This book aims to examine the role and status of sacred cities in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and associated cultural and sacred landscapes with an emphasis on awakening the deeper cultural sense in harmonising the world and enhancing religious and spiritual tourism—all in the frame of “Future of the Earth”. The book adds a new dimension of cultural understanding to the broad domain of emerging human geoscience, which is considered as a platform for contributing to the role of holy-heritage cities towards sustainable development. Chapters include contributions from Austria, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the USA. Interfacing heritage cities and pilgrimages is a global concern in the contemporary world, which covers many points of view of the common impacts of socio-economic-cultural and jurisprudence planning, wellbeing and related domains. Concerned with the complex interactions between development and environment, the aim is to seek paths and implications for framing sustainability in all social activities through the status and role of holy-heritage cities. “As many essays in this book examine, striking a proper balance between the “tourist” and “pilgrim” uses of sacred sites remains a major concern, particularly in urban contexts.” (Prof. Francesco Bandarin, (ex) Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris).“This book is a masterpiece that illuminates the multitude of relationships between sacred space, urban environments, religious heritage, and pilgrimages.” (Prof. Dallen J. Timothy, Arizona State University, Phoenix, USA).“The book, genuinely an important collection of papers, has focussed on the interrelationship, interaction, and transformations in sacred heritage and pilgrimages in cities.” (Prof. Rima Hooja, President, ICOMOS India, SPA- New Delhi, India).“This book, the first of its kind, paves a solid path for understanding the interfaces between sacred heritage and pilgrimages in cities, which will help to strengthen cultural sustainability.” (Emer. Prof. Taigen Hashimoto, Indology, Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan).
