Heritage Park Research Articles

L'art de l'automobile, chefs-d'œuvre de la collection Ralph Lauren

Collecting old cars, like a cocaine habit, seems to be one of nature’s ways of telling you you are making too much money. Think of Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason and his private collection of Ferraris. Think of the American pharmaceutical heir Josiah K. Lilly III and his vintage automobiles displayed in an imitation Shaker barn-house at a heritage park on Cape Cod. Or remember Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, Alsatian textile magnates unable to resist another Bugatti. Indeed, the brothers’ passion helped lead their firm into bankruptcy and their collection––more than 500 vehicles, including 150 Bugattis––ended up as France’s national motorcar museum, the Cité de l’Automobile, opened at Mulhouse in 1982.

‘But no one can say he was hungry’: Memories and Representations of Bonegilla Reception and Training Centre

This article examines representations of the Bonegilla Reception and Training Centre and the arrival experiences of the non-British immigrants who were processed there between 1947 and 1971. In it I challenge what I see as a drift in scholarly conversations about post-war immigration towards emphasising new arrival discomfort and making harsh judgements about the way the migrant experience was structured. The article was stimulated by Nadia Postiglione’s ‘“It was just horrible”: the food experiences of immigrants in 1950s Australia’. In continuing the conversation she initiated, I give attention to new arrival food experiences, for food is a key indicator of cultural transition and hospitality. The thrust of the article, however, is an extrapolation of Paula Hamilton’s observations on shifts in Australia’s memorial culture and developments in a ‘memory industry’. I worry about untangling conflicting memories and representations of place and times within living memory. I suggest that dystopian representations of migrant accommodation centres may fit an apologetic commemorative culture, but do not always tally with the evidence. This article is part of a long-term endeavour to try to develop nuanced social histories on which to base interpretation of the Bonegilla Migrant Experience heritage park. It starts with a discussion of some of the perils and advantages of writing history at and from a heritage place.This article has been peer-reviewed

Urban planning provides potential for lake restoration through catchment re-vegetation

Encroachment of urban areas into forest and farmland is typically considered to have detrimental effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Most restoration strategies for lakes affected by urban development represent expensive short-term fixes requiring on-going management, with long-term restoration requiring external nutrient inputs (typically the major impact of urban development) to be significantly reduced. This study details, using a simple nutrient budget, the effects of the conversion of farmland to native forest in a lake catchment (Waiwhakareke/Horseshoe Lake in the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park (WHNP), New Zealand) during urban encroachment. I show how far-sighted planning employed by management authorities can lead to urban growth being beneficial to aquatic systems. Even using this method, however, managers should not expect lakes to become immediately available as amenities. Although reduction in external nutrient loads brought about by the reforestation of lake catchments in urban areas will ultimately lead to phosphorus reduction and concomitant water quality improvements, such responses may take a number of years due a continued release of nutrients from bottom sediments if they are initially within rural catchments. Urban management authorities therefore need to possess a long-term outlook and commitment to such projects. Overall, the WHNP project acts as a model for future urban development and spread of cities, providing opportunities for the long-term restoration and conservation of lakes.

Urban Development and Great Ruins Protection in Xi’an of China

In cultural heritage protection, great ruins has an important position.The paper discusses the necessary connection between the development of modern cities and the great ruins protection, and discusses the importance and far-reaching significance of the great ruins protection in the modern urban development, and we must pay attention to all aspects of conservation and development with the Heritage Park model. From Xi'an urban overall planning design, the paper explores the great site protection and appropriate development approach, methods, and takes the construction of xi’an Tang Daming Palace Heritage Park as an example, to illustrate some specific practices and results of the combination of the great ruins protection and urban development .

Indigenous and democratic decision-making: issues from community-based ecotourism in the Boumā National Heritage Park, Fiji

Participatory development literature involving community-based ecotourism management (CBEM) has only recently addressed issues pertaining to indigenous governance and decision-making systems. This paper contributes to sustainable tourism by presenting local decision-making practices and issues arising from the perspective of the members of one village in the Boumā National Heritage Park, Fiji. It shows that introduced democratic decision-making systems may not contribute to political empowerment in CBEM and can cause difficult situations. It is argued that greater attention to local systems of governance is required if tourism practitioners are to fully understand decision-making and participation in CBEM. The paper also offers a culturally appropriate methodology that may produce more meaningful outcomes for sustainable tourism research in indigenous Fijian contexts, and in other contexts worldwide. It argues that levels of empowerment should not just be treated as the outcome but as a part of the process of tourism development. It explores the core Fijian cultural concept of vanua as a way of life, involving interrelated social, ecological and spiritual elements. An emic perspective utilising informal talanoa (discussions) is used and examined, along with the roles of kin groups, village spokesmen and clan systems, and their relationship with western business decision-making practices.

