Cultural Heritage in Shaping Local Identity and Planning Towards Sustainable Neighbourhoods.
- Talja Blokland-Potters (2017, p.9).
of
“Some people may have roots, and others may have routes, but all do community.”
Title Page 1
Contents 2
Introduction 3
Discussion 4
Cultural Heritage 4 Local Identity & Community 4 Sustainable Neighbourhoods 5 Indicators for Sustainable Development 5 Threats to Cultural Heritage 5 Social Exclusion 5 Gentrification 6
COVID-19 Outbreak 6 Demolition 6
The Climate change 6 Recommended Strategies 7 Inclusion 7 Conservation 7 Covid-19 Recovery 7
The Compact City/ The 15-minute City 8 Selected Framework and Funding 8 Limitations to Heritage-led Sustainable Development 9 Conclusion 10 Further Note 10 References 11 Figures 13
Contents
Introduction
Cultural heritage plays a major role in building a sense of belonging at various scales (individual, local, regional, national, and global). Whether it forms a physical or non-physical element of culture, it bonds communities together through collective memories and shared values. It has an organic nature, in a sense that it evolves overtime, according to the level of protection and maintenance This paper considers the multiple threats to cultural heritage, such as demolition and recommends strategies for both preserving cultural elements while allowing culture to continue to grow organically. Here, the definition of sustainability applies mutually to the sustainability of elements of heritage themselves as well as the sustainability of a community of people through addressing their individual heritage in the mechanisms of urban development.
This essay will highlight the importance of heritage-led sustainable development and recognise threats and frameworks related to heritage, with examples in the United Kingdom and internationally, which are an ongoing concern, since “there are no coherent methodologies for obtaining reliable information, quantitative data or deep knowledge about the decay and loss of cultural heritage” (European Commissions, 2022)
Methodology will involve literature and policy reviews as key methods of data collection, as well as precedent studies from London and Copenhagen. The aim is to analyse and debate collected data to synthesise a set strategic priorities and design criteria, while recognising realistic limitations of policies and design practice.
Key questions arise over who should be the key decision makers in the planning of sustainable neighbourhoods rich in cultural diversity and how to achieve the ideals of heritage-led development.
Discussion
Cultural Heritage
Through the engagement of UNESCO, cultural heritage has become an official part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, with aims to respect, protect, and promote essential cultural rights (Rypkema, 2019).
While the material aspect of cultural heritage (monuments, memorials, vernacular architecture etc.) is a clear priority of numerous international programmes, immaterial cultural heritage has only recently been recognised as an important aspect of community It consists of collective memories, shared experiences, practices, knowledge, and skills, but also future hopes and ambitions. Therefore, immaterial heritage has a significant bonding role for local identity. In most diverse communities, heritage is about the present mixture of identities rather than the past (Katona, 2017).
Local Identity & Community
Jenkins (2004, p.5) defines identity as “the systematic establishment and signification, between individuals, between collectivism, and between individuals and collectivities, of relationships of similarity and difference”. It is clear that “without identity there could be no human world”Jenkins (2004, p. 7), it shapes who we are. This means that every group of people sharing c nd a s
nced struggle after an economic decline, but also deeply rooted night life customs that created a
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strong bond between the residents. In the present day, Deptford is a dynamically changing neighbourhood, which consists of many international minorities unrelated to the local heritage Therefore, there seems to be a disconnect between the original traditions of the neighbourhood and new waves of customs, creating a call for social integration. This objective is recognised as one of the targets of UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST), in parallel with the reduction of social inequalities as well as inclusive and participatory decision-making (MOST, 2017)
Sustainable Neighbourhoods
Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (UN, 1987) in terms of all three sustainability pillars: social, environmental, and economic. It is said that the social sustainability dimension is the least developed in regards to planning priorities (Kohon, 2018) Unsurprisingly then, the path towards developing sustainable neighbourhoods is paved with multiple challenges, such as social exclusion, gentrification, and the loss of heritage to name a few.
