Introduction
‘Investing in Heritage –A Guide to
Successful Urban Regeneration’
 Interreg 3C
 EAHTR - Approach
 6 cities
 19 case studies
 Lessons & Success
factors
 www.inheritproject.org
 over 100,000 hits
Objectives
 Explore in depth partner experience
 Identify processes and factors
leading to success
 Identify examples of good practice
 Evaluate EU regional policy
 Produce guidance for local and
regional authorities
 Transfer knowledge and experience
Value of Heritage
“Heritage belongs to everyone, and protecting and
preserving the historic environment is a
responsibility shared by every member of society.”
(Swedish Heritage Conservation Act 1988)
“People value the historic environment as part of
their cultural and natural heritage. It reflects the
knowledge, beliefs and traditions of diverse
communities, it gives distinctiveness, meaning and
quality to the places in which we live, providing a
sense of continuity and a source of identity. It is a
social and economic asset and a resource for
learning and enjoyment “
( English Heritage Conservation Principles, 2007 )
Defining Heritage
 Re-interpreted over time – broad
 landscapes, buildings, collections
 Intangible – identity, tradition
 Language, literature & music
 Intrinsic values
 Knowledge, identity, bequest, distinctiveness
 Instrumental benefits
 Economic, area, community & individual
 Historic past – recent events
 INHERIT focus principally built historic
environment
Newcastle
Newcastle - Context
 Population – 276K but hub of 1m metropolitan
region
 Roman origins – Norman settlement –medieval
street pattern
 Mining of coal from medieval times-emergence as
major industrial and shipbuilding centre in 19th
Century
 Substantial historic legacy -2000 listed buildings &
11 conservation areas
 20th Cent industrial decline – followed by strategy
of economic and heritage led regeneration
 Case studies on Grainger town, Byker Estate and
the Sandhill /Quayside area
Newcastle –Grainger Town
 Award winning project
 35 hectares –comprehensive regeneration
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Environmental improvements
Business Development
Housing
Arts, culture and tourism
 Grainger town public private partnership
 Characteristics
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•
•
•
LA leadership
Heritage ‘audit’
Clear overall vision
Targets set and exceeded
Grainger Town-Benefits
Target
Actual
Jobs created
1,900
2,300
Training weeks
5,400
5,100
New businesses
200
330
New floor-space
74K sq.m.
81K sq.m.
New dwellings
520
570
Buildings re-used
70
120
Public investment
€59.5m
€67m
Private investment
€199m
€288m
Grainger Town - The
Lessons Learnt
 A detailed heritage audit at the start of the process
 A coherent, yet flexible, strategy based on the historic
area’s strengths and weaknesses.
 Monitor and evaluate the strategic aims and objectives
against the re-generation themes and the goals &
outputs
 A defined structure- a company ‘limited by guarantee’ at
arms length from the City Council - including local
organisations, businesses and the community.
 An ethos of quality and excellence in design through
demonstration projects, informative and promotional
handbooks, design guides and location marketing.
 Raise aspirations by looking at other successful
examples of best practice.
Newcastle - Byker
Newcastle - Byker
 81 hectare Housing Estate -1969 to
1983 - Designed by Ralph Erskine
 2010 dwellings - 9,500 people
-‘Problem estate’
 Proposed demolition
 Conservation Plan
2002–special character
 Consultation-consensus
 Listed - architectural
& historic interest 2007
Newcastle – Byker
Lessons Learnt
 Local People and children involved in plan
production
 Consensus established on
‘identity’ and ‘solution’
 Innovative approach
using range of techniques
- meetings, walkabouts,
questionnaires, tasks
 Don’t over consult
‘I’m sick of being empowered I just wish someone
would get on and do something!’
Ubeda
Ubeda
 Population 34k – Andalucía region
 Founded 822 – 852 – UNESCO World
Heritage site 2003
 Empty dwellings in poor repair, elderly
population, heavy traffic, under-use of
open spaces and marginal and socially
degraded areas.
