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Tourists in Historic Towns examines the relationship of culture, heritage, conservation and tourism development in historic towns and urban centres, debating the impacts of tourism on historic towns and the role tourism plays in conservation and urban continuity. The main focus of the book is medium sized historic towns and historic quarters which are attractive to the tourist market, but historic quarters in large cities and smaller rural settlements are not excluded.
Alongside over a hundred examples of historic towns, five historic towns are discussed as case studies: Read more Read less. Prime Book Box for Kids. Sponsored products related to this item What's this? Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. If Steve Jobs was Coaching You: Or, said differently, what if Steve Jobs was actually coaching you?
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There's a problem loading this menu right now. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Increasingly, the identification of culture is that of a major economic sector, as the economic potential of cultural industries is being recognised UNESCO Developing an historic area specifically for tourism can range from an appreciation of its urban qualities to a re-presentation of a past era and a creative interpretation of history.
The limits for creative intervention can only be judged for each situation individually, but above all they must remain honest. A conserved and beautified assembly of buildings is what is seen as desirable and what the market is perceived to demand of an historic environment.
Once again the point is one of conflicting arguments, between the need to provide a deeper understanding and the superficiality of contemporary life. The Old Market Square of Warsaw is inscribed on the World Heritage List for what must be its cultural value and not its authentic one, since the square was rebuilt after the Second World War. But this can only further encourage an assemblage of parts formula for urban beautification, moulding urban heritage into sought-after images—the tried and tested formula of cobbled squares and outdoor cafes. Historic towns are in danger of becoming the same global product and, as such, an increasingly superficial experience.
Historic areas remain familiar in a changing environment and provide a sense of place, which Conzen refers to as genius loci. This is one reason for urban conservation, together with the aesthetic, cultural and historical values identified 16 The historic town as heritage, and the educational, spatial and townscape values Larkham , combined with environmental concerns and economic viability Lichfield Conservation is a reflection and accumulation of values placed upon our traditions and culture. Urban conservation is a political, economic and social concern; and tourism-, image- or fashion-led conservation will only be superficial.
Many definitions have been provided for conservation. According to Fethi Conservation is the careful planning and management of limited and selected resources. It is a conscious process to control and manipulate change to a minimum—to a rate that ensures the survival of cultural heritage over a long time. Historical environments serve a social purpose and their loss as irreparable cultural loss has been demonstrated in post-war rebuilding.
Conservation is necessary for society both practically and in the academic sense of the historic knowledge Whitehand Urban conservation differs significantly from building conservation. First, it is multi-dimensional, and it involves, as well as the building fabric, the urban pattern, streets, open spaces, green areas and urban vistas. Second, it involves the services of a much wider range of disciplines and persons, and it is influenced by political decision making at local and national levels.
Third, and probably most importantly, it involves a social aspect. The users, the residents, the property owners, business interests, and other citizens who use the area, and those who depend on it for their livelihoods, are all part of the conservation process. Urban conservation policies are often area based, through the designation of conservation or protection areas. City walls that once protected towns from invasion have also protected them from destruction, and nowadays they provide the boundaries for conservation areas.
However, even within set boundaries, conservation has to be proactive and to permit growth and change in the urban structure, responding to the functionality of historic quarters and their spatial organisation in relation to contemporary urban problems. Urban conservation has three dimensions: All three interrelate and overlap, in context and in the responsibilities of key players.
All are encompassed within the fourth dimension of time. The conservation of an historic urban environment is not an isolated project, but a multitude of projects, not all of them physical, which are interlinked to take place over an extended period of time, embodying public desires and private vested interests. Urban life continues during the conservation process and it is wrong to expect a finished product, for a city as a living organism is never complete and the urban environment grows and develops with and through its users.
The physical dimension is closely linked to building conservation, in that the emphasis is on appearance, and it covers projects involving old buildings, groups of buildings, new structures and many other aspects such as street furniture. The physical conservation of the urban fabric involves historians, archaeologists and 18 The historic town Fig.
Others, including amenity societies, non-governmental organisations, grant-awarding bodies or community groups, may also take an active interest. The spatial aspect of urban conservation is predominantly the role of the city planning department, overlapping with a city manager and closely linked to economic planning. Main considerations include traffic and circulation, and, in large cities, the historic area may play a small part in a much larger plan. Urban designers play an important role in design interpretation and in the organisation of external spaces, while tourism promoters and managers are likely to make demands on the urban planner for the provision of better access or parking facilities.
The private sector wishing to invest in an area will also have demands for access and even on space use. The third and social dimension concerns the user, the local community and the urban population. Compared to the physical and spatial dimensions, the social dimension of urban conservation is the most difficult to define, but arguably the most important, as continuity in conservation can only be achieved through the continuation of urban life.