The nexus between sustainable livelihoods and ecological management of the World Heritage Sites: lessons from iSimangaliso World Heritage Park, South Africa

This paper explores the suitability of the ecological management approach to the management of the world heritage sites with an aim of linking sustainable livelihoods of local people and the protection of the resource. There are eight World Heritage Sites in South Africa; two of these, UKhahlamba Drakensberg and iSimangaliso Wetland Park are located in KwaZulu-Natal. The communities that live within and around these World Heritage Sites depend on the sites for their livelihoods through various tourism related activities. There is therefore a need for an approach that integrates biodiversity conservation with local and regional development which ensures sustainable livelihoods for local communities that depend on the resource for their survival. The objectives of the study were four-fold: (a) To explore the possibility of introducing and implementing ecological management at the world heritage sites, (b) To establish the local communities’ understanding of the impacts of human-use on ecosystems and biological resources, (c) To assess the extent to which local communities are involved in biodiversity conservation programmes and (d) To find out if the programmes currently in place are directed at integrating social, economic and environmental issues of the study area. The findings of this study indicate that people living inside and on the buffer of iSimangaliso Wetland Park are aware of the activities that may lead to the degradation of the ecosystems. They are also willing to learn more about the ways in which the resource can be optimally used for their economic survival but at the same time protected from overuse. The findings of the study further indicate that with the common understanding between the site authorities and local communities it is possible that ecological management can be introduced and implemented within the World Heritage Sites.

Floristic diversity and phytogeography of the proposed Heritage Park in North-West Province, South Africa

Floristic diversity and phytogeography of the proposed Heritage Park in North-West Province, South Africa

Vegetation classification of the proposed Heritage Park, North-West Province, South Africa

i Opsomming ii Acknowledgements iii List of Figures vi List of Tables xii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 The importance of conservation and ecotourism 1 1.2 Background to Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve 3 1.3 Heritage Park plans and motivation 4 1.4 The importance of research in planning, development and management of the proposed Heritage Park 6 1.5 Previous vegetation studies in the Savanna biome surrounding the CCA 7 1.6 Aims of this study 10 1.7

Excavations at Summerlee Ironworks, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire

Excavations within Summerlee Heritage Park, Coatbridge in the late 1980s revealed extensive remains of the Summerlee Ironworks, founded in 1836. These included the bases of four furnaces, five heating stoves, an engine house, a boiler house and several underground flues together with numerous ancillary structures and features and elements of a chemical recovery plant. Although most of the excavated remains were associated with various stages of remodelling and upgrading, a significant number appeared to date from the early years of the works.

SAVANNA RESPONSES TO FERAL BUFFALO IN KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, AUSTRALIA

Savannas are the major biome of tropical regions, spanning 30% of the Earth's land surface. Tree : grass ratios of savannas are inherently unstable and can be shifted easily by changes in fire, grazing, or climate. We synthesize the history and ecological impacts of the rapid expansion and eradication of an exotic large herbivore, the Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalus), on the mesic savannas of Kakadu National Park (KNP), a World Heritage Park located within the Alligator Rivers Region (ARR) of monsoonal north Australia. The study inverts the experience of the Serengeti savannas where grazing herds rapidly declined due to a rinderpest epidemic and then recovered upon disease control.Buffalo entered the ARR by the 1880s, but densities were low until the late 1950s when populations rapidly grew to carrying capacity within a decade. In the 1980s, numbers declined precipitously due to an eradication program. We show evidence that the rapid population expansion and sudden removal of this exotic herbivore created two ecological cascades by altering ground cover abundance and composition, which in turn affected competitive regimes and fuel loads with possible further, long‐term effects due to changes in fire regimes. Overall, ecological impacts varied across a north–south gradient in KNP that corresponded to the interacting factors of precipitation, landform, and vegetation type but was also contingent upon the history of buffalo harvest. Floodplains showed the greatest degree of impact during the period of rapid buffalo expansion, but after buffalo removal, they largely reverted to their prior state. Conversely, the woodlands experienced less visible impact during the first cascade. However, in areas of low buffalo harvest and severe impact, there was little recruitment of juvenile trees into the canopy due to the indirect effects of grazing and high frequency of prescribed fires once buffalo were removed. Rain forests were clearly heavily impacted during the first cascade, but the long term consequences of buffalo increase and removal remain unclear. Due to hysteresis effects, the simple removal of an exotic herbivore was not sufficient to return savanna systems to their previous state.

Enjoyment and fear in urban woodlands – Does age make a difference?

