A Framework for Sustainable Heritage Management: A Study of UK Industrial Heritage Sites

PurposeThis paper presents participants' experiences of the collaborative process. The paper introduces the World Heritage Site and presents the central learning outcomes of a process through which researchers and practitioners sought to develop an empirically-grounded, site-specific and practice-led research agenda relevant to World Heritage management. The purpose of this paper is to discuss an approach to improving collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the World Heritage field.Design/methodology/approachFrom September 2021 to April 2022, a research-practice team comprised of social scientists and managers of the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site in Norway participated in a capacity-building pilot initiative under the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership programme. Bringing researchers and practitioners together in a joint collaborative process, the Heritage Place Lab (HPL) pilot programme aimed to function as an incubator for developing research agendas for World Heritage Sites.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that close collaboration between heritage researchers and practitioners can benefit World Heritage Sites, offering managers valuable inputs for informed and inclusive decision-making. In the case of the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site, an improved understanding of the diversities in local values would benefit management, as existing management issues underpin the site's complexity. Furthermore, fruitful collaborations between heritage researchers and World Heritage managers depend on an overlapping and reflexive understanding of central concepts. This can be achieved through collaborative research-practice processes but is likely to require careful time management.Originality/valueFocussing on the collaborative process between World Heritage researchers and practitioners, and using additional information for comparable World Heritage examples obtained online, this paper shows how research interests and management challenges can be developed and aligned more successfully through cooperation and improved communication over time. Beyond the specific results for the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site, the broader discussion presented on the challenges and importance of addressing the complexities of managing heritage sites will be valuable for other World Heritage Sites and managers.

This paper addresses the general theme of conservation and/or change of heritage sites in urban and regional planning. The particular focus is on the management of UNESCO industrial World Heritage sites in Europe. Industrial heritage refers back to historic innovation and continues to be embedded today in innovation-orientated urban and regional development. The question that our study examines is: In which aspects does the management of an industrial World Heritage site coincide with (or differ from) that of areas of innovation? We identified criteria both for the management of industrial heritage sites (“Good Practice Wheel”) and areas of innovation (success factors for European Science and Technology Parks). In an online survey, we asked managers of heritage sites to evaluate management criteria. Completed survey responses were obtained for 22 of 38 European sites (58%) in 12 of 15 countries concerned (80%). Our study clearly shows an overlap of conservation and innovation priorities even in the management of UNESCO industrial World Heritage sites, and underlines the importance of integrative, “good” heritage management.

PurposeIndustrial heritage works within a world of contradictions, contentions and scalar liminality. Archaeologists and historians focus upon oral histories and discourses of tangible and intangible memory and heritage while planners and economists see industrial World Heritage, in particular, as a marketing ploy to redevelop deindustrialized spaces. Within this liminality, we explore the potential for geographical perspectives to solder such contradictions into transdisciplinary heritage assessments and tourism contexts. How might the spatial tools of landscape and scalar analyses expose alternative and sustainable futures within broader patterns of industrial heritage management and consumption?Design/methodology/approachUsing three comparative cases, interview and landscape methods and conducting discourse analysis within a spatial and scalar framework, we explore the increasing presence of industrial World Heritage.FindingsWe present both an institutional reflection upon the complexities of heritage discourse across complex spatial configurations and the intersectional historical, cultural, political, environmental and economic geographies that guide and emerge out of World Heritage Designations. Framed scalarly and spatially, we highlight common interpretation, tourism and heritage management styles and concerns found across industrial World Heritage. We point out trans-scalar considerations for future municipalities and regions looking to utilize their industrial landscapes and narratives.Originality/valueWe believe that more theoretical groundings in space and scale may lead to both the flexibility and the applicability needed to assess and, in turn, manage trans-scalar and trans-spatial complex heritage sites. These perspectives may be uniquely poised to assess the complex geographies of industrial, particularly mining, World Heritage Sites.

