New Approaches to the

Protection of Cultural

Heritage Turkish Union of Historical Towns

International Meeting – Istanbul

2-4th December 2005

Brian Smith

Secretary General

Importance of Heritage as a key asset

• All cities want to prosper - realise their economic and social potential

• Not all cities have the key asset of historic heritage

• More worryingly not all cities recognise or accept the potential role that heritage can play in securing its economic and social well being

• Cultural Heritage:-– influences and defines the

character of historic cities– Provides identity and diversity– impacts on the stability and

quality of urban life– contributes to economic

prosperity &

• Heritage is under threat in a changing world– globalisation– pace of technological change– religious and ethnic intolerance– loss of historic fabric and

identity

Challenges facing European historic cities

Gothenburg - demolition of Heritage - 1960s

• Sustainable management of our historic towns must rely upon – the protection of historic urban

cores and– key historic buildings of national

and international significance

• Protection requires heritage to be valued and its potential exploited. This requires: -

– Understanding of social, environmental and economic benefits

– Political commitment & public support

– Appropriate legislation– Resources : expertise and finance– Guidance on good practice

European Projects - INHERIT

• EAHTR focus on investing in heritage as means of regenerating historic cities

• INHERIT- understand the underlying processes that lead to successful heritage led regeneration

• Gothenburg, Sweden Belfast & Newcastle, UK, Verona, Italy, Gdansk, Poland, Lille, France & Ubeda, Spain

• Symposium – June 2007

Verona, Italy

Approaches• National level

– Resources administered through specialist organisations e.g English Heritage/ National Trust

– Grant system supporting Local Authorities– Lack of resources

• Municipalities– Local Authorities use of planning system

and grants to individuals e.g. Gothenburg, Sweden

– Use for public purposes e.g Museums – Lack of resources

• Private Sector– Key Historic Buildings in private ownership– Sale of historic Assets e.g Venetian Palaces– Danger of inappropriate use/alterations– Loss of public access

Grey Street, Newcastle

Grainger Town, Newcastle - UK

• Migration of commercial & residential heart of city

• Public Private partnership created - Grainger Town

• Regeneration themes– Quality of Environment

– Business Development & Enterprise

– Housing

– Access to Opportunity

– Arts, Culture & Tourism

– Management, Marketing & Promotion

• Objective: to create a dynamic European regional capital

Achievements

• Jobs created 1,900

• Business Start Ups 200

• Private Dwellings 386

• Housing Association 136

• Buildings improved & brought back into use 70

• Public Sector Investment £40m

• Private Sector Investment £80m

Europe Nostra Cultural Landscape Prize 2004 – donated to EAHTR

Public Private Partnership• PPP an alternative to privatisation

– sharing of risk & responsibility

• Principles – Long term agreements– Private sector capital investment– Public sector or user revenue stream– Public ownership retained –outcomes

guaranteed by private partner

• Not widely used yet in cultural heritage– Culture Espaces –management of historic

buildings/ museums

• Need for Guidelines & pilot schemes– Council of Europe– Initial interest from Russian Federation and

Malta

Conclusions• Importance of basic infrastructure

– e.g legislation, political support, understanding of benefits

• Traditional approaches need to be supplemented not replaced– Government led funding/leverage

• Need for good practice/ evidence on different models – balance between National/local/

private investment

– Exploration of potential of Public Private Partnership