Classification and Quantification of Urban Geodiversity and Its Intersection with Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Urban geodiversity is a complex entity that includes both natural and anthropogenic geological and geomorphological elements, thus requiring broad and interdisciplinary approach to its inventorying and assessment. To estimate and evaluate the widest possible range of urban geodiversity, and to explore the intersection between geo- and cultural heritage, an inventory of 615 natural and anthropogenic geological features of the city of Poznań, Poland, has been established. The preferences of the general public were studied to examine the possibilities of developing urban geotourism. Statistical analyses allowed the estimation of the reliability of the assessment method. The study shows that in the urban environment, anthropogenic geodiversity is rich, although in most cases it scores low in the evaluation. The results of the quantitative assessment reveal few significant correlations showing that the criteria used are not overlapping. However, the preferences of potential geotourists are not consistent with the outcome of the quantitative evaluation. Landforms significantly altered or completely destroyed by human geomorphosites, located in the city centre and close to tourist venues, were selected the most times by the users of the interactive map, but none of these geodiversity sites are included in existing geosite inventories, and most of them ranked low in the assessment process. Studies of potential geotourists’ preferences are therefore required before any strategy for tourism development is adopted.