Abstract
Preservation by way of development: the cultural heritage paradox in the Netherlands
Since more than half of the world population lives in cites now, open spaces face
unprecedented pressure all over the globe. Until recently strategies which dealt with urban
pressure on metropolitan landscape were predominantly defensive i.e. preservative. To-day
traditional conservation policy is limited in its scope and impact due to societal changes, such
as the declining role of government and the growing importance of private agents, budget
cuts and the industrialisation of agriculture. Archaeologists and historians are confronted with
a dilemma, in spite of growing efforts in conservation strategies, the historic environment
faces accelerating processes of encroachment. Paradoxical though it seems to many
professionals in the domain of history, it is a fact of life.
In the Netherlands government and an interdisciplinary community of scientists and
practitioners have devised and experimented with a unique offensive landscape strategy,
labelled ‘preservation by way of development’. This new approach uses the concept of
landscape biography, action research and communicative methods of planning for an
exploration of regional storylines which are build on perceived opportunities and obstacles for
landscape development and preservation. Landscape biography covers a long term history
of a specific region thus mapping transformations and shifts in the way locals have perceived
places and spaces over time. Historical notions flowing from the biographical analysis are
taken up as input for interactive regional policy processes. The combination of pro-active and
defensive strategies is presented here as part of the solution to the cultural heritage paradox.
Prof. dr. Arnold van der Valk
Land use planning chair
Wageningen University
The Netherlands