 Strong political leadership - Clear overall
heritage strategy for regeneration
 Objective 1 region – EU grants of €25m overall cost of works €67m
 Case studies focus on re - use of palaces,
crafts training school and the public realm
Ubeda Recovery of Public Spaces
 23 squares, streets & public areas
 Comprehensive plan
including:  Public involvement
 Modernisation of
infrastructure
 Quality design & materials
 Political & technical
department
 Catalyst for
regeneration
Ubeda – Escuela Taller
 Founded 1986 traditional craft skills
 Targeted at young
and/or ‘disadvantaged’
 Over 1000 trained
 Co-operative companies
formed
 70% ESF funded
 80% integrated into local
economy
Ubeda
Lessons Learnt
 UNESCO status catalyst for political consensus &
strong leadership & Objective 1 funds critical to
implementation
 Comprehensive approach to investment in public
realm delivers wider benefits
 Restoration of 68 houses leading to city centre
population increase of 3%
 Creation of 32 new businesses
 Enhanced social interaction and perceived quality of
life
 Increased awareness of City council activities
 Involving citizens from beginning means that
problems are known before final decisions taken important to consult not just those directly affected
 Training in craft skills important for creating
capacity and interest in heritage by young people
Gdansk
Gdansk - Context
Founded 908 – castle town & port
Population 458K
Hanseatic union of trading ports –
Poland’s international trade centre
World War 2 – heavy bomb damage
– centre subsequently significantly
rebuilt in the original style & uses
1970-80 Violent protest – creation of
Solidarity and emergence of new
map of eastern Europe
Gdansk - Context
Objective 1 status – upgrade water &
sewerage, public transport, road
system and port infrastructure
13 priority areas selected for
regeneration
INHERIT case studies cover the
regeneration of Lower town,
Stronghold Fort and the European
Solidarity Centre
Gdansk
European Solidarity Centre
Gdansk
European Solidarity Centre
 Significant historic location-70 hectares
 Workers’ protests took place
 “Solidarność” movement was born
 ‘August Agreements’ signed
 €60m Centre for multi-cultural
undertakings and international exchanges
– forum for democratic development
 Act as a catalyst to
 Regeneration of post shipyard ‘Young City’
 Attract private investors as well as creating
cultural and art institutions
 Special identity - central focus of public
and political interest.
Gdansk
European Solidarity Centre
Lessons Learnt
 The inspiration provided by recent cultural events
could form a flagship development project of
importance
 The importance of reflecting different needs and
expectations of not only inhabitants but also
eyewitnesses to the historic events to ensure both
‘ownership’ by the local community and
authenticity
 The opportunity such events can provide in terms
of reinforcing cultural identity and pride of place
 The crucial role of the local authority in promoting
and implementing complex urban regeneration
projects on this scale
 The importance of attracting different sources of
funding combining public, EU and private
investment
Göteborg
Göteborg-Context
 Founded in 1621 as a fortified trading port - built by
Dutch engineers with moats, ramparts, walls and canals
 18th and 19th century economy based on trade dominated by the Swedish East India Company
 Economy now based on knowledge and logistics
 Typical for Göteborg are the three storey ‘Governor’
buildings that were built between 1870 and 1940 –priority
to worker housing
 Objective 2 status –no use of EU funds in regeneration –
more potential 2007 -13
 Comprehensive city plan seeks to:  balance social, financial and environmental factors in order
to develop a viable long term sustainable city.
 develop the existing character of Göteborg as a city of
human scale, to enable a mix of old and new buildings
 double the size of the city centre and increase housing
density
Göteborg-Context
 Legal requirement to consult with
stakeholders as well as local community
 Aims to meet needs of citizens and be
successful internationally
 Character based on ‘common heritage’
including industrial past
 Case studies include
 Examples of human scale living such at Haga
 People friendly pedestrian streets as at
Valgattan and
 New uses for key heritage buildings at
Gamlestaden Fabriker and Pedagogan
Göteborg- Haga
Göteborg- Pedagogen
Göteborg- Gamlestaden
Göteborg- Gamlestaden
Important historic part of city modernisation and upgrading of a
former industrial area
 Heritage qualities of the site
provided an appropriate context
within which the creative industries
prosper
 60 tenants on the site and 4000 sq
m of vacant floor space out of a total
of 62,000
Göteborg- Gamlestaden
Lessons learnt
 Clear civic vision and phased delivery strategy that
recognised the project’s reliance on the incremental
availability of private finance
 Value of public and private sector working together
providing complementary conservation, design, funding
and marketing skills
 Importance of understanding the value and potential of
the historic built fabric by carrying out a detailed
inventory of the buildings’ qualities
 Active involvement of tenants in shaping and managing
the work environment providing a sense of ownership
and commitment to the area
 Role and importance of mixed uses and landscaping to
create vitality and vibrancy helping ensure the area has a
positive image and an attractive environment
Verona
Verona- Context
 Roman settlement – old centre with
mediaeval walls
 Fortifications by Venetians and Austrians
 UNESCO world heritage site – 452
hectares covering historic core
 World famous for opera & Romeo & Juliet
 City Council Strategic Plan – 2020 – uses
heritage as tool for regeneration
 Key issue identifying sustainable new
uses for major heritage sites and former
Austrian military architecture
Verona
Forte Gisella
Verona - Prusst
Verona
Palazzo Della Ragione
Verona
Lessons Learnt
 The total cost of the Palazzo Della Ragione
project was € 18 million entirely funded by
the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di
Verona, Vicenza, Belluno e Ancona.
