The Challenges of Social Engagement: Lessons from Conservation Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-230
Author(s):  
Urvashi Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Urban Heritage ◽  
Urban Settlements ◽  
Fast Pace ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
Built Heritage Conservation

People are central to the idea of any intervention The unprotected urban heritage in Indian historic cities and towns is getting lost at a very fast pace. Heritage buildings have been abandoned, neglected, abused and left to decay. Innumerable risk factors, at the macro and the micro level of the historic urban settlements have been responsible for the decay of heritage buildings, posing a serious threat to the existence of the unprotected urban heritage. This article highlights the problems impacting urban heritage by investigating the built heritage in Bharatpur and Shekhawati regions of Rajasthan in India. The article draws attention towards lack of involvement of local communities in protecting the urban heritage. It discusses the role of local communities, especially owners and craftsmen, in conserving heritage buildings. Majority of the owners and occupants are not interested in conserving these structures nor do they have the necessary technical and financial means to do so. In this scenario, a participatory approach to conservation and management is the only means to conserve unprotected heritage buildings and structures. The article shares practical experiences and learnings from 21 years of practice in the field of built heritage conservation, highlighting the social aspects in the conservation of built heritage.

scholarly journals Trialogue on Built Heritage and Sustainable Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 3901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence W.C. Lai ◽  
Stephen N.G. Davies ◽  
Frank T. Lorne
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Political Scientist ◽  
Historical Aspect ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Ecological Conservation ◽  
Heritage Building ◽  
Building Conservation ◽  
Built Heritage Conservation

This study represents a trialogue by a town planner, an economist, and a political scientist on the concepts of built heritage and sustainable development in terms of some features in the relationship between sustainable development and economics, sustainable development, built heritage conservation and economics, built heritage conservation and politics, built heritage conservation and sustainable development, and the tension between built heritage conservation vs. conservation/sustainable development. From planning, economic, and political angles, the feasibility and limitations of heritage building conservation in relation to conservation and sustainable development are presented. Compared to ecological conservation, built heritage conservation can easily accommodate sustainable development, as it is certainly a physical dimension for managing cultural heritage conservation. Built heritage as “heritage buildings” can articulate with real estate development via proper conservation planning. Its historical aspect signifies the legitimacy of conservation, while its proprietary aspect renders it fit for betterment.

The role of public libraries in the development of social capital in local communities – a theoretical study

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-196
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeSocial capital, understood as intangible community values available through a network of connections, is a factor in the development of societies and improving quality of life. It helps to remove economic inequalities and prevent poverty and social exclusion, stimulate social and regional development, civic attitudes and social engagement and build a civic society as well as local and regional identity. Many of these tasks may be implemented by libraries, which, apart from providing access to information, may also offer a number of services associated with social needs. The purpose of this paper is to present the roles and functions that libraries may serve in local communities in terms of assistance, integration and development based on classical social capital theories.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the classical concepts of social capital in the context of libraries. It analyses the findings of Pierre-Félix Bourdieu, James Coleman, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, Nan Lin, Ronald Stuart Burt, Wayne Baker and Alejandro Portes. Based on their respective concepts, the paper analyses the role of the contemporary library in the social life of local communities. In particular, it focuses on the possible new functions that public libraries may serve.FindingsA critical review of the concept of social capital revealed certain dependencies between libraries and their neighbourhoods. With new services that respond to the actual social needs, libraries may serve as a keystone, namely they may integrate, animate and engage local communities. This, however, requires a certain approach to be adopted by the personnel and governing authorities as well as infrastructure and tangible resources.Originality/valueThe social engagement of libraries is usually described from the practical perspective (reports on the services provided) or in the context of research on the impact of respective projects on specific groups of users (research reports). A broader approach, based on original social theories, is rarely encountered. The paper draws on classical concepts of social capital and is a contribution to the discussion on possible uses of those concepts based on an analysis of the role of libraries in social life and in strengthening the social capital of local communities.

scholarly journals Nodes and Networks: The Generative Role of Cultural Heritage for Urban Revival in Kikinda

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uroš Radosavljević ◽  
Aleksandra Đorđević ◽  
Kseniјa Lalović ◽  
Jelena Živković ◽  
Zoran Đukanović
Keyword(s):  
Social Sustainability ◽  
City Development ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Cultural Artifact ◽  
Urban Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
The City

Using heritage as a cultural artifact in city development is not new, but little has been explored about how urban heritage can be utilized as new generative value and a new planning instrument for the revival of cities. The purpose of this paper is to show the creative and the generative use of urban heritage, both for the extension of cultural and tourist offer of the city and for the improvement of the quality of life in physical, social and economic terms for the community. The case study method was used for the adaptive reuse of projects for heritage buildings and urban revival in Kikinda. We argue that urban heritage has to be used, bearing in mind its spatial, economic and social sustainability aspects, and become a generator of urban revival. We go beyond recognition of the value of heritage as a cultural artifact that should solely be preserved and used as a static element in urban development, and view it more as a dynamic asset for city revival processes. We found that for the heritage nodes to be utilized as the new generative value for the revival of cities, they have to be perceived from the network perspective, thus influencing the urban environment in a sustainable way.

scholarly journals DIGITAL WORKFLOW FOR THE CONSERVATION OF BAHRAIN BUILT HERITAGE: THE SHEIK ISA BIN ALI HOUSE

2017 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W5 ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
L. Barazzetti ◽  
D. Mezzino ◽  
M. Santana Quintero
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Historic Sites ◽  
Digital Workflow ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Commercial Market ◽  
Digital Documentation ◽  
Data Acquisition And Processing ◽  
Built Heritage Conservation