Globally, types of the inscription of World Heritage have diverged from monuments, group of buildings, and sites, but spread to concepts of living heritage, cultural landscape, and industrial heritage. Moreover, as new concepts like series heritage and trans-national heritage emerged, the inscription of world heritage turned into an essential issues of national competitiveness. In this kind of the stream of times, this paper has 3stages which have focus on industrial heritage. First it draws ambiguous arguments of the inscription of World Heritage found in ‘Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution -Kyushu·Yamaguchi and Related Areas’, which Japan aims for the inscription in 2015. These are as follows; What constitutes industrial heritage? Is a certain period of time the only criterion for the inscription? How should we define a buffer zone? Can some parts of complex type industrial heritage be intended for the inscription? Can we inscribe the industrial facilities which are still working today as a World Heritage site? The second stage investigates and evaluates the criteria and grounds of the inscription of 59 industrial heritage sites which have been inscribed as World Heritage after 1978. Based on these 2 stages, the third stage reasons out abjective principles that industrial heritage should have as World Heritage. This study may not be the results which reflected the views of international experts of industrial heritage or passed the discussion stage, however it is judged to be the expansion of the province and th grounds of both quantity and quality level of activation of industrial heritage as World Heritage.

Industrial regions across the developed world have experienced a period of steady decline since the 1960s. The regeneration of former industrial sites, particularly for tourism, has become an expedient strategy for targeting the economic and social deprivation often associated with de-industrialization. This places significant expectations on heritage not only as a contributor to the more immediate regeneration process but also as a vehicle for long-term sustainable development. Using data drawn from a case study of UK industrial World Heritage sites, this article presents findings that indicate the need for procedural and institutional innovation if industrial heritage sites are to respond to the challenge of sustainable development. The paper concludes with a model of sustainable heritage management that is relevant to other complex historic sites.

Management plans have now been published for the five United Kingdom industrial World Heritage Sites—Ironbridge Gorge, the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, the Derwent Valley Mills, New Lanark, and Saltaire. Many consider these to be exemplars in their field.This paper aims to present the context; give examples of the management parameters, objectives, and progress in implementation of the management plans for the five United Kingdom industrial Sites; relate these back to the provisions of the World Heritage Convention; and extract guidance that is relevant to the preparation and implementation of management plans for other complex heritage sites, specifically historic towns and cities.Although the management plans quoted in this paper relate to World Heritage Sites, they are relevant to complex heritage sites irrespective of whether they have achieved World Heritage status.

This research investigates how the concepts of ‘heritage’, ‘landscape’ and ‘participation’ are articulated within legal documents and policies which manage heritage (in particular the World Heritage Convention and the European Landscape Convention) and by laypersons. The purpose is to explore the semantic differences existing between these two categories and to understand the implications for the development of participative heritage preservation and management policies within cultural landscapes. I argue that power relationships between the categories of ‘experts’ and ‘non-experts’ produce different articulations of heritage values and meanings, and consequently generate disengagement in the identification, definition and preservation of a heritage site. This discussion is developed through the analysis of an Italian case study, the UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, inscribed in the World Heritage List as a ‘cultural landscape’ since 2014. The data collection and generation have been divided into two main focuses: preliminary documentary research combined with interviews with different typologies of stakeholders (heritage professionals, local people and women wine producers). I suggest that the development of participatory methodologies based on consultation and negotiation could generate a more inclusive identification of heritage values and meanings, attentive to different ways of articulating, preserving and managing landscape. This does not mean resolving all the conflicts or achieving a general consensus, but rather providing people with capacity building tools and skills, in order to facilitate the articulation of heritage values and also to rethink - and maybe redefine - heritage markers. To conclude, I argue that the lack, or presence, of stories in the landscape has important cultural, political, social and economic consequences in the present and that the links between these factors have to be revealed in order to develop more inclusive practices.

The article presents a reflection on the complexities and contradictions of world heritage sites management processes, specifically in the Brazilian case of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, which was inscribed in the cultural landscape typology in July 2016, on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—UNESCO. The case study aims to demonstrate that the inscription of cultural landscapes located in urban areas on the World Heritage List is a recent phenomenon, and as such, requires a review of the concepts and methodologies previously in force in the field of urban cultural heritage management and conservation. In the midst of contemporary discussions about the management of cultural landscapes, the value-based approach and the concept of cultural significance stand out, as both deal with the “management of change” inherent in the field of cultural landscape conservation and management. In light of this background, the article aims to reflect on the following issues: (1) What are the developments and effects of the inscription of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble as a Cultural Landscape on the World Heritage List? (2) What are the contemporary methodological approaches for the conservation/management of a Cultural (Urban) Landscape? (3) What would be the limit of acceptable transformations in a world heritage cultural landscape without losing its O.U.V.—Outstanding Universal Value? The article intends to problematize and promote reflection on such questions, aiming to elucidate the transformations that have occurred both in the symbolic and conceptual dimensions, as well as in the policies and instruments of preservation of cultural heritage over time, and to discuss the concepts, theories and practices of conservation and management of cultural heritage, especially of world heritage cultural landscapes.

