Urban Heritage Development
Johan J. Swart*, Kevin Claus*, Loes Veldpaus**, Ana Pereira Roders**
To explore the future agenda for the integration of cultural heritage management and regional
and urban development, this paper will focus on analysing methods for a holistic approach towards
heritage. The main question is how the crucial joining of forces of spatial, narrative and operative lines
for both assessment and development can be established seen from the larger perspective of the urban
area or region. Heritage management is going through a process of change, from focusing on built
heritage assets, to a more holistic – all-inclusive – approach. (Jokilehto, J 1998; Fairclough, G 2008)
This process of change calls for further development of research methods and management tools. (e.g.
Chapuis, M. 2009; Pereira Roders, A.R. 2010) This paper contributes to a definition of search areas to
set up a framework of assessing heritage in a holistic way. An all-inclusive appraisal of heritage is
sought in the physical enlargement of the search area, but also in the sensitive study of place identity,
and the characterization of place by tangible and intangible, intrinsic and extrinsic, and global and local
values and uses. Such a characterization could both underlie the inventory and assessment of heritage,
as well as it could be a catalyst for future plans. The development of a strategy for the future urban
development and management of a place involves the construction of a persuasive planning narrative
embedded in the landscape, the spatial and physical elements; and linked with a process of value
ascription in the local community. Successfulness is assumed to correlate with the fitting within
existing landscape, narratives, and communities. (Van Assche, K. 2011) The three lines, spatial,
narrative and operative, will be explored by projects of urban development in the case of the UNESCO
World Heritage site Amsterdam Canal Ring Area.
Keywords: Urban development; Cultural heritage; Heritage management; Holistic heritage approach;
spatial narrative; place identity; Amsterdam Canal Ring Area; World Heritage
* Bureau Monumenten & Archeologie Amsterdam / Amsterdam World Heritage Bureau
** Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) / Department of the Built Environment
contact : L.Veldpaus@tue.nl
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