Landscapes Lost and Found

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Nicolson
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Historic Site ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Lost And Found ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
First Time

Hong Kong’s approach to heritage conservation has focused on saving an old building here and there with little or no regard to its surroundings. Recent public debates challenging proposals to demolish the former Central Government Offices on the historic site known as ‘Government Hill’ have highlighted this problem and, for the first time, acknowledged that the heritage value of the buildings is enhanced by their contribution to the broader ‘cultural landscape’. Not all of Hong Kong’s heritage cultural landscapes have been so fortunate. The title evokes an image of valuable items that have been lost or overlooked and, unless efforts are made to search for and retrieve them, may be thrown away altogether. To inspire a more effective approach to heritage conservation in Hong Kong, Landscapes Lost and Found traces the origins of the cultural landscape concept and, using a variety of urban and rural case studies, illustrates how it can be applied in interpreting and protecting the city’s rich and often undervalued natural and built heritage resources.

Evaluation of the social values and willingness to pay for conserving built heritage in Hong Kong

Facilities ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 76-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther H.K. Yung ◽  
Edwin H.W. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Historic Site ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
The Social ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the major factors of social value and the willingness to pay amount for conserving a historic site, using Hong Kong as a case study of a dense urban city with immense tension between conservation and development. It also evaluates, in monetary terms, the social values, which are almost impossible to measure in built heritage conservation. Design/methodology/approach – It adopts evaluation ratings and the contingent valuation method to estimate Hong Kong citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of the Central Police Station compound. Findings – The results of 256 surveys suggest that the extent to which the historic site can provide a “sense of place and identity”, “social inclusion” and “community participation” is positively correlated to the WTP amount. The respondents’ satisfaction with the new use of the site, their work location and education level affected the amount they were willing to contribute to the conservation project. The reasons given for not being willing to contribute were also analysed to provide insights for cultural heritage policy. Originality/value – The findings provide an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the major factors of social value and the WTP amount. This study proposes a partial tool to elicit the non-market value of heritage site which should be supplemented with experts’ evaluation to assist decision-making. It enhances public participation, particularly in the public–private partnership model of heritage conservation. Thus, it provides valuable insights for policymakers and planners to understand the public’s perception on the value of heritage conservation in cities facing immense redevelopment pressures.

Pulling the Threads Together

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Nicolson
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Fire Fighting ◽  
Management Of Change ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Built Heritage

The concluding chapter stresses the need for Hong Kong to recognise the concept of cultural landscapes and apply it in conservation studies. Instead of the current ad hoc ‘fire-fighting’ approach to conservation, Hong Kong needs to get ahead of the curve by taking proper stock of its natural and built heritage resources and mapping cultural landscapes would be an effective way to integrate these data. In the absence of formal government guidelines, a simple 5-step process is set out to guide the layman and practitioner how to assess the heritage value of a cultural landscape. The importance of understanding the dynamic, evolving interrelationship between nature and mankind that has shaped and will continue to shape cultural landscapes is stressed with a final reminder that conservation is not preservation. Instead, conservation is concerned with the sensible management of change.

Built Heritage Conservation and the Voluntary Sector: The Case of the Tung Wah Coffin Home in Hong Kong

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Yun Ma
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
The Government ◽  
Built Heritage Conservation

AbstractBuilt heritage conservation is not easily achievable through the market, as it involves use of urban space and thus opportunity cost. The problem is more serious if there is no government support. This is the case in Hong Kong, where both the market and the state are not favorable to built heritage conservation. However, in 2005, through a local voluntary organization, a built heritage of Hong Kong—the Tung Wah Coffin Home—was conserved, and the project won one local and one regional conservation award. While conservation of built heritage by the voluntary sector has been common among developed countries, it is new in Hong Kong. This article first situates the issue in a general political-economy perspective and then analyzes the case of the Tung Wah Coffin Home, in particular, in the context of Hong Kong. The purpose is to examine what this case tells us about the role of the voluntary sector and its relationship with the government in providing built heritage conservation.

