ABSTRACT
This book discusses how these two concepts: urban heritage and development have been theorised and used by international intergovernmental organisations such as the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank and UN-Habitat. It explores how conservation and development come together in the notion of balance, which is an oft-heard planning objective, but in fact, one of the chief conundrums bedevilling contemporary heritage theory and practice as well as urban planning and management. More recent versions of the issue have led to more integrated approaches, balancing heritage protection with urban development, as seen in UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape. Local people are left out of discussions about the future of their places and innovative grassroots approaches to the development pressures faced by urban heritage are seldom considered. The book argues that the conservation of heritage can assist the achievement of sustainable economic growth and social justice. Social exclusion and unequal access to socio-economic opportunities are common threads.
