Public preferences for heritage conservation strategies: a choice modelling approach

David Throsby,Anita Zednik,Jorge E Araña

doi:10.1007/s10824-021-09406-7

David Throsby, Anita Zednik + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-021-09406-7

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Abstract

Studies aiming at valuing cultural and natural heritage projects are often focussed on one or only a few sites, whereas planning decisions concerning the allocation of public funds to heritage conservation deal with classes of heritage rather than single sites. In addition, such planning decisions are almost always concerned with non-monetary values that need to be incorporated into assessment procedures if the total value of alternative strategies is to be estimated. In this paper, we put forward and estimate models to address both of these issues within a choice-modelling framework. The method is developed in the context of conservation of a particular class of cultural heritage, namely major historic buildings in a city or country. We report results from a discrete choice experiment to assess public preferences in which the choices are alternative conservation programs and the attributes are dimensions of the programs’ cultural and economic value. The model is estimated from survey data using several flexible econometric specifications. We show that the methods developed can be used to obtain robust estimates of the economic value of this category of buildings. We also find a significant contribution of all aspects of cultural value to the formation of conservation preferences and the public’s willingness to pay.

Highlights

In a paper published in the early 1990s, Alan Peacock argued that public preferences should be taken into account in decisions concerning the conservation of cultural heritage assets, especially when public funding was involved (Peacock 1994)
We have shown that it is possible to investigate preferences for a particular identifiable class of heritage buildings rather than for a single case. This result is significant for the formulation of heritage policy in the public sector at local or national levels, since policymakers are often faced with budgetary decisions framed in these terms
From a methodological/analytical perspective, our results demonstrate that both economic value and cultural value can be incorporated into a single integrated procedure in an evaluation of conservation decisions

Summary

Introduction

In a paper published in the early 1990s, Alan Peacock argued that public preferences should be taken into account in decisions concerning the conservation of cultural heritage assets, especially when public funding was involved (Peacock 1994). Interest has grown in the assessment of public attitudes to heritage conservation through the application of preference evaluation methodologies such as contingent valuation and discrete choice modelling (Rolfe and Windle 2003; Alberini and Longo 2006; Choi et al 2010; Tuan and Navrud 2007, 2008; Apostolakis and Jaffry 2005b). In this wide range of studies, two significant issues have emerged which to date have been insufficiently explored. Policymakers in heritage administration are routinely faced with decisions requiring an understanding of conservation preferences for a generalised class of buildings or sites rather than for a single specific project (Deodhar 2004; Provins et al 2008; Lazrak 2009)

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