None of the professional groups identified above has a direct link to residents unless lines of communication are specifically established. The relationship is through the city authority answerable to the local community, and, in the case of an elected city council, the political decision makers also have a role as community representatives.
Historic towns were not built to accommodate many modern-day inventions including electricity, centralised services and the motor car. Narrow streets are not ideal for cars and they are even less so for lorries or tourist buses, which are prone to cause damage to the historic fabric, particularly at tight junctions. Demographic and social changes are resulting in smaller nuclear families, and incomes are no longer able to pay for servants or the escalating maintenance and heating costs of large and draughty houses; there will also be a growing concern for personal and property security.
To continue to be attractive to residents, old houses and towns need to provide for contemporary living standards. Not all benefits of rehabilitating existing property can be measured against direct costs. The conservation and rehabilitation of old neighbourhoods are also a form of recycling—reusing buildings and in some cases maintaining an informal industry dependent on this process.
When restoration costs are compared to new-build costs, energy and environmental costs for the production of new materials are not being calculated, and the need for maintenance of new buildings is frequently overlooked Lichfield Furthermore, the immeasurable cultural value of these places is ignored. Historic town conservation has become a populist trend and Lowenthal questions whether too much is being kept and whether too much of our lives recorded for future heritage.
The realisation that urban tissue could be as important as the monuments that it surrounded, and from which it had previously been methodically removed, led to a conscious urban conservation movement in Western Europe. The Charter of Venice, signed in , stated: The concept of an historic monument embraces not only the single architectural work but also the urban and rural setting in which is found the evidence of a particular civilisation, a significant development or an historic event. The Romantic movement in architecture of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, evoking an interest in the picturesque, was initiated in England and led by some of the most prominent architects of the time—Nicholas Hawksmoor, John Nash and Sir George Gilbert Scott.
The history of building conservation and early legislation is well documented elsewhere Erder ; Larkham ; and most recently Jokilehto In many instances local interest promoted awareness for the conservation of historic townscapes. In England a love for history, landscape and the picturesque had evolved, and with it came a feeling of responsibility for 20 The historic town the environment and the appearance of amenity societies.
The first national amenity society was formed in and by the turn of the century many more were established, most notably the National Trust10 and the Town and Country Planning Association. The Symposium raised architectural and town planning issues, including communication and accessibility, with a precise brief to prevent historic areas being transformed into lifeless museums. The outcome of a symposium in The Hague particularly stressed that town planning schemes should include conservation links and awareness.
The European Architectural Heritage Year, , not only increased awareness of the built heritage but also encouraged city authorities to tackle the problems of their historic centres, and a number of pioneering projects were launched. The declaration by the Council of Europe on the occasion stated the aim of the year: To awaken the interest of the European peoples in their common heritage; to protect and enhance buildings and areas of historic interest; to conserve the character of old towns and villages, and to assure for ancient buildings a living role in contemporary society.
Worldwide, interests were also awakened and the United Nations, under UNESCO, and other international bodies, started publishing recommendations on historic conservation,12 enhancing the conservation of culture and community within the urban context. The conservation of historic towns and urban areas is understood to mean those steps necessary for the protection, conservation and restoration of such town areas, as well as their development and harmonious adaptation to contemporary life.
ICOMOS The restoration of buildings in the late twentieth century is very different from the practice started in the nineteenth century and it has become a well established and recognised field of expertise today. Institutions have been set up to provide specialised training at all levels from architects to craftspeople. The use of original materials and techniques is widely promoted, as is the supervision of projects by suitably qualified experts.
The diverse elements of urban conservation, including the human element, are also being recognised in multi-disciplinary teams. Projects were set up and initiatives supported to improve urban areas and settlements across Europe. In each case the precedent and the outcome were different.
Sometimes it was urban revival in a recognised and wellknown historic city, in other cases the rehabilitation of an industrial slum. The medieval town of Bruges in Belgium had been an important trading city in history, hardly touched by the Industrial Revolution or by bombing during the war. However, by the early s the historic centre, no longer responding to the demands of a twentieth-century industrialised society, had became poverty stricken with one in eight houses lying vacant. But demolitions by the city council provoked heavy protest and a plan was launched in for a multi-functional city centre, conserving cultural and aesthetic values and responding to present-day needs.
The plan aimed to make the centre attractive to a greater proportion of the population and to achieve this through private initiatives. The city council was able to pay up to 50 per cent of repair costs on visible parts of listed buildings and 30 per cent for other parts, also promoting the insertion of high-quality modern architecture into vacant plots UNESCO The scheme achieved most of its targets of making the centre of Bruges attractive again, as the population of the inner city increased along with the art galleries and smarter boutiques which started to boost the local economy.