scholarly journals KRAJOBRAZ KULTUROWY JAKO KATEGORIA ZABYTKÓW I JEGO SPECYFIKA

2016 ◽  
pp. 41-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia Klupsz
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Historic Sites ◽  
Historical Preservation ◽  
Dual Structure ◽  
Landscape Values ◽  
Natural Factors ◽  
Polish Government ◽  
First Time

Cultural landscape is the most recently established category of historic sites. It has been functioning in Poland since 1990 and was mentioned for the first time in UNESCO documents in 1992. Its dual structure distinguishes it from other typology groups. As per the definition provided in the act of law, cultural landscape is an area shaped by natural factors and human activities. This field covers not only natural elements but also products of civilization. Clear and unambiguous criteria for classifying cultural landscapes according to the results of their valorisation have not been implemented into historical preservation yet. This results in difficulties in preserving and protecting cultural landscapes in Poland. Under the provisions of the European Landscape Convention, Polish government is obliged to take actions aimed at assessing landscape values. Therefore, there is a chance to resolve the stalemate.

scholarly journals RECORDING AND COMPARING HISTORIC GARDEN ARCHITECTURE. VALUE OF SLAM-BASED RECORDING FOR RESEARCH ON CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN CONNECTION WITH HERITAGE CONSERVATION

2021 ◽  
Vol XLVI-M-1-2021 ◽  
pp. 301-308
Author(s):  
M. Hess ◽  
C. Ferreyra
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
National Level ◽  
Typical Feature ◽  
Interdisciplinary Cooperation ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
3D Data ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
The University

Abstract. The 3D-SLAM-based recording of historic gardens and architecture with the scope of geometric and quantitative analysis of typologies of garden architecture in the context of a designated cultural landscape will be presented. This will be illustrated by case studies of three baroque gardens of buildings belonging to the Cistercian order.The ‘Centre for Heritage Conservation studies and Technologies’ (KDWT) at the University of Bamberg is cooperating with the Cisterscapes project to deliver metric surveys, architectural comparison of the historic gardens as typical feature of the agricultural granges. The survey and research were conducted in autumn 2020 and 2021 in two granges in Franconia (Bavaria, Germany) as well as on the monastery of Ebrach.For the recording, SLAM technology, was the preference and a GeoSLAM ZEB Horizon was used. It is a solution using the data sequence acquired during motion for estimating the relative poses in real time. The case studies served not only to generate an accurate output to be explored in the Cistercian Cultural Heritage Project, but also as test of the instrumentation to ascertain best practices of the instrument. 3D digital documentation will contribute to the holistic understanding of garden plus architecture ensembles. 3D data analysis will be approached from an art-historical and architectural viewpoint, conclusions shall be drawn from interdisciplinary cooperation. This comparative research will serve to find similarities or differences and establish prototypical elements of these typical elements of Cistercian Cultural Landscape. The 3D records can also be used as basis for future monitoring and development of a new garden care concept taking heritage conservation into account. Heritage, in its many forms, is not only a representation of the past, but a connection or reconnection with a past that is active and alive in the present. It shapes and reshapes people’s sense of place, sense of belonging and cultural identities at the local and national level.

Government Hill

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Nicolson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
British Colonial ◽  
The Government ◽  
Lay Reader ◽  
First Time

Case Study 7: When the government announced its plans to sell the former Central Government Offices (CGO) on Government Hill, there was a public outcry against the proposals. The ensuing debate highlighted how little the government understood the heritage value of the site and the public’s perception of this cultural landscape. The term ‘cultural landscape’ was used for the first time in this conservation debate to expand the heritage site beyond a single building and include its broader landscape setting. Government Hill’s cultural landscape comprises the CGO in its hillside setting as well as a cluster of other heritage buildings dating from the early years of the British colonial rule; all symbolic of the invaders’ military, administrative, legislative, judicial, and spiritual centres of power. The Government Hill debate provides a very helpful definition, for the lay reader as well as the conservation professional, of a heritage urban cultural landscape, what natural and built heritage elements should be included, and why it should be conserved.

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