How do we revisit values and processes of heritage conservation in a time and in a world where globalization, growing urbanization, market dominance in the economy, environmental issues and climate change, technological transitions (plus the sanitary crisis…) will impact decisions substantially? How do we integrate conservation with inclusion, diversity, participation of local communities, new governance and decision-making processes?

This session will reflect on the contribution of heritage economics to this challenging perspective. At the beginning of the 1980s, the conservation field grew very fast, boosted by the adoption of multiple conventions, charters, guidelines and recommendations, which paved the way for modern conservation, as we know it today. At that time, heritage economics was only considered as a support, mainly through cultural tourism. Sometimes, it was called a constraint to conservation, confusing two aspects: financial costs and sound allocation of economic resources. It was considered as a bonus to cultural policies, rather than a part of them.

Today heritage economics is better accepted as one of the four pillars of sustainable conservation, with a rich literature, full of innovative conceptual and methodological reflections and tools. The session will rely on such scientific contributions, but also on how heritage economics affects decision-making and responsibility for achieving the right balance between conflicting stakes that may arise in the conservation field. New approaches include measures to foster sharing knowledge between disciplines at every step of the conservation process (documenting, planning, restoring, monitoring), and ways to share innovative models in terms of governance, partnership, financing and decision-making.

MODERATOR: Ruba Saleh (Palestine/Italy)

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Andy Pratt (UK), Director of Centre for Culture and the Creative Industries, City University of London
Topic: Toward circular governance in the culture and creative economy: learning the lessons from the circular economy and environment

Christian Ost (Belgium), Honorary rector, ICHEC Brussels Management School
Topic: Cultural heritage value chain and innovative business models

David Throsby (Australia), Department of Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109
Topic: Heritage economics 40 years on: a review of developments since the 1980s

Pier Luigi Sacco (Italy), Professor of Cultural Economics, Rectoral Delegate for European Projects and International Networks, IULM University
Topic: Heritage 3.0: a taxonomy of heritage functioning and their relations to regimes of cultural production