Today Bruges is another smart European town, a successful example of conservation and modern development. While economic targets have been met and exceeded through tourism, the town centre has become overcrowded by visitors to the extent that overcrowding is ruling daily life Jansen-Verbeke and it is becoming less attractive to residents.
For the residents of Venice, however, there has been little choice. A World Heritage Site, Venice has continuously received funding for the conservation of its grand monuments, particularly following numerous and devastating floods, but rarely for improvements to the housing, which suffers from rising damp and associated decay Sammuels Lack of policies for public housing and almost non-existent grants led to many houses becoming dilapidated and eventually abandoned, as residents moved out to the suburbs when living conditions in their old properties became unbearable.
Properties bought up by affluent Europeans and Americans as second or third homes now often lie empty for much of the year. But property is no longer affordable for Venetians who want to live in the old city in spite of the tourists, in the belief that it is only they, the Venetians, who are the true caretakers of Venice Cessarelli In the market economy there is a social price to be paid as new ownership patterns emerge. Many areas in their rehabilitated and modernised forms have once again become popular among the middle classes, often at the expense of their poorer latter-day inhabitants.
Low rents do not pay for repairs and once properties 22 The historic town Fig. Most of the historic architecture has been restored and modern buildings successfully incorporated into the historic fabric. Large houses are now divided into small flats and studios for a growing demand from urban professionals choosing to live close to city centres. Jordaan, traditionally a working-class area of Amsterdam, had become dilapidated once small and dirty industries had taken over much of the housing.
Consequently rehabilitation plans were tied in with the then ongoing IBA13 project and attracted private and public investment. Both IBA and social rebuilding appear to be forgotten as the fall of the Berlin Wall has relocated Kreuzberg from an undesirable border region to prime real estate in the city centre. While for the well-known historic quarters of Western Europe the architectural environment has been improved, as have housing conditions and amenities, the objective of protecting the resident community has very rarely been achieved.
Throughout Europe only a small number of urban renewal schemes attempting community participation have been successful in achieving community objectives. Community participation appeared on the agenda of major conferences organised by the Council of Europe for the year of European Architectural Heritage At the Edinburgh conference the importance of amenity groups in the process, and the publicity of successful projects were discussed, while in Bologna it was demonstrated that it was only through public participation that local development could occur, involving all the citizens, not just the home owners, but also the not so privileged tenants, so as to enable them to remain in the area after rehabilitation.
Bologna has probably been a rare successful example when it comes to community benefit. Prior to the decision to revitalise the historic centre, eighteen neighbourhood councils were established of about 30, people each. A conservation programme was developed with these local councils, and detailed surveys undertaken on building types and the families living in them. The City bought up a considerable amount of property, to rehabilitate and use as public housing for the people of the area.
Private owners were given repair grants, on the condition that rent levels were maintained, and the city council held the right to buy renovated property before it became available on the market. Although this was an immense task, the long-term result has been that many of the original communities have remained in the revitalised neighbourhoods. Heralded as a success story, it has nevertheless failed to become an example for capitalist and market-based developments in other Italian or West European towns. In the twenty years that have passed, tourism and not the Bologna example has been the winner.
Although conservation work may be more modest than that of a major monument, resources required for the urban environment are much greater and unlikely to be available as a single lump sum, nor would this be desirable. Improvement budgets are provided as a tool for 24 The historic town Fig. In England Town Schemes have injected money into areas and grants have been made available to owners to repair their properties. Nevertheless, there is considerable competition for such funds and city authorities are at times investing precious time and resources into unsuccessful bids. Local governments controlling conservation programmes in the s and s were often in a fortunate position to award supporting grant funding to projects.
However, even though they are able to control and regulate the quality and standards of conservation work, councils have often been unable to resist the commercial powers of the market, and gentrification has become the inevitable outcome in most cases. Conservation can become an exaggerated concern to keep everything as it is; this is neither possible nor realistic.
Nor is flawless conservation where the results appear more like a themed heritage park than a town. The conservation process, policy and planning decisions have to consider long-term future growth and development. Furthermore, problems perceived by the expert outsider may not be the problems that are experienced by the inhabitants or a priority to them. Urban realities and conservation in developing economies Rehabilitation in many European towns may have ended up with gentrification of areas, but at the same time considerable progress has been made and lessons learnt.
A conservation culture has developed, supported by established legislation, policy 25 Tourists in Historic Towns and control mechanisms. It is not, however, always possible to apply all these principles to cities of the developing world which are facing rapid and uncontrolled urban growth, with related consequences for urban services and debt-ridden national economies.
