultural assets in rapidly transforming urban environments and offer valuable insights for cities facing similar development-preservation tensions.