PICH

The report summarizes the work and results of JPI CULTURE PICH "The impact of urban planning and governance reform on the historical built environment and intangible cultural heritage". The project group consisting of researchers from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy and Norway conducted twelve case studies, three from each of the four countries. These case studies are presented on the project website: https://planningandheritage.wordpress.com/pich-2/cases/. PICH took the starting point in an increasing concern that changes in planning and management practices in European cities will have an impact on the city's cultural environment. Since the 1990s, public administration has faced major challenges due to economic crises, public sector austerity and the introduction of a new liberal policy, believing that the market will contribute to greater efficiency in the use of public resources through increased competition and transfer of tasks to the private sector. PICH points out that community responsibility in the management of the cultural heritage has been reduced. New liberal policy leads to more privatization and individualization of responsibility. The picture varies somewhat from country to country, but with important common features; simplification of regulation and transfer of power and influence to private actors. This shift has significant effects on planning and management of the tangible cultural heritage, with major consequences for cities facing transformation and densification. The shift also affects the intangible cultural heritage. Buildings, city spaces and landscapes play an important role as the city?s collective memory and the citizens' experience of identity and unity. Authorities, market actors and civil society are seeking new opportunities to strengthening the management of cultural heritage in cities. The aim of PICH has been to strengthen the knowledge about the impact of these changes in managing the cultural heritage in cities and how these can be met. We know from previous research that the governance of the built and intangible heritage varies considerably in different settings. Therefore, three different study areas have been selected: the historic urban core, transformation of industrial heritage and the historic urban landscape. In the historic urban core, the built heritage is generally widely recognized for its contributions to the collective identity with its complex and differentiated urban pattern. Cultural values here are usually well-known. On the other hand, the historic core has been exposed to major urban development and renewal. Industrial areas have undergone major transformations where the value of the working culture heritage is not well recognized and protected. Nevertheless, important elements of the industrial heritage are often taken care of to give the site identity and character. The historic city landscape has undergone major changes due to urban growth and urban renewal. The urban landscape is perceived as abstract and has been less recognized as a cultural heritage. Even though there is an increasing awareness of the importance of protecting the urban landscape, with its scale, heights and morphology, for our experience of the city's character. The Norwegian case studies include the warehouses in Kjöpmannsgata, the shipyard area at Nedre Elvehavn, and the historic urban landscape of Midtbyen. Documentary studies and interviews with cultural heritage managers, planners and politicians, property developers, other business owners and city residents have been carried out. The study reveals how cooperation and dialogue between private and public actors can help protecting the old warehouses where reuse can be devastating to cultural values in these vulnerable buildings. However, there is different understanding between different actors of how the value should be assessed. Different actors assign different values to the cultural memory, while visual features seem to play an increasingly important role. The industrial heritage sites Nedre Elvehavn have a clear utility perspective, used to brand the area without conveying industrial history, an example of how cultural heritage protection is about to lose an important role. The study shows that the inhabitants still appreciate the fact that the industrial heritage is preserved and contribute to giving the area identity and distinctive character. The historic landscape in the city center has been recognized as an important heritage since the Midtbyplan was approved in 1981 but has not been well managed. Building heights, scale and the urban fabric have changed significantly. New liberal planning practices have strengthened private actors in urban development, where cultural values and measures are increasingly subject to negotiations.

Abstract The PICH project will provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of fundamental reforms in urban planning and governance on the historic built environment and place identity. Urban planning and governance systems mediate conflicting interests over the built historic environment with significant implications for the cultural heritage and place identity. The cultural meaning of places may be revealed, enhanced or exploited by planning and governance of urban development, or it can be swept away completely by planning decisions that reflect other policy priorities and interests. Global forces and European integration are changing the processes and doctrine of urban planning and governance. Neo-liberal ideology reinforced by economic crises, the risks associated with climate change, and growing individualism and diversity in society have undermined traditional planning methods. The project will evaluate the effect of fundamental reform in planning and governance in three settings: the historic urban core, sites of industrial transformation, and the wider landscape heritage. It will assess the impact of reform on the tangible built environment and place identity, and develop evaluation and education tools. The project is a collaborative exercise of academics, policy makers and civil society in Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. This combination gives added value in potential for comparative evaluation across all the main models of planning. Associate partners will be involved from municipalities, heritage organisations and other countries to test ideas under other conditions. The project will meet a pressing demand for guidance on managing the built cultural heritage and place identity under more complex and uncertain conditions. It will make a broad contribution to the Strategic Agenda in understanding the implications of fundamental reform, by drawing transferable lessons, and by proposing effective transferable methods and tools