Urban dwellers experience conflicting thoughts and feelings about urban woodlands; valued for their natural qualities, the relief they provide from the stress of modern urban living and the opportunities they afford for children's play and exploration. At the same time the seclusion inherent in this type of urban greenspace seems fraught with risk from crime, vandalism and abuse. Whilst many of these characteristics are well-researched, less is known about the differing perceptions of particular social groups. This study aimed to explore the ways in which age affects urban dwellers’ aspirations, values and fears concerning the woods, and woodland accessibility, focusing on the views of elderly people (aged over 65). This pilot study was based in Norfolk Heritage Park, an urban park containing a variety of woodland settings located in Sheffield, UK. The questionnaire survey (participants n=97) revealed that although walking is the most popular leisure activity, most respondents did not visit urban parks as often as they would like, regardless of age. Whilst many of the meanings associated with urban woodland (“relaxation”, “peacefulness”, “seasonal change”, “scenery” and “education”) were shared amongst age groups, it seemed that the elderly respondents particularly valued the woods for their links with the past, and opportunities for immersion in the natural world. Some respondents from all age groups had fears about their personal security in the woodland, and the concerns of the elderly were heightened by their perceived frailty, reduced mobility and sense of vulnerability; this age group had a corresponding need for particular measures to alleviate these problems. The study provides preliminary evidence for the idea that adults of different ages have differing perceptions and requirements in relation to urban woodlands. Due to the small sample size and other methodological issues, further research is needed to confirm and develop the findings.

Conference report: Changing Primary Health Care-the South Wales Valleys and Beyond, Heritage Park Hotel, Rhondda, 23-25 April 1993

Conference report: Changing Primary Health Care-the South Wales Valleys and Beyond, Heritage Park Hotel, Rhondda, 23-25 April 1993

One: Heritage Park, Fort Worth, Texas

Situated on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity River, Upper Heritage Park is a space to reflect on the history of Fort Worth from its founding in 1849 to current history-in-the-making. The site is at the location of the original fort for which the city is named. 1 The fort was situated there to command the sweeping views of the converging river and the land to the east, west and north (figures 5 and 6). Upper Heritage Park, also occasionally called ‘Heritage Plaza’, and Lower Heritage Park are quite distinct. Upper Heritage refers to Lawrence Halprin & Associates' plaza on top of the bluff, only a couple hundred yards from the nineteenth-century courthouse building, and Lower Heritage consists of trails that extend down to the water's edge and along the river's banks. A cluster of stone and brick ruins exist along the lower trail just west of the plaza (figure 7). Their anonymity allows the visitor to imagine their history and simply enjoy their aesthetic delight.2

Two: Skyline Park, Denver, Colorado

A consideration of Skyline Park presents a completely different and even more puzzling situation. Built during the same era as Heritage Park as part of the renewal movement counteracting widespread suburban sprawl and autofocused retail, Skyline Park is centrally located within Denver's downtown. This now-demolished park, three blocks long by a half block wide, was constructed in the earliest phase of downtown Denver's redevelopment programme.

Three: Seattle Freeway Park, Seattle, Washington

The precedent-setting Seattle Freeway Park is a site almost as contested as Skyline Park; but Freeway Park has, in contrast, been updated throughout its history, so future interventions will hopefully not be as immediate or nearly as destructive. As is evident by the situation in Denver, identifying and publicising the significance of these sites and the consequences of their irreversible alteration or removal, should be made a priority well before their fates are called into question. It has become increasingly clear that Freeway Park needs to be addressed before it is lost by neglect, deterioration and abandonment. Currently, the site is additionally threatened by insensitive reco"mmendations presented in a Project for Public Spaces (PPS) report that proposes stripping the site of its exciting concepts by reworking it into a generic form reflective of the trends of our age. Though the site needs a rehabilitation plan that is more aggressive than the one recommended for Heritage Park, strict preservation guidelines must be imposed to prevent irresponsible alterations such as some of those recommended by the PPS report. The nomination to landmark Freeway Park should be accepted and the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board should monitor the introduction of some of the necessary changes proposed here.

Beyond buffer zone protection: A comparative study of park and buffer zone products' importance to villagers living inside Royal Chitwan National Park and to villagers living in its buffer zone

