On the meaning of natural beauty in World Heritage designation

This paper examines the concept of natural beauty with respect to the designation of sites to UNESCO's World Heritage List: it will explore this criterion in light of the fact that beauty is subjective, culturally specific and non-universal, unlike the other measurable criteria. In order to illustrate this issue, the author traces the history of UNESCO world heritage regulations as it leans heavily on historic concepts of wilderness, the picturesque, and the sublime. This paper will explain past selection of sites, and can help understand applications going forward.