ABSTRACT
The ways in which people think and act are bound to particular cultural contexts and are therefore specific in time and place. Given that the cultural heritage sector should appreciate this, it is somewhat ironic that the need to preserve the heritage for the future is widely taken for granted, both in the heritage sector itself and society at large. The “spectre of non-completion” and the possibility of alternative futures is relevant to all buildings and a significant part of their cultural heritage too, deserving more attention. Detailed discussions of the future in the literature about heritage are few and those that take place are often about ensuring continuity of the present rather than preparing for future change. Even at the highest international level, a potentially different significance of heritage in the future, compared with the present, is seldom considered. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
