Knowledge is power : policy analysis of the World Heritage property of Edinburgh

Current theory defines conservation as ‘managing thoughtful change’ and recommends a landscape-based approach towards urban heritage management. The recent UNESCO (2011) recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) provides guidance on such a landscape-based approach at an international level. However, it is now up to national and local governments to implement the six steps (A-F) presented in the HUL. By means of a policy assessment, this paper aims to reveal the incorporation of the first step (A), ‘mapping the city’s natural, cultural and human resources’, within the policy of the World Heritage City of Edinburgh. For this purpose a recently (2013) developed assessment framework by Veldpaus and Pereira Roders was used. The framework is based on the HUL approach and the evolution of concepts in international standard setting documents (1963-2011) leading up to the HUL. Using the framework, Edinburgh’s heritage policies were assessed, revealing the state of resource mapping in relation to the HUL recommendation. The results will add to the discussion whether the current policies in Edinburgh are accurate and detailed enough to manage their World Heritage property

Knowledge is power:monitoring the world heritage site of Amsterdam: a policy analysis

World Heritage Cities, like other cities, need to be able to evolve to meet the needs of their current and future citizens. This requires both socio-economic and urban development. The challenge lies in finding a balance between this need for development and the need to safeguard the cultural significance of urban heritage.The recently adopted UNESCO recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) aims to assist in finding this balance between development and conservation by providing guidance in the implementation of a so-called landscape-based approach. This comprehensive approach consists of six steps (A-F), this paper reflects on an investigation into the workings of the first step, 'mapping the cities natural, cultural and human resources', by looking at the World Heritage City of Amsterdam as a case study. Making use of, and as such testing, a recently developed framework based on the HUL and the evolution of global heritage policies leading to HUL, the current state of spatial and heritage policy in Amsterdam will be assessed, uncovering the possible gaps in resource mapping as recommended by HUL. This will add to the discussion whether or not the current policies in Amsterdam are accurate and detailed enough to manage their World Heritage Site, by the standards of the HUL. It will show to what degree Amsterdam's heritage policies comply with the HUL. It is revealed that Amsterdam maps both tangible and intangible resources, without distinguishing resources of cultural significance and factors that affect the property. Resources are mapped reactively on a need-base. The tangible resources are predominantly mapped on the level of the object, while the intangible resources are exclusively oriented towards functionality and society

Knowledge is power : monitoring the world heritage site of Amsterdam, a policy analysis

World Heritage Cities, like other cities, need to be able to evolve to meet the needs of their current and future citizens. This requires both socio-economic and urban development. The challenge lies in fi nding a balance between this need for development and the need to safeguard the cultural signifi cance of urban heritage. The recently adopted UNESCO recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) aims to assist in fi nding this balance between development and conservation by providing guidance in the implementation of a so-called landscape-based approach. This comprehensive approach consists of six steps (A-F), this paper refl ects on an investigation into the workings of the fi rst step, ‘mapping the cities natural, cultural and human resources’, by looking at the World Heritage City of Amsterdam as a case study. Making use of, and as such testing, a recently developed framework based on the HUL and the evolution of global heritage policies leading to HUL, the current state of spatial and heritage policy in Amsterdam will be assessed, uncovering the possible gaps in resource mapping as recommended by HUL. This will add to the discussion whether or not the current policies in Amsterdam are accurate and detailed enough to manage their World Heritage Site, by the standards of the HUL. It will show to what degree Amsterdam’s heritage policies comply with the HUL. It is revealed that Amsterdam maps both tangible and intangible resources, without distinguishing resources of cultural signifi cance and factors that affect the property. Resources are mapped reactively on a need-base. The tangible resources are predominantly mapped on the level of the object, while the intangible resources are exclusively oriented towards functionality and society

The Edinburgh approach to urban heritage : why a buffer zone?

The architectural ensemble of Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, UNESCO World Heritage since 1995, is among the sites affected by urban development. The absence of a buffer zone is assumed to be one of the causes of the impact and the recently adopted Historic Urban Landscape approach aims to assist on managing and mitigating impacts of urban development by integrating urban heritage conservation and urban management. Edinburgh has a long history in this approach, as it was the living laboratory of Patrick Geddes. To ensure that eminent patterns of change caused by urban development do not negatively impact the attributes conveying cultural significance of outstanding universal value in Edinburgh, this research is following in Geddes footsteps. It aims to discuss the effectiveness of the current management plan including tools such as the local conservation areas and the skyline study by mapping changes. The research is intended focus on the benefit globally and locally on the future of the buffer zones and discussions on buffer zones for new and future nominations to the World Heritage list