Sacred Landscapes: Indigenous Spatial Frameworks for Contemporary Practice (Religion and Spatial Studies)

Positioned at the intersection of indigenous knowledge systems and spatial practice, this volume explores how ritualised, place-based epistemologies can reframe design and planning responses to global ecological crises. Departing from reductive Cartesian abstractions, it interrogates the systemic erasure of sacred space and advances a generative turn toward relational ontologies and decolonial spatial imaginaries. Landscapes are approached not as static heritage artefacts, but as living, agentive systems that co-produce meaning, identity, and ethical responsibility. Drawing on global case studies and innovative methodological approaches, including VOICE, Spiritual Tectonics, and Afro-Cosmological Design, the contributions explore the temporal thickening of sacred sites, where ancestral continuities intersect with emergent technologies. By integrating traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary metrics of resilience and sustainability, the book outlines actionable pathways for spatial practitioners. It speaks to researchers and professionals across architecture, urban planning, religious studies, cultural geography, and the environmental humanities.

Vikas Chand Sharma is an Associate Professor at Chandigarh University and a researcher at Guru Nanak Dev University, India, with 13 years of experience in architecture and urban planning. He specializes in sustainable urban design for historic cities, developing resilient frameworks through phenomenological inquiry and digital mapping. His research appears in the International Journal of Construction Education and Research, Landscape Research, and Journal of Architecture & Urbanism. He serves on the Scientific Committees for Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti (University of Florence, Italy) and Anales de Investigación en Arquitectura (Universidad ORT Uruguay) and is an Editorial Board Member for several journals, including Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Cities (WSSET, UK).

Dr. Anurag Varma, an academician, architect, and consultant, brings over 25 years of diverse professional experience. Currently, as the Executive Director of the Liberal Arts and Humanities cluster at Chandigarh University, he concurrently leads his self-owned design and planning consulting firm. His expertise spans spatial planning, urbanism, heritage conservation, and architectural design, showcased in leadership roles at a top-100 ENR rated International Design Firm and a leading workshare firm. His academic journey includes Doctoral research from TERI School of Advanced Studies, focusing on sacred cultural heritage and its intersection with urban planning in pilgrimage towns, alongside interests in sustainable built environments, architecture pedagogy, and advancements in education.

Dr. Qiuhua (Lisa) Duan is an Assistant Professor specializing in sustainable built environments, building performance, and advanced materials. Her research develops innovative solutions for energy efficiency and occupant well-being within resilient communities. Dr. Duan holds dual PhDs in Architectural Engineering (Pennsylvania State University, USA) and Disaster Prevention and Reduction Engineering (Tongji University, China). She has led some research projects funded by NOAA, the DOE and participated in US National Science Foundation initiatives. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications, her work focuses on energy-efficient building envelopes and indoor environmental quality, offering high-performance technical frameworks for contemporary spatial practice.