The Changing Role of Urban Heritage: Governance and Stakeholders’ Perceptions in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: on the author's experience in the heritage protection authority of Abu Dhabi Emirate in 2008-2012.In both contexts, it has been possible to observe certain recurring patterns and an evolution in the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the urban heritage, albeit set in different social and political circumstances.The rationale for this comparative cross-cultural analysis lies in the unique opportunity to examine the role of heritage for stakeholders in both contexts through empirical research, as they were simultaneously experienced first-hand by the same individual.The close familiarity with the stakeholders, the project processes and their cultural milieus, through observation and direct involvement, enabled a detailed and qualitative examination of behavior and decision-making, and an important insight into the underlying attitudes and value systems. Active and Productive: Evolving Role of HeritageThe new understanding of heritage as an urbanistic force that has a symbiotic relationship with development is advocated by various researchers in the field, and increasingly gaining recognition in related industries.Some notable examples are seen in publications of the Getty Conservation Institute (2011), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (2011) and the Scientific Symposium of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) themed Heritage as a Driver of Development (2011).As highlighted in these publications, the notion of the built heritage now gathers cultural values and meanings in a broader context, and the need for heritage is a signal of human societies trying to find themselves in a world dislocating under the effects of globalization.Heritage can move from a passive and aesthetic component, to a more active and assertive one, proposing visions and strategies for future development that combine conservation and 'modernity'.It can provide lessons in reaching a more balanced, sustainable form of development offering cohesive social relationships, human scales and successful adaptation to the physical environment, such as by vernacular buildings that use local materials and techniques.Long considered a factor of additional cost, heritage is increasingly considered as a resource supporting economic development and social welfare.Investment in heritage produces attractive returns and positive impacts on land value, though methods to evaluate this are often still commercial and short-termoriented.Cultural tourism can be a form of sustainable development, as it is integrated within the local socio-economic context and cultural identity.Concepts and methods for the management of historic cities can make essential contributions to urban planning, as the analytical appreciation of the historic city reveals a repository of ideas that can provide continuity in city building.All these opportunities require a change of attitude, where we must question our expectations of buildings, and accept to modify our usage according to local environmental constraints (ICOMOS, 2011, 9-11; Siravo, 2011, 4-5).
Author: Ayşe Ege Yıldırım
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2276862224