For less stable economies where pressures for development are much greater and where the funds available are negligible, urban conservation as has been developed in Western Europe is near impossible, and where progress is being made there is still much to be accomplished and a greater complexity of issues to be tackled. Conservation charters, although international in name, are predominantly generated in Europe and by Europeans, and do not fully respond to cultural differences and social realities, nor can they be supported by the economies of many developing countries.
For many places it is simply not economically possible to retain an entire stock of urban heritage. Planners in both Riga, Latvia, and Tallinn, Estonia, are trying to protect neighbourhoods of grand buildings in the Art Nouveau style as well as the medieval quarters. There is no funding for the repair of these tumbling mansions and in many cases ownership disputes continue. Planners are unwillingly faced with some harsh and critical decisions for their future.
Tourists in Historic Towns: Urban Conservation and Heritage Management - PDF Free Download
However, it must also be recognised that being old does not necessarily qualify architecture as heritage. Major issues facing conservation in general and urban conservation in particular in developing countries are that: Today developing countries account for over 70 per cent of world population, but benefit from only 30 per cent of the world income Antoniou In the twentieth century many developing countries have experienced accelerated industrialisation and are currently coming to terms with technical innovation, and in many countries rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation prevails.
In bids to catch up with western development, consequences for the traditional urban fabric are much greater, with a growing gulf between the urban rich and the urban poor. High rates of rural to urban migration are leading to the rapid urbanisation of many previously rural cultures and the unprecedented expansion of cities. Urban change and growth are further accelerated as populations double in as little as thirty years, with conditions being made more difficult by the fact that there are increasingly fewer resources and greater demands on services.
Recognition of historic quarters with a view to preserving some of their qualities, or rehabilitating them, is a very new concept for many cash-starved governments and local authorities. Priorities have often been politically driven and architectural and historic concern achieved through eviction, demolition and 26 The historic town Fig.
There is increasing awareness, and projects with socio-cultural development objectives are being promoted. However, while most conferences and publications to date have tended to examine issues or voice the problems, action is still variable. Funding for conservation can become a low priority when there are pressing demands on budgets for better sanitation, healthcare and schools.
Further problems arise from the insufficient funding for the training and education of professionals or specialist craftsmen to undertake and organise conservation work. There is at times insufficient legislation to protect individual buildings; and where conservation legislation does exist, there is inadequate control or lack of financial assistance. Inevitably, urban conservation only becomes recognised as a product of tourism development.
While the blight of modern cities and the dilemma between old and new are a problem the world over, in the East, historic continuity is frequently being disregarded in favour of the status of the modern Kuban For many developing countries there is an aspiration towards western styles of living, while the traditional is rejected for being backward. The great bulk of buildings constituted by vernacular architecture are being wantonly destroyed, because their cultural and symbolic, even economic, values are not subordinated to the exigencies of new life patterns, to the status of new forms and materials and speculative profits of staggering dimensions.
Western architectural styles are replicated in the name of modernisation, often with little respect for local cultural, climatic or building needs. Western-derived charters, methods and conservation philosophy are not necessarily appropriate to non-western cultures or to the realities of developing economies. Aestheticism, historical continuity and materialistic wealth, for example, are predominantly European values.
In some societies, symbolic, religious and naturalistic values may constitute a greater reason for conservation Oliver In Japan for example, there was no post-war policy for rebuilding heritage as in Europe, and it was not until the s, through international stimuli, that a materialbased cultural heritage policy was formulated. It could be argued for example that conservation denies the Muslim philosophy that housing is but a temporary earthly shelter which is renewed in response to the changing size and needs of the extended family. Proposed conservation programmes also have to recognise the realities of a situation.
Providing design guidelines publications to residents who are unable to read them, or, more significantly, unable to afford to realise repairs in accordance with them, is counterproductive. Situations have to be approached in response to local needs and in keeping with local culture. In Fez the old town grew from , inhabitants to , between and Bianca Residents depend on the central areas not only for accommodation but also for access to their daily economic activity. Projects simply directed towards the salvation of historic fabric have often involved the removal of the poor population in order to create restoration images that satisfy Ministries of Heritage and Tourism.
However, providing alternative housing on the urban periphery as happened in Cairo, Egypt, potentially cuts off the vital connection to the centre for jobs and socio-cultural ties. Like many examples of European housing upgrading programmes, rehabilitated or renewed housing demands higher rents. Invariably in the smaller towns, where many residents have been born in an area, there continues to be a stable population and social collaboration. Research carried out for a regeneration project in the old town of Fez, for example, revealed that spontaneous building in the squatter settlements still followed traditional patterns Bianca Despite pressures for growth and economic constraints, and an outwardly portrayed modernisation of developing countries, the following urban qualities should also be recognised in favour of conservation: Conservation programmes in developing countries, with pressing demands and low budgets, must be able to consider a more pragmatic approach responding to a careful assessment of priorities.
