Abstract

This talk will hear insight from four leading experts on culture and Heritage:

Dr Minna Sunikka (Centre for Sustainable Development, Architecture Dept, University of Cambridge) Sustainability and the existing building stock

Dr Christopher Young (Head of World Heritage and International Policy, English Heritage) Current state of the World Heritage sites in the UK and the latest changes in the regulations/challenges they face now (TBC).

Dennis Rodwell (Architect/urban planner/consultant UNESCO ) Management challenges in the World Heritage sites

Dr Ana Pereira Roders (Technische Universiteit Eindhoven) UNESCO Project: on-line tool on sustainable management in the World Heritage sites

Tatiana Vakhitova (PhD Researcher, Centre for Sustainable Development) Sustainability in the World Heritage cities: introduction to the research (UK-based case-studies)

Heritage plays an important role in a cities’ life: it helps to shape a communities identity, boost the economy through tourism and investment and allows efficient resource use (materials/energy) in case of reuse/rehabilitation of the buildings. Still urban development projects in most cases do not explicitly take into account all the values of heritage. Therefore we do not achieve the utmost in development projects from the potential social and environmental benefits of the historic environment.

Heritage is in many cases perceived as something that ‘complicates’ the project; rather than seen as an opportunity and advantage, potentially presenting a valuable ‘historical framework’ for development. Careful consideration of all the diverse values ‘embodied in heritage’(scientific, historic, social, aesthetic/artistic, besides ecological/economical) and its placement in the core of the urban development, are all argued to help the achievement of sustainability targets.