ABSTRACT
This chapter contains some brief reflections on the protection of late twentieth-century architecture in an extremely complex global landscape. It deals with four other more general issues relating to protection tout court. Among these is the so-called 'relational' value which, together with the time factor, is mainly critical-theoretical. On the other hand, the three remaining issues, the relationship between the monument and context, the design aspects of the means of protection (planning for protection) and the gradual nature of protective measures (protection as a process) are closely related and are more practical. In many European countries where 'monuments' and their surroundings are covered by a single measure, heritage protection is exercised by means of planning tools and, mainly, by local authorities: in Portugal, for example, where the relevant protection zone is 50 metres, and in France, where the perimeter might extend as far as 500 metres.