It is more important to provide adequate bathrooms, if this is the required standard, than perfected facades which inhabitants are unable to maintain or afford to live behind. Religion, too, continues to play a role in urban life and has a presence in urban morphology and spatial use. The continuation of a certain lifestyle makes conservation closer to continuity than the step-back-intime images being created in the West.
Although a lack of funding, expertise and control predominates, the benefits of a continuing craft tradition and low labour costs cannot be overlooked. Summary and conclusions Urban heritage represents to the user and visitor an appreciation of the past which may be more tangible than that illustrated in grander monuments, possibly a social insight into the life of a previous or foreign era, and more often a sense of identity and of belonging within physical surroundings responding to the human scale.
It is not just through international heritage bodies, but also through the, often passive, appreciation of users and visitors that urban conservation is gathering momentum.
For conservation to be a reality, a place has to present a meaning to its users and 29 Tourists in Historic Towns occupants and there need to be finances available to initiate and realise urban conservation programmes. As the world population increasingly becomes an urban one, the importance of the city as a place to live in, work in and relax in increases. There is an ever-present dichotomy, however, of past and present, of resident values and marketplace values; of developed and developing.
Contradictions are apparent between rehabilitation for the provision of better living environments for residents and preservation and the retention of the urban environment through restoration projects often aimed at beautification. It is also a dichotomy of inside and outside: In urban conservation there is also an East-West dichotomy, involving urban morphology, economic realities and future aspirations.
Whereas the rehabilitated western city is a mere historic reference or even a prop for modern-day living, in the East the historic environment is still likely to be lived in and a contemporary extension of tradition. The following case study of Granada highlights some of the difficulties facing urban conservation in the absence of major funding or high-profile commercial activity.
The next chapter discusses the influence of tourism on conservation and the safeguarding of historic urban areas in the face of the new demands tourism places on the historic environment and on urban life. Notes 1 Including the Berbers, Bedouins and Turkomans. The romantic and picturesque movement followed, led by John Nash, in which buildings of every period were highly valued and admired. Mainly in London, historic buildings were classified. In a list of classified buildings, some of which 30 The historic town 10 11 12 13 14 were residential properties, was published and the buildings came under government protection for alterations or restoration.
From government grants were made available for repair work and the Town and Country Planning Act of introduced early initiatives for environmental conservation Erder The Trust owns houses and opens them to the public, as well as protecting chapels, wind and water mills, medieval barns, farms and even villages National Trust.
Internazionalle Bauausstellung, a building exhibition completed in Berlin in In England there were several sources of grants and financial aid for the repair and maintenance of historic buildings. Local Authorities were receiving grants from English Heritage ranging up to 40 per cent of eligible costs from Town Scheme Grants and 25 per cent of eligible Conservation Area Grants.
Furthermore, individuals in possession of a listed building could apply to the Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment for a grant to cover a maximum of 50 per cent of all the cost Historic Buildings and Ancient Buildings Act and Local Authorities could make grants available to owners of non-listed properties in Conservation Areas Historic Buildings Act. The place In Spain the high mountains of the Andalusian coast separate the long sandy beaches, well known to the holiday industry, from the hinterland of what were once prosperous Moorish cities and villages.
The only part of Western Europe to have been ruled by Asia for over six hundred years, up until the fifteenth century, to this Fig. Two very different architectures live harmoniously together: Granada became the centre of Moorish Spain, best remembered for the presence of the stunning Alhambra Palace, but the modern-day city continues to be an important regional centre. Although much of the craft industry died down in the eighteenth century, the quarter continued to thrive and to this day retains close to , inhabitants.
Like many of the old Muslim quarters of the region, it contains a mixture of small white-washed houses clustered together in narrow, winding streets, today an island in the modern city that surrounds it. The underlying Islamic morphology and pattern are visible in the irregular public squares and busy streets leading to narrower and calmer alleys, which in turn give onto internal patios behind high walls to provide cool seclusion and much-valued privacy. Most houses in the quarter are of brick, adobe or timber-frame construction, lime-washed on the outside.
The large timber patio doors with heavy metal knockers are similar to those of North Africa. Due to the steepness and narrowness of many streets, cars are at times unable to penetrate into the heart of the quarter and horses are still used for transport. The modern city has developed around the old quarters.