With a brewing history spanning over four millennia, Yibin city is adorned with myriad traditional distilleries that have dotted its landscape since ancient times. In recent years, industrial architectural heritage has approached the forefront of cultural heritage research, presenting new opportunities and challenges for the preservation and utilization of industrial architectural heritage sites, including distilleries. Employing field investigations and a multidisciplinary approach, this study uses data on 62 distilleries that are industrial architectural heritage sites. The analysis delves into the distribution, composition, and architectural features of the sample data, considering both production and nonproduction elements. Subsequently, the quantification of historical, societal, technological, artistic, and economic value enables an assessment, establishing an appropriate evaluation system. The research outcomes are intended to offer technical support for the conservation and utilization of heritage sites in the brewing industry, while concurrently serving as a reference for the preservation and utilization of distinctive architectural buildings in local industrial heritage sites.

Purpose Scholarly discourses regarding heritage values for sustainable heritage management abound in heritage literature but appear elitist as they tend to exclude the perspectives of the people at the lower echelons of society. The study explored the values ascribed to a global heritage monument by the people living around a global heritage site in Ghana and the implications of their perceptual values for sustainable heritage management. Design/methodology/approach This study used the qualitative design. It was guided by Costin’s heritage values, community attachment theory and values-based approach to heritage management. Data was gathered from the local people living close to the heritage site, and the staff of Museums and Monuments Board at the heritage site. Data were gathered through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews and analysed using the thematic approach and most significant stories. Findings The results revealed that the local people were aware of the economic, aesthetic, historic, symbolic and informational values of the heritage monument but showed little attachment to the monument. The main reasons for the low attachment were the limited opportunity for them to participate in the management of the monument, and the limited opportunity for direct economic benefits from the heritage asset. Research limitations/implications A comprehensive understanding of heritage monument management that reflects the perspectives and values of the local people is imperative. Practical implications United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and Ghana Museums and Monuments Board could consider a more community-inclusive heritage management framework that takes cognizance of local values and perspectives to ensure sustainable heritage management and development. Social implications The values and perspectives of the local community matter in heritage management. The heritage authorities need to engage more with the community people and educate them on the best practices regarding the sustainable management of World Heritage Sites. Originality/value This paper argues that the management of global heritage sites should not be elitist in orientation and character. It should respect the principle of community participation for inclusive development.

The identification and preservation of cultural landscapes worthy of protection is a challenging task, as their significance is often not immediately apparent. Analyzing the process through which a site or landscape became a heritage site and understanding the historical context and the factors that contributed to its designation allows making informed decisions on the management and preservation of the site. To provide research-based knowledge, this paper aims to analyze the transformation of the degraded remains of the North Pole expedition bases of Andrée and Wellman in Virgohamna, Svalbard, into a protected historic landscape and the subsequent emergence of the site as a current popular tourist destination. Virgohamna serves as an illustrative case for examining the heritagization process of cultural heritage sites in Svalbard. This article adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon case studies, mapping and categorizing the historic and current landscape, the condition and vulnerability assessment of historic remains, behavior studies on visiting tourists and guides on-site, expert interviews, and document studies. The findings highlight the complex processes that have influenced the making of the cultural heritage landscape in Virgohamna, the enduring narrative associated with the site, and the need for continued efforts to ensure the preservation and dissemination of its historical significance. Analyzing the process through which Virgohamna has become a heritage site and understanding the historical context and the factors that have contributed to its designation as a heritage site has the potential to enhance comprehension regarding historical importance and heritage values. Furthermore, it might facilitate engaging stakeholders and formulating management approaches and provide insights for policy suggestions. The comprehensive examination serves as a foundation for responsible and sustainable heritage management, ensuring the preservation and promotion of Virgohamna’s cultural heritage for present and future generations.

