Planned conservation and Learning-based Cultural Districts Andrea Canziani

1. BEST Department Building Environment Science and Technology Planned conservation and Learning-based Cultural Districts Andrea Canziani UNESCO Chair on Preventive Conservation, Maintenance and Monitoring of Monuments and Sites 24-25 March 2009, Leuven

2. Heritage resources Cultural Heritage (CH), according to the most recent cultural policies, is a key factor in local economic development It is the key role of culture within the intangible economies of the knowledge society Identity Human/Intellectual capital Education Innovation Preservation and enhancement activities Cultural tourism Land rent

3. Decontextualization of heritage resources • cultural policies not capable of raising and satisfying collective needs, whether concrete or latent. • preservation processes steered more and more towards a separation of the CH from its territorial environment • intervention strategies not able to ensure a compatible and sustainable valorization of the available resources.

4. Decontextualization of heritage resources are the Cultural District models the answer? exploiting heritage for territorial marketing? Or instrument for a sustainable and aware valorization link to a territory? it is crucial to clarify the role of BCH (subject of economic processes? catalyst of cognitive processes?) and how such role could be managed (governance or government? quality of the valorization processes?)

5. BCH in cultural and economic dynamics • within the Cariplo Foundation project on Cultural District we are facing two different concepts of the role of CH as an agent of cultural and economic dynamics: • symbol of a static identity • or • symbol of an evolutive identity • activate innovation matching care with curiosity, • continuous renewal of cognitive hypotheses • tools and processes innovations through planned conservation

6. BCH in cultural and economic dynamics 6 From a regressive model extraordinary enhancement actions on BCH Local economic development (tourism based) Events

7. BCH in cultural and economic dynamics 7 To a progressive model extraordinary enhancement actions on BCH Resources for care and maintenance PLANNED CONSERVATION Local economic development (not just based on tourism) acknowledgment education intellectual capital development tendency to innovation awareness of BCH potentialities in cultural and economic dynamics

8. Learning-based Cultural District perspective Within Lombardia’s experience the development dimension will not result from the number of visitors, nor by the few job opportunities created on the spot within the CH related chains innovation in CH conservation field comes out from a new awareness of the opportunities of preservation and enhancement consequently, a remarkable investment must be assigned to communication/education.

9. Learning-based Cultural District perspective in the LbCD the Planned Conservation strategy means shifting from events to long term processes, towards the contents control For LbCd means: • Preserving authenticity (asset) • Promoting analytical researches and feed-backs processes • Finalizing the remarkable resources of CH funding towards innovative targets • Considering the effects of a new cultural framework on local development

10. Learning-based Cultural District perspective in the LbCD the Planned Conservation strategy means shifting from events to long term processes, towards the contents control For Planned Conservation means: • Rationalizing programming • Defining frameworks for planned conservation plans • Considering conservation externalities (relations between culture, innovation, competitiveness and social cohesion, education) • Communicating the conservation activities and spreading new achievements