The commercial centre of the Islamic town remains separated from the neighbourhoods and is embedded in the modern city centre of Granada, but the old silk market, even though more recently rebuilt, is still a warren of small shops lining narrow passages with a colourful array of goods. Although many of the inhabitants are the owners of the properties, in the absence of external financial support the houses are too expensive to maintain, and those who could afford to, have moved out to better conditions in the newer suburbs.
In collaboration with the Architecture Departments of the universities, the Institute has embarked upon the laborious task of recording the historic buildings in the two hundred settlements of the region. The emphasis is on monuments rather than urban areas, however, and much of the resources have been taken up in recording rather than rehabilitation. There is growing concern among conservationists that the building traditions of the region will be lost due to ignorance and inaction.
Decentralisation policies since have shifted responsibility for protection and policy enhancement to local authorities.
In Granada, with more local-level decision making there is a growing interest in the historic town. But only limited local council grants are available for repair, and owners of historic property are expected to finance improvements themselves, although some tax exemption schemes do exist. Home owners are strictly obliged to keep to the old styles when making alterations to properties within a conservation area. Much of the conservation initiative and planning work to date has fallen on the Department of Architecture at the University of Granada.
Although a Granada Conservation Area Plan was drawn up in , it was unable to attract financial assistance, while heritage interests have focused not so much on the residents, but on tourism potential, for example a project to preserve the city walls. Nevertheless, the benefits of tourism for the future survival of the quarter have to be seriously considered. But the investment of tourism development money in coastal areas has curbed inland development.
While sun, sea, cheap beer and competitively priced flights from Northern Europe have made the Spanish coast a popular holiday destination, it is partly through tourism that the Spanish economy has come to play in the same league as Northern Europe. But despite campaigns to attract more cultural tourism, Spanish tourism remains predominantly coastal.
As in many inland attractions of the Mediterranean region, the visitor numbers are considerable but the duration of visits is very short. While the street scale makes an ideal shopping environment, architectural quality is often lost behind the shop fronts and displays, a stark contrast to the streets further away from the central attraction and not under tourist occupation. Here houses are lived in and a strong neighbourhood atmosphere is apparent in the small and intimate squares. In Granada, having visited the Alhambra Palace, visitors are frequently taken straight back to their resorts.
There is pressure on services and roads, but very little distribution of gain to the local economy. With only very limited access to grants for the repair of historic properties, the authorities are facing the problem of maintaining a fast-disappearing urban heritage. The resident community value the area but are unable to contribute to the repair of properties.
Much of the spirit and character of the area comes from the community; valuing their needs and working with them is essential in ensuring a safe future for the quarter. The future Will any intervention in the quarter simply result in eventual gentrification, new, richer residents and an inevitable loss of identity? Notes 1 The first law governing the protection of national monuments in Spain was passed in , although a list of National Monuments had appeared back in A second law was passed in , which with the exception of several amendments in and remained in force until , when the new legislation was introduced Council of Europe A new urban society is emerging, seeking leisure, culture and a high-quality environment, and cities are moving from being industrial centres of production to becoming centres of consumption Page For historic towns faced with limited financial opportunities, cultural tourism is seen as a significant economic alternative and the attached commercial value is turning the past into a product of the present.
The urban language of a past era and the townscape value inherent in a hierarchy of street patterns, open spaces and intersections combine to create a physical attraction. A walkable and pleasant environment and a familiarity not as yet gained from modern developments of our own time increase appreciation for leisure purposes. More than historic quality, however, it is the location, size and accessibility of a place that play an important role in both its success as a tourist destination and the consequent impact of tourism on the built, cultural and social environment.
The interpretation of heritage and the haste to attract more visitors have significant implications for the urban environment, including impacts and pressures caused by crowds. The chapter considers the following questions: How can tourism contribute to urban conservation? What impacts does tourism have on historic towns? It makes use of resources, which may not be used otherwise, in particular of unemployed labour in developing countries and regions with few or no alternative sources of employment.
Burkart and Medlik The industry worldwide employed million people in and was predicted to create a further 38—55 million jobs by the end of the s WTTERC Further jobs are created indirectly, such as within the construction or aviation industries. However, it should be noted that it is common for the better-qualified and managerial jobs to be taken up by the facilitators of tourism, mainly the western developed nations, while destination locations are often the last to benefit, with the local labour force filling the ill-paid and seasonal service sector jobs.
The benefit of tourist spending, however, is not a direct gain as there will be a cost to pay for infrastructure and facilities that are provided, including an increase in foreign imports. In Hawaii for example, so much agricultural land has been given over to tourist developments that the islands now import pineapples, previously a major product. Tourism earnings are often calculated from the gross figures of foreign exchange earned, not discounting the costs for imported goods and services or payment towards royalties and shares held by multinationals.