Currently, the commercial market offers several tools for digital documentation of historic sites and buildings. Photogrammetry and laser scanning play a fundamental role in the acquisition of metric information, which is then processed to generate reliable records particularly useful also in the built heritage conservation field. Although potentially very fast and accurate, such techniques require expert operators to produce reliable results, especially in the case of complex and large sites.<br><br> The aim of this paper is to present the digital workflow developed for data acquisition and processing of the Shaikh Isa Bin Ali house in Muharraq, Bahrain. This historic structure is an outstanding example of Bahrain architecture as well as tangible memory of the country history, with strong connotations in the Bahrain cultural identity. The building has been documented employing several digital techniques, including: aerial (drone) and terrestrial photogrammetry, rectifying photography, total station and laser scanning. The documentation project has been developed for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) by a multidisciplinary team of experts from Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS, Carleton University, Canada) and Gicarus Lab (Politecnico di Milano, Italy).

scholarly journals Making a House a Home: Motivations for Earthquake Strengthening   Domestic Homes in Dunedin, an Argument Towards Domestic Heritage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Imogen Stockwell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Heritage Studies ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Southern City ◽  
The Relationship

<p>Following the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, earthquake strengthening is one of the biggest issues facing heritage buildings in New Zealand. This process is mainly affecting commercial and public buildings; residential buildings are generally exempt from earthquake-prone building policies. However, some homeowners are choosing to do what is often perceived to be an expensive and time-consuming process. This research explores whether there is a heritage relationship between the homeowner and their house that motivates conservation work, such as earthquake strengthening. The central question for this research is: “What makes a heritage house a home? Is “home” a motivation for owners to earthquake strengthen their building? a case study of Dunedin”.  The relationship between homeowners and the heritage of their homes and domestic conservations practices has been underexamined in heritage studies in New Zealand. The current dissertation addresses this problem and contributes to the literature of Museum and Heritage Studies. The theoretical framework employed in this research draws on the field of Critical Heritage Studies in order to explore the relationship between ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up heritage’, the notion of ‘peoples-based’ heritage, the value of intangible heritage and a cycle of care. This research utilised qualitative research methods, involving the interviewing three heritage homeowners and two heritage professionals. These provided detailed findings about homeowners’ perceptions of their houses and the interaction between heritage practitioners and homeowners. The southern city of Dunedin was the case study which framed this research, because it has a rich collection of heritage buildings and a council which has been proactive in encouraging earthquake strengthening.  It was found that the heritage homeowner’s relationship with their home played a role in conservation how decisions are undertaken and that there is a lack of outreach from heritage authorities to heritage homeowners. This research provides information about the nature of the interaction between top-down and bottom-up heritage, and how this relationship can lead to positive heritage outcomes. Recommendations include developing open channels of communication between officials and homeowners, increased acknowledgement of the homeowner’s role in the conservation practice, and the establishment of a concept of Domestic Heritage to assist within the development of a cycle of care by heritage homeowners.</p>

scholarly journals Engagement of Contemporary Communities with the Shared Heritage Resources of the Dwindling Minorities of Central Calcutta

2021 ◽  
pp. 423-436
Author(s):  
Sohini Pyne
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Accelerated Growth ◽  
The City

The accelerated growth of Calcutta as a trading center under the British between the mid-18th and early 20th centuries brought an influx of diverse trading communities, including Armenians, Baghdadi Jews, Parsis, and Chinese, who settled in the historic bazaar nucleus of the city known today as Central Calcutta. These ethnoreligious communities erected significant heritage buildings reflecting their cultures. But with large-scale emigration and a rapidly dwindling local population, this shared built heritage is in neglect and has little or no relevance for Central Calcutta’s contemporary communities. This paper discusses the issues faced by these heritage resources and offers recommendations for enhancing community engagement, initiating co-management and developing common goals amongst contemporary communities so as to effectively safeguard this built heritage of dwindling minorities.

scholarly journals Mapping Tourism Potential Based on Urban Heritage Tourism in Medan City

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ponirin ◽  
Tappil Rambe ◽  
Leylia Khairani
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Tourism ◽  
Tourist Destinations ◽  
City Hall ◽  
Urban Heritage ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Heritage Building ◽  
Tourism Potential ◽  
The City ◽  
Heritage Area

The city of Medan is the third-largest city in Indonesia and has historical buildings or heritage that can be revitalized as a cultural heritage with tourism potential that can be developed. However, until now, the colonial heritage buildings have been destroyed up to 70%. This research method uses a tourism anthropology approach with a qualitative research type that focuses on tourist destinations. The research location is a heritage area, a colonial heritage building in the Merdeka Square segment, Maimoon segment, Benteng segment, Youth segment, Polonia segment, and Sambu segment. The study results reveal that Medan has a heritage in the form of historic buildings that have the potential to be developed and represent the identity of the city of Medan. The potential for tourism development can be carried out in 3 (three) potential areas, namely: 1) The youth segment, which includes Gedung Juang 45, which currently functions as the Sumatran Money Museum, Tip Top Restaurant, and Tjong A Fie Mansion. 2) the Maimoon segment, which includes: Maimoon Palace and the Great Mosque. 3) The Merdeka Square segment includes City Hall, which currently functions as the Grand City Hall, Hotel De Boer (currently called Grand Inna Hotel), and the London Sumatra building. Through urban tourism based on urban heritage tourism, tourists can be invited to appreciate and interpret the objects observed. It serves as education and recreation for the community. This activity is also a means of preserving the wealth and identity of the city of Medan.

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