Welsh and coal heritage may seem synonymous in the context of Welsh identities. One of seven national museums, Big Pit and its associated memory work reflect and shape the intertwined dynamic discourses of Wales and coal for visitors. We explore these discourses through a mixed methodology, highlighting the changing and transcalar nature of Wales itself, particularly the devolution of the tourism, heritage, and culture sector in 1997 from the UK Government to the Welsh Government. How have the discourses of National Museum Wales and Big Pit shifted in conjunction with devolutionary power transfers? This paper reflects upon the complicated and fluid discourses of Welshness within the museum’s landscapes. Migration, the dialectic of capital industrialization, and the romanticization of the banal activity of work are all central to these discourses at the Big Pit. Transcalar relationships of tourism and heritage fuel and challenge these discourses as the Big Pit sits on the edge of a UK National Park, on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, and as a central institution of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site. These interscalar and geopolitical relationships of memory, heritage, and tourism emerge from our multisensory analysis and speak to questions echoing across the United Kingdom and other multi-nation states navigating spatial and temporal shifts in the geopolitics of their tourism sectors. All industrial heritage sites navigate national identities in overt and covert ways. The relationships between resources, heritage sites, the state, and visitors shape the landscapes of industrial heritage sites and their embeddedness into community and national narratives. As Big Pit has transitioned from a small industrial heritage site managed by the UK-overseen National Museum of Wales towards a major tourist attraction and equal member of the seven-site Welsh-overseen National Museum Wales, we identify geopolitical shifts in coal and national heritage.

Industrial heritage clusters, as integral components of cultural heritage, have received global attention. This study examines their spatial distribution and connectivity within karst regions using fractal dimension and complex network analysis, with five Guizhou industrial heritage clusters as case studies. Key findings are: Their spatial morphology exhibits pronounced topographic dependency, manifesting through building agglomeration, heterogeneous planar configurations, and diverse morphological patterns; The architectural relics network demonstrates weak overall connectivity, characterized by structural fragility, low stability, and balanced redundancy; Individual clusters display limited medium/high centrality nodes, dominated by low/medium competitiveness. Coordinator roles constitute the primary network functions, with location and transportation emerging as critical determinants. Based on these insights, the study proposes integrated conservation strategies for industrial heritage preservation and systematic restoration, alongside hierarchical classification frameworks. These outcomes provide methodological references for the sustainable management of industrial and cultural heritage sites worldwide.

Heritage sites often rely on defined boundaries for the management and interpretation of heritage discourse. Just as communities, regions, and nations can use space for defining, othering, and legitimizing, so, too, do heritage managers. Although heritage sites are (b)ordered—similar to communities and nations—we can also follow a path whereby a fuzzy understanding of these spatial boundaries dominates a heritage designation, highlighting the dialectics of intangible and tangible heritage within a protected area. More complex conceptualizations of conservation and how heritage can or should be managed, interpreted, or marketed increasingly lead to more creative strategies for performing heritage work. Three such examples include industrial World Heritage Sites in León, Cornwall, and Wales. Each of these World Heritage Sites includes three to ten spatially disparate areas across large tracts of land and encompasses varied and significant elements, unique communities, and political units. To understand these complex spatialities, their management, and their perceptions, we ask how heritage stakeholders interpret the simplest geography of these protected areas—their boundaries—using mental maps. Stakeholder geographies shape and reflect spatial understandings of these protected areas. In this article, we explore what heritage areas are included or excluded in stakeholder perspectives and why, as well as consider the alignment of these areas with official site boundaries. Using mental mapping and a comparative spatial analysis, we observe, via a small sample of stakeholders, the spatial fuzziness of geographically disparate protected areas.

The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of visitors to World Heritage Sites in Europe and North America, given their specific location and characteristics. Visitor flows are approximated by 680 million Instagram posts for about 525 World Heritage Sites. Independent variables encompass year of inscription, size, type (monuments, churches, castles, architecture, industrial heritage, archaeological sites and cultural and natural landscapes), covered by the danger list, inclusion criteria and country of location. Results using robust regression and spatial lag models show that entire world heritage cities receive the highest number of Instagram posts while industrial heritage and prehistoric sites get the lowest number. The number of Instagram posts is significantly higher for the few World Heritage Sites included in the danger list and World Heritage Sites that are nominated in the early years of the programme.