Money leaves the country on expenditure involving imported goods and services, interest on foreign capital, overseas advertising, overseas training of tourism personnel and foreign management salaries Erlet There is also the capital expenditure on the building and maintenance of airports, hotels, infrastructure, roads, water supplies, communication systems, etc.
Tourism is a volatile industry and there is very little guarantee of its continuation at stable levels, for a variety of reasons including changing fashions. Moreover, overinvestment leads to over-capacity, which in turn leads to fiercer competition and price wars.
Tourism and tourist developments are greedy consumers of the natural environment and of culture. Once it has become a tourist attraction, a small or 39 Tourists in Historic Towns fragile monument is often surrounded and overwhelmed by sign boards, parking facilities, souvenir shops, restaurants or cafes. Although a monument may be safeguarded, the surrounding environment is often not. Green areas and natural beauty spots on the other hand are used up for large hotels and resorts, leisure centres, car parks and airports, adding to traffic and noise pollution.
Crowds become a threat to the fragile balance of nature and to the fabric of historic buildings and settlements. Tourism has the potential to yield economic development, at both regional and national levels; however, the gain that penetrates to the community is usually not known, and is often immeasurable. The trickle-down effect attributed to top-down development can only be assumed and is rarely an adequate substitute for its consequences.
The profits of tourism are calculated through the profits of major tourist facilities but the costs are not as easy to calculate.
The benefits of tourism are distributed differently among residents, and improved facilities are likely to be appreciated more by those living outside the centre, not affected by the immediate disruptions Laws Furthermore, the benefits of an improved environment and better services and facilities can only be valued if they are within the purchasing power of the inhabitants.
The urban form and fabric of an historic town are the primary attraction to visitors, and are a free commodity. Hospitality services and commercial outlets within the town are secondary attractions, but they constitute the greatest opportunity for financial gain. The investment in infrastructure and the conservation of urban fabric and environment consequently do not benefit from a direct financial return. For the local population, most of the financial gain is through knock-on effects and jobs created in the sector. However, locally run or owned small businesses do benefit directly.
Although new employment opportunities may reduce the amount of migration from an area, an established local economy may still be threatened through tourism activity. It has often been the case that the comfort of temporarily higher wages and the glamour of tourism lead to the abandonment of local agricultural jobs. Thus the loss of subsistence agriculture accelerates emigration and leads to increased imports and rising prices. Increasing prices can make tourist-based areas and land, including beaches previously used by fishermen, inaccessible to local inhabitants.
In city centre locations too, high land prices result in rents and prices that are no longer affordable to local residents and businesses. Consequently town centres are given over to tourism-based seasonal use and create related environmental impacts, including the need for housing on the periphery, added transportation costs into the centre, as well as the social and financial burden of a seasonally underused centre with associated vandalism and security problems.
As the dirty industries created in the nineteenth century close down or are moved out of cities, authorities look towards new and cleaner industries to replace them, tourism being a favoured option. In Newcastle the riverside has been redeveloped with a focus on its entertainment and shopping potential. In Brussels the historic image of the Grand Place and the wealth of Art Nouveau-style architecture of the s are being promoted.
Good rail links and growing leisure interests have been increasing the tourism potential of both cities. Bradford, in the North of England, is another post-industrial city seeking new economic opportunities. The streets may be cleaner today, but the industrial era has left Bradford with a stock of derelict warehouse buildings, soaring unemployment and a high Asian immigrant population, once enticed by the industry.
The former residential quarter known as the Rocks at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, dating back to the early settlement, has been restored in part and developed and pedestrianised to become a significant part of the city centre activity. The area is publicised for tourism and could be considered a predominantly tourist district with light entertainment, cafes, restaurants and an abundance of souvenir shops. In Dubai a perfect climate for beach tourism in the winter and the availability of existing business hotels and related services have facilitated the development of leisure tourism to a wider market.
Much of the traditional urban heritage previously removed to make way for the grand hotels and offices is now being revalued and reinstated as tourist attractions. A role for tourism in urban conservation History can become exclusive, dictated by the ruling classes who identify with selected periods of history, post-independence perhaps or a class distinction, identifying exclusively with an upper-class past. There is naturally more demand for conserving buildings relating to a period of particular national or local significance, at times loosely linked to political messages and propaganda.
Tourism, on the other hand, can become a valuable means for widening cultural understanding to include less valued monuments and overlooked traditional urban environments. In many instances tourist interests have activated conservation programmes for 41 Tourists in Historic Towns archaeological sites, monuments or vernacular buildings, and, more recently, entire urban areas. In Turkey, the arrival of increasing numbers of westerners who had come to tour the Greco-Roman cities, especially Pergamon, Ephesus and Priene on the west coast, must have made the inhabitants aware that the ruins were highly valued by others even for reasons they could not understand.