Indicators for Sustainable Development
Urban sustainability indicators have the role of measuring performance in terms of social, economic, and environmental sustainability through target setting and regular reviews between policy makers, experts, and the public (Verbruggen & Kuik, 1991). As an example, indicators for the social sustainability of cultural heritage in a given area can include, but are not limited to: number of cultural establishments promoting local identity/ overall population (culture), policies protecting cultural heritage (conservation) and local risk assessment on the elements of heritage affected by re-developments (conservation).
Threats to Cultural Heritage
Social Exclusion
Casual interactions with our own neighbours are essential for bonding and integration, which is especially important in mixed communities, where people would otherwise struggle to foster a deeper understanding of their (immaterial) heritage. Social exclusion happens through existing physical and non-physical boundaries preventing the disadvantaged from participating in social, economic, or governing activities within their neighbourhoods. It raises the notion of the ‘Right to the City’ first defined by Henri Lefebvre in 1991, which describes the struggles of democracy in processes of socio-spatial marginalisation, especially of minority demographic groups. This was evident in the historic cases of violence against black minorities in Deptford by the National Front, which is a far-right fascist political party in the United Kingdom
Gentrification
Most extreme case of social exclusion happens through gentrification. This happens when wealthy representatives purchase and refurbish houses in affordable areas, effectively increasing rental prices and pressuring most vulnerable low-income residents to displace away. Most recent gentrification is an effect of the pandemic (i.e., lockdown, self-isolation) and increase in working from home, which contribute to a rise in rent prices (Kim, J., Et al. 2021).
COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 crisis resulted in various health measures against social interaction to minimise the spread of illness. Through this process, it became apparent that people assimilate with each other through shared experiences and while this wasn’t physically possible, digital environments became the alternative. This could contribute to isolation of cultural distinctiveness since it is clear that social media generally promote globalisation of our social customs and the way we perceive each other
Demolition
In terms of material cultural heritage, the demolition of a building makes a huge difference to cityscape as well as landfill and environmental wellbeing, even if the new development is designed with ‘green’ features. Refurbishment and maintenance are under the rate of 20% VAT while new builds are at 0% Effectively, this discourages developers from conserving existing buildings and encourages them to demolish and build anew, leading towards environmental issues, as pointed out by the Heritage Alliance, Historic England and the Building Better commissions (Jones-Hall, 2021). This is especially problematic since over 21% homes in the UK are more than 100 years old, and as we know, new builds contribute to increasing carbon footprint having significantly more embodied carbon in comparison to the same volume of traditional British architecture (Jones-Hall, 2021).
The Climate change
Climate change is another factor affecting the material cultural heritage, since extreme weather conditions contribute to the decay of historical architecture. In response, the European Commission, in collaboration with EU Member States, has begun the Council Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022, which follows the Open Method of Coordination (European Commission, n.d.). This report addresses key issues in the relationship between culture, sustainability, and climate change and sets out guidelines for smaller scale governance. It is important that local governments accept such invitations, because oftentimes they are the closest responsible bodies for conservation and climate resilience of localised cultural heritage
Recommended Strategies
Inclusion
Planning for cultural inclusion and diversity is to create a common meaning and a dialogue between different communities through placemaking (Voltelen, 2022). As an example, the Sankt Kjelds Climate Quarter project in Copenhagen, Denmark addresses climate adaptation and urban renewal while offering an improvement to social sustainability. This people-oriented approach aimed at creating a sense of belonging for the mixed-income community of Caucasian-Danish residents and immigrant minorities, mainly from Middle Eastern descent. The project utilises a famous rooftop garden as a social and bonding neighbourhood place (Voltelen, 2022)
Conservation
Conservation of heritage buildings advances the cause of the environment and brings social and economic benefits, as argued by Donovan Rypkema from Heritage Strategies International (2019). The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 regarding listed buildings and conservation is the key legislation for the management of conservation areas in England.
Covid-19 Recovery
Measurement of recovery has been provided by UNESCO’s “Culture & COVID-19: Impact and Response Tracker” (UNESCO, 2015), which highlighted the importance of proximity and local economy This supports theories of City of Proximity and 15-minute City, which point out that scale and locality have a positive effect on preservation of cultural heritage and diversity.