Even after 30 years of strict de jure protection, today's de facto extraction of products from Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) and their great economic importance to local households suggests that this reality should be explicitly internalised in managing this world heritage park. Several studies have quantified local people's use of protected areas and estimated the value of such areas to them. However, few studies incorporate economic analyses to investigate the effect of management interventions on local communities' resource use and collection behaviour. In Nepal, buffer zones and especially buffer zone community forestry are seen as means to define and demarcate places, where local people may legally extract goods that are either identical to or relevant substitutes for products that are collected in protected areas. The intention is to resolve park-people conflicts over resource use. This article presents the findings of an in-depth study of the importance of natural resources to the livelihoods of 18 households. One village was located inside RCNP with no realistic alternatives to Park resources, while the other is located in the buffer zone with equal distance to the Park, a national forest and their community forest. For each household, the collection of products, allocation of time, and purchase and sale of goods were recorded daily through 12 consecutive months and economic values were calculated on the basis of local market prices and recorded quantities. The study shows that products from RCNP are of great importance to the livelihoods of local people. Furthermore, we find that products collected in the national forest substitute products from the Park, while the substitution effect of the community forest is small. Accordingly, the study illustrates that, irrespective of buffer zone community forestry, there is still a gap between local people's need for supplementing natural resources and their rights to satisfy them on a legal basis, which is likely to be unsustainable in the longer term. This calls for a thorough evaluation of actual park-people relations and how these may be improved through local participation that goes beyond the current form of buffer zone community forestry and the admitted 7–14 annual days of open access grass cutting within the park.

Building Heritage Partnerships: Working Together for Heritage Preservation and Local Tourism in Appalachia

We wanted and needed to create a coal mining heritage park that could combine history, education, science, and recreation…it was a big job and we didn't have the expertise to do it, didn't have the training, didn't have much of the technical support that we needed…And then we needed to collect our oral history because our people are dying so rapidly-and so the university [Radford University] helped us do that. It was a creation of a larger community of actors. And so it just sort of doubled or increased our power to do what we needed to do. This partnership of ours has been great. It's been ten years, and counting. (Jimmie L. Price, President of the Coal Mining Heritage Association, March 19, 2005)

AN ANTHRO‐PLANNING APPROACH TO LOCAL HERITAGE TOURISM: CASE STUDIES FROM APPALACHIA

This article argues for the use of an anthro‐planning approach in local‐level development projects, focusing here on its use in heritage tourism development. Anthro‐planning is an approach that infuses anthropological perspectives and methods into planning projects. The article starts by discussing some guiding principles for an anthro‐planning approach derived from the author's experiences in planning regional heritage tourism–education sites. The emphases are (1) taking a collaborative or partnership approach that actively seeks public participation in the planning process and (2) extensively incorporating anthropological field methods into the project design. The article then provides some concrete examples by showing how this approach was applied in planning two cultural heritage parks for an Appalachian Virginia region. One case documents the planning of an Appalachian coal‐mining heritage park while the other example focuses on development of an Appalachian farm heritage museum and park.

Ecological role of vegetative sprouting in the regeneration of Dryobalanops rappa, an emergent species in a Bornean tropical wetland forest

Dryobalanops rappa (Dipterocarpaceae), a dominant tree in wetland forests in Borneo, often produces vegetative sprouts in its juvenile stages (trees less than 25 m in height), a characteristic that is believed to be rare in tropical forest trees. We investigated the growth characteristics of this species in a tropical forest in Merimbun Heritage Park, Brunei, to verify the hypothesis that the vigorous sprouting ability enables it to grow in a wetland forest with soft soils that promote stem decumbency and to assess the adaptive significance of vegetative sprouting in the context of its regeneration. Reproductively mature trees developed buttresses and were rarely decumbent. However, if they became decumbent, they died without sprouting. Juvenile trees were frequently decumbent, and their decumbent shoots sprouted vegetatively. Therefore, vegetative sprouting acted as a countermeasure to decumbency and death on the soft wetland soil. A decumbent shoot produced only one sprout in most cases. Decumbent shoots grew little and eventually died, but new sprouts showed rapid growth. This suggests that there is translocation of resources from decumbent shoots to sprouts. If decumbency occurs, a D. rappa genet ramifies into sprouts, and helps sustain the population in the wetland environment. This vegetative life history strategy is important for regeneration in wetland forests with soft soil.

Urban design education as integral to ‘real-time’ urban revitalization processes: Salvokop, Pretoria

The article outlines an attempt at teaching urban design by integrating urban revitalisation processes. Salvokop, an historical but derelict railway precinct in the inner city of Pretoria, provides the site for a long-term, inter-disciplinary laboratory in which a real urban precinct revitalisation project is used as a vehicle for teaching and practical studio work. The site is studied from a variety of focal areas within the Department of Architecture. The project provides a mechanism for feedback among practitioners, the local council and the academic environment. Owing to its history as a century old, urban railway town that was part of a wider, ideologically driven socio-economic process, Salvokop has the potential for development. Its proximity to major transport facilities, its growing status as a place of refuge for newcomers and its intimate relation to the important Freedom Park heritage site make it particularly suitable for a multifaceted inquiry into issues such as urban sustainability, inner city housing, appropriate technology, heritage conservation and urban renewal, as a vehicle for directing teaching in a transforming, developing environment.