 Foundation was created in 1991 as part
implementation of the Amato-Carli Law to
rationalise and privatise Italy's lending
institutions.
 Operates on a non-profit basis, in the
public interest in several fields - art,
culture, education, scientific research,
healthcare and disadvantage
Belfast – context
 Capital Northern Ireland
 Population 277K – 800K in metropolitan
area
 17th & 18th Centuries –Textile, Engineering
and Shipbuilding
 Little investment following World War 1 –
significant bombing World War 2
 +30 years of ‘ troubles’ – urban
environment in urgent need of investment
& regeneration
 Objective 1 status +peace ‘dividend’ led to
strong economy –now Objective 2
Belfast – Cultural quarters
 Cultural heritage led regeneration strategy
- 6.4m visitors 2005
 Titanic – former shipbuilding yards
 Cathedral –area around St Anne’s
Cathedral –vibrant arts scene –creative
industries
 Queens –area around the University –
development of cultural events & ‘café
society’
 Gaeltacht – West Belfast centred on the
Falls Road & retention of Irish language
Belfast –Titanic
Titanic –Built in Belfast 1912
‘It was fine when it left here!’
Belfast –Titanic
75 Hectares
Titanic visitor centre as catalyst for
mixed use development
Aim: 500K visitors p.a.
Belfast – Cultural quarters
Lessons learnt
 Value of Identifying distinctiveness providing a
framework to facilitate and celebrate diversity
 Need to be flexible over time drawing on a range of
approaches – enhancement of public realm to
festivals and events
 Importance of focusing as much on people as on
buildings in promoting and regenerating an area
 Quarters can validate and support local
communities, add value to the quality of life and
bring considerable economic benefits
 To be successful they must draw on genuine
character and authenticity and connect with local
people as well as tourists
EU Regional Policy
 Lisbon Strategy 2000– most competitive
knowledge based economy -2010
 Göteborg Agenda 2001– more
sustainable development – combating
climate change
 3 Priorities
 Convergence - €283B
 Regional competitiveness and employment €55B
 Territorial co-operation- €8.7B
 Cohesion Policy and cities – 2006
guidance –ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund
EU Regional Policy
 Heritage led regeneration not explicitly
identified
 Case studies show importance of
Objective 1 status
 Vital that contribution of cultural heritage
is now made clear
 Urban regeneration
 Sustainable development
 Social well being
 INHERIT report coincides with Ist year of
new EU priorities 2007- 2013
 Need to lobby governments and regions to
integrate heritage led regeneration in
national framework programmes
How to be successful
Focus on Identity and Diversity…..
 Prepare ‘audit’ to understand context and define
character and identity
 Recognise the contribution that ‘common heritage’
can make to character
 Understand the social value of ‘identity’ to local
people and its appeal to visitors
 Encourage ‘diversity’ as means of spreading
activities and ensure new uses for old buildings are
sustainable
 Develop cultural approaches that relate to people
as well as buildings and include recent events as
focus for cultural tourism
 Value ‘quality’ in terms of design and materials and
welcome good contemporary design
Invest in Regeneration – especially the
Public Realm….
 Use public sector investment as catalyst
for wider regeneration - especially in the
‘public realm’
 Balance accessibility with enhanced space
for pedestrians, cyclists and the reduction
of pollution
 Improve surfaces using natural and other
quality materials, enhance lighting,
signage and interpretation and consider
modernising infrastructure
 Link public realm improvements to
opportunities for cultural events
Work in Partnership….
 Recognise the respective roles of the public,
private and community sectors –provide leadership
 Work with the private sector and consider new
approaches to funding and delivering public benefit
 Involve the community and key stakeholders in
decision making
 Understand the value of community engagement in
building people’s sense of ‘ownership’ and ‘pride
of place’
 Encourage community and stakeholder
‘champions’ to promote the benefits of investing in
heritage
Think and Act Strategically…..
 Value investing in heritage as key to urban
regeneration and sustainability
 Understand ‘identity of place’ and integrate
heritage into corporate strategy
 Recognise the importance of leadership, aspiration
and a holistic approach with appropriate
organisational structures
 Ensure specialist skills and capacity are available
and facilitate training
 Monitor results and quantify environmental, social
and economic benefits
 Link benefits with the ‘Lisbon’ and ‘Göteborg’
agendas – job creation and sustainability
Conclusions
 Heritage is an asset that should be valued
as a major contribution to sustainability
 Local and regional Authorities should
adopt a more strategic approach
 Emphasis should be given to measuring
social and economic benefit
 EU policy priorities should more explicitly
recognise heritage as a catalyst for urban
and regional regeneration –need to lobby
national and regional authorities
 Community involvement – young people
crucial to success and sustainability
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 Contact Brian Smith
Project Director
European Association of Historic Towns
and Regions - bsmith@historic-towns.org