The most popular sites soon acquired an economic value and it became more profitable to act as guides, sell souvenirs or to work for archaeological expeditions, than to demolish piecemeal. Turner and Ash Tourism is potentially an important catalyst for the safeguarding of historic fabric and the initiation of conservation on an urban scale.
Appreciation of the historic environment by visitors not only becomes a reason for conservation but can increase local interest in the environment. Although tourism is not a direct financial resource for conservation, indirectly it opens up previously unavailable investment finances. The restoration and reuse of redundant buildings encourages other environmental improvements, adds life and activity to a place, provides an example of conservation, and may boost the economy to a level which will enable other small-scale improvements to happen.
For the nineteenth-century old town of Tunis, tourism was specifically seen as a catalyst for development when a project was launched with the specific aim of maintaining a balance between tourism development and public interest. The old town had many buildings worthy of restoration, but had been in decline when the Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Medina ASM took over.
The objectives were set for renewal that would maintain existing residential use and retain trade patterns. The programme included a pilot project to renovate municipal buildings for tourist use, and new residential units for sale to reduce overcrowding in the centre. Other proposals were for the restoration of municipally owned buildings to be let at low rents, and to make loans available to encourage private and public participation Serageldin Fadel and Serageldin report on the success of the scheme in achieving targets for affordable housing.
Appreciation by visitors can lead to better local understanding and insight into some of the values of the immediate environment. Understanding and response to local heritage are different and to local inhabitants the community value of a neighbourhood may be more important than the historic value of the physical 42 The tourist-historic town environment appreciated by the visitor. Tourism, nevertheless, has to be a two-way process and appreciation of local community values by the visitor is also important in developing cross-cultural relations.
The attraction of visiting historic towns and quarters lies in the qualities offered to the visitor, including a lifestyle that is essentially not exploited by tourist commercialism. Through slow and conscious activity there is the opportunity for resulting tourism to become a growth industry that is not simply measured by bed spaces; tourism becomes a balance between sustainability of the product and emphasis on local-level income generation and associated human growth and involvement. Sir Angus Stirling In summary, tourism can play an important role for the future of historic towns because: Redundancy and reuse Through life-cycles and use-cycles buildings become redundant, no longer able to serve the function for which they were originally built.
Some are adapted to new functions, others lie vacant; they may be valued for their historical quality, association or contribution to the townscape, but urgently require a living role for this relationship to prosper. Tourism not only encourages new economic activity, but also introduces new uses and often more flexible demands on space.
It is an opportunity for otherwise redundant buildings to be rehabilitated and reused, providing continuity through active use. The reuse of existing resources reduces new construction and related environmental pressures, while increasing use in central locations. Financial viability illustrated in the restoration and revitalisation of one building can encourage others to follow the example, while continuing local ownership and small-scale activity enable local economic involvement, reducing the export of benefits.
Within historic town centres there will be a wide range of building types of different periods and varying artistic merit. The potential for reuse is different for each building and is closely linked to ownership, private, public or institutional. The biggest space requirement for the tourist industry is in overnight accommodation followed by related services, commerce and cultural activities.
Palaces, castles, mansions and religious buildings such as monasteries provide an alternative form of visitor accommodation in unique and authentic settings, with a living function closely linked to the original. Large public buildings and halls are being converted to museums or exhibition spaces, while industrial buildings are finding a new lease of life in riverside regeneration and associated cultural, leisure and residential developments.
Major historic buildings have frequently come into state ownership and there are successful examples of nationally supported reuse projects.
Tourists in Historic Towns: Urban Conservation and Heritage Management
In the Spanish State initiated a programme in which outstanding but redundant buildings were restored as hotels or guest houses. Known as paradores, these converted buildings can be found all over the country, creating authentic and high-quality leisure environments for guests.
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Inevitably the project has encountered some minor problems where buildings have not been easy to convert; castles for example often lack sufficient ventilation and daylight European Heritage But the conversion of many underused buildings into hotels has had many advantages. The impacts on landscape and environment are negligible, particularly in comparison with a new development on these sites of natural beauty, and the appropriate scale and existing relationship of the building to the place have brought direct economic benefits to many small towns.
In Turkey the Touring and Automobile Association has successfully converted Ottoman mansions in Istanbul and Safranbolu into atmospheric and popular hotels. In a flagship project by the Association in the Kariye district of Istanbul, it was possible for a mansion to be converted into a hotel and smaller units to be restored and rented back to the original tenants. As a non-profit organisation, the Touring Club was able to divert the income from a tourist development towards housing, using tourism as a means for regeneration.