Scheduling of cultural heritage sites : towards a more holistic approach

Abstract

Historic buildings and sites which are considered worthy of safekeeping are scheduled to be closely monitored and receive statutory protection. Places are scheduled because they are assigned heritage values informed by conservation theory. However, the notion of conservation has undergone significant change and the characteristics of the shifting construct of what defines heritage has necessitated the revision of existing conservation principles. Values attributed to cultural heritage have expanded in meaning and an increased sensitivity to divergent historical and cultural practices has been felt among conservation professionals. Moreover, heritage experts have started moving away from inherited theories and have started to engage with the changing dynamics of society. This dissertation examines existing challenges in the conservation field and scrutinises the current principles and value typologies in light of a shifting paradigm in the definition of cultural heritage. This study also examines the process of the scheduling, both in the UK context as well as in Malta through content analysis and structured interviews with local professionals. Several themes and concerns regarding the local scheduling process, which have emerged from the interviews are also explored in this study. The study also develops a more holistic system for heritage valorisation, which is less subjective and which uses mathematical multi-criteria analysis. The computation developed in this study, named the Heritage Value Calculation, comprises of a multitude of interlaced heritage value benchmarks which make the system applicable to different heritage sites and to diverse cultural contexts. The established criteria and subsequent formulation of this system address the gaps in heritage discourse presented by the reviewed literature as well as the structured interviews. The computation is formulated as a decision-making tool in the scheduling process of cultural heritage.