10.6092/issn.1973-9494/9225
La tutela del patrimonio culturale si ottiene mediante una attività pianificata di con­servazione, riutilizzo, restauro e gestione. Questo articolo propone una metodologia per individuare i valori e l’importanza dei siti storici inseriti nel Paesaggio urbano. Nel­lo studio si considerano non solo gli interventi conservativi sull’edificio ma anche i rapporti che esso ha con l’intero ambiente culturale e sociale circostante, con tutte le sue caratteristiche tangibili e intangibili. Si vuole, in definitiva, aumentare la soste­nibilità degli interventi di pianificazione e progettazione tenendo conto dell’ambiente immobiliare esistente, del patrimonio immateriale, della diversità culturale, dei fattori socio-economici e ambientali insieme ai valori della comunità locale. Lo studio indica che mediante un approccio di pianificazione centrato sui valori, si ottiene un modo per individuare idonee strategie per affrontare le sfide della conservazione. L’importanza della conservazione centrata sui valori permette di considerare in modo olistico i siti e affrontare le esigenze contemporanee nel rispetto dei valori storici di un luogo, ac­quisiti attraverso una accurata ricerca documentaria. La progettazione dell’intervento deve riguardare il sito e le sue caratteristiche specifiche e, quindi, considerare due istanze: in primo luogo, la valutazione del significato culturale e in secondo luogo, la di­chiarazione di rilevanza culturale. Pertanto, la determinazione del significato dei luoghi