Abstract
The paper Heritage Impact Assessments as an Advanced Tool for a Sustainable Management of Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites: From Theory to Practice interprets UNESCO’s decisions to include the concepts of cultural landscapes and historic urban landscapes and to use cultural heritage as a pillar of sustainable development as a paradigm shift with regard to the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Instead of focusing on the conservation of isolated monuments, ensembles or natural areas devoid of people, preservation strategies now have to concentrate on inhabited areas on a large scale. Such complex cultural World Heritage properties often face considerable pressure to change. In this context, Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) are increasingly applied to assess transformations in cultural World Heritage properties. However, such studies still show highly variable qualities when implemented in praxis. Against this background, it is argued that there is a need to link both heritage management and HIAs closely to strategies of urban and regional planning and related governance policies. Consequently, the theoretical starting point of the paper is that HIAs need to be combined closely with planning processes and participation strategies in order to avoid failures in assessment processes and to fully explore their potential to support the sustainable development of complex World Heritage properties. Both present shortcomings and potentials in the practical application of HIAs are shown on the basis of several case studies. Finally, an outline of necessary future steps in research and education with regard to the practical use of HIAs in cultural UNESCO World Heritage properties is provided.
Published Version
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