The Compact City/ The 15-minute City
Higher density urban scape with mix uses and functions enables improved access between living, work, and leisure. The compact city encourages sustainable walkability, cycling and use of public transport reducing carbon footprint. The idea of a 15-minute city is based on a similar principle, where all necessary amenities for a local community are localised within 15-minute reach. This strategy became more important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic since transportation and public life has been put into limitations. However, critics have raised a question about the impact on social interactions between neighbourhoods and participation within main city environments, like high-streets and larger leisure/shopping establishments outside city centres Thus, localisation planning and developments must include strategies for social interaction and connection to other parts of the city (Deloitte, 2022).
Selected Framework and Funding
Above recommendations cannot be implemented without appropriate funding. The international EU Research and Innovation programme ‘Horizon 2020’ offers support and funding until 2027, which is available to the UK applicants despite withdrawal from the European Union. It aims at resilience of material heritage against the deteriorating effects of climate change (UKRI, 2022)
In the UK, the National Planning Policy Framework (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2021) is a guide to ensure long-term functionality through conservation of local history and sense of place. This document highlights the importance of local businesses, transportation and promotes diversity and inclusion along with well-being and public safety, which are increasingly important in the present in parallel with environmental protection and climate change resilience, to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030
Overall, strategies for sustainable heritage-led planning should:
➢ Promote mixed use of developments to avoid zoning and barriers.
➢ Prioritise conservation over demolition.
➢ Ensure coherent architectural style and scale.
➢ Protect local ecology, river access and biodiversity.
➢ Engage communities at the earliest stages of planning towards the bottom-up approach.
➢ Support local entrepreneurship in arts, culture, and other industries.
➢ Supporting heritage-building research and celebrations.
➢ Create clear strategic priorities by local council, while balancing limitations.
➢ Measure performance through well-selected sustainability indicators (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2021).
Additional funds from the UK’s government Levelling Up program are:
● Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) with a focus on community-led heritage regeneration
● National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) focused on inclusion and creation of employment.
● The UK Shared Prosperity Fund supports preservation of cultural facilities.
● Community Ownership Fund and Cultural Development Fund (CDF) (Jones-Hall, 2021).
Limitations to Heritage-led Sustainable Development
It is important to recognise the need for balance between preservation and redevelopment, which aren’t always contractionary. This is where community-led initiatives come into play. They are a key factor in preservation of in-material cultural heritage – a heritage which is yet to be evaluated and measured (Jones-Hall, 2021) An example of community-led initiatives for preserving cultural heritage, the recent protest against new developments built over Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden in Deptford involved a substantial number of local residents of all ages and ethnic backgrounds (Worthington, 2018).
Planners and members of council must be open to multi-cultural views and shifts in long-standing community structures to really ensure social justice. Therefore, it is clear that diverse communities must have appropriate minority group representation in powerful decision-making positions (De Souza Briggs, 1998).
Conclusion
In summary, truly sustainable heritage-led development must be inclusive of many important factors. Firstly, both material and immaterial heritage must be recognised and protected by local and national policy-makers. These decisions must be informed by the past and present demographics, and made for the benefit of local society, who are the most vulnerable to loss of heritage, rather than the developers themselves As we know, heritage hugely contributes to the creation of local identity and sense of belonging, i.e. crucial factors for social wellbeing.
Secondly, the affected communities need to and deserve to express their voices at the earliest stages of planning in order to be as fair and as beneficial to all as it is possible, oftentimes planning cannot satisfy every individual wish. This must, however, be linked with the protection of cultural and biological diversity, merging social goals with environmental goals. Therefore effective placemaking always protects local history, heritage and ecology, and allows for mixing and interaction.
Further Note
This brief study highlights the highly important aspects of heritage in terms of sustainable neighbourhood development, however, it doesn't exhaust all factors contributing to the topic of heritage, identity and sustainability at various scales.
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References
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Figures
Fig. 1. Bowditch, T. (2019). Deptford X Parade 2022. [Online image]. Available from https://deptfordx org/parade/ [Accessed 18 December 2022]
Fig. 2. Heiberg, M. (2022). Gro Spiseri. [Online image]. Available from https://www visitcopenhagen com/copenhagen/activities/urban-gardens-and-wild-nature [Accessed 18 December 2022]