Open Heritage: Community-Driven Adaptive Reuse in Europe: Best Practice

The book "Open Heritage" provides new approaches and examples from practice for developing cultural heritage in a more sustainable way. It focuses on inclusive heritage management based on community-driven processes and offers a guide for planning, researching, and deciding on the further development and use of cultural heritage.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: Birkhauser

The preservation and sustainable use of cultural heritage is a pressing concern in today's world, facing challenges such as climate change, social inequality, and social plurality. To address this, Open Heritage is a response that seeks to define cultural heritage more broadly, involve all stakeholders in its protection and maintenance, and develop relevant planning processes to ensure its sustainable reuse in times of change.

This book, funded by the European Union (EU), presents the findings of the OpenHeritage project, which examined best practices in various European countries. It focuses on inclusive heritage management, which is driven by community-based processes. The book is designed to serve as a valuable guide for anyone involved in planning, researching, and deciding on the further development and use of cultural heritage.

The book is organized into four main sections. The first section provides an overview of the OpenHeritage project and its objectives. It explains how the project aimed to develop a more open and inclusive definition of cultural heritage, identify the parties involved in its protection and maintenance, and explore relevant planning processes.

The second section presents a collection of different approaches to assessing the social impact of bottom-up cultural heritage reuse projects. It includes methods derived from OpenHeritage case studies and other European initiatives, such as the Social Impact Assessment Toolkit and the Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Protocol. These approaches provide valuable insights into how cultural heritage reuse can contribute to social development and well-being.

The third section showcases numerous methods derived from OpenHeritage case studies and other European initiatives. These methods cover a wide range of topics, including community engagement, heritage interpretation, and sustainable tourism development. They provide practical guidance for practitioners and policymakers on how to develop and implement effective cultural heritage reuse projects.

The fourth section concludes the book by highlighting the importance of ongoing research and collaboration in the field of cultural heritage preservation and sustainable use. It calls for further investment in research and development to enhance our understanding of the social and economic benefits of cultural heritage and to develop innovative solutions to address the challenges it faces.

In conclusion, Open Heritage is a valuable resource for anyone interested in planning, researching, and deciding on the further development and use of cultural heritage. It provides a comprehensive and systematic presentation of the results of the EU-funded OpenHeritage project, as well as a collection of different approaches and methods derived from case studies and other European initiatives. By promoting inclusive heritage management and community-driven processes, Open Heritage contributes to the preservation and sustainable use of cultural heritage for future generations.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 167 x 242 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783035626803