Bringing Heritage-Based Urban Regeneration and Development to the Road: Success Factors and Principles by ad-hoc expert Matthias Ripp

Three successful projects from a European context have recently used cultural heritage as a starting point for urban development and urban regeneration:

The URBACT II project HerO (Heritage as Opportunity), in which nine European cities used heritage-management plans as a tool for urban development (City of Regensburg et al., 2011).

The Halland Model project, in which mechanisms of the regional labour market in concert with the local cultural heritage were transformed into training opportunities for unemployed construction workers developing planning mechanisms for the adaptive re-use of historic buildings, which then stimulated regional sustainable development based on this cultural heritage (Gustafsson, 2009).

The COMUS (Community-based Urban Development) project in which, together with the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Organisation of World Heritage Cities, a number of medium-sized and small towns in Eastern Europe – with a strong involvement in the local cultural heritage – were used as a starting point for urban development (Ripp & Stein, 2018).

The three projects shared some key points: All of them used built cultural heritage for urban development and urban regeneration. They understood cultural heritage more as a system that gave a strong role to its users and local communities. Rather than using a traditional preservation-centred narrative, in which the safeguarding of cultural heritage was the final objective, they used a new narrative, in which cultural heritage was more a tool and instrument to reach other objectives. The projects managed to implement a proven contribution to the quality of life for local communities. Building on these projects KAIRÓS (Heritage as Urban Regeneration, 2019-2022) developed its five- pillar model:

Governance. In particular participatory approaches and enabling regulatory frameworks for heritage valorisation in mid-sized towns and cities.

Space. Valorisation and adaptive re-use of urban heritage, including multi-functionality and specific urban planning solutions for historic quarters.

Economy. Entrepreneurial itineraries, business models and technologies related to heritage valorisation and heritage-led urban development and regeneration.

Attractiveness. Re-imagining the ‘heritage city’: from local identity to sustainable destination management.

Social Cohesion. Addressing accessibility and inclusiveness of historic quarters.

This structure of the KAIRÓS project is responding and taking into account the systemic understanding of urban heritage and elaborating and testing heritage as a starting point for Urban Regeneration.

On the analysis of the COMUS, HerO and the Halland projects, a set of transferable principles can be developed to enhance and ensure the success of projects in other heritage cities. Despite the context-specific individual character of each site, the commonality of these principles means that they can be universally applied to support the design, evaluation, and improvement of already started heritage-based urban regeneration and development projects. To ensure the success of projects, heritage cities should:

- Invest in the scoping phase to develop an understanding of needed skills, timing, financial needs and areas where external expertise is needed, before starting the actual process.

- Start with mapping and an analysis of the potential of the specific cultural heritage.

- Develop a common understanding of what the challenges are, together with communities, stakeholders and decision-makers.

- Implement o an integrated approach, bringing together different users, stakeholders, sectors, disciplines and types of heritage.

- Understand heritage as a system that includes objects, projects, people and processes, rather than only historic buildings.

- Remember that the final objective is always to improve the quality of life of local communities rather than solely preserving historical objects.

These principles are following the spirit of Miguel Rivas (2021, p. 19) who noted in the Theme note #Space - Valorisation and Adaptive Reuse in the Heritage City of the KAIROS Project: “The integrated approach is a must-do to fully realize the potential of heritage valorization as a driver for sustainable urban development.” Interdisciplinarity and cross-sectoral cooperation through an integrated approach - as for example referred to in the Leipzig Charta and the New Leipzig Charta- is a necessary precondition for successful heritage-based urban regeneration and development.

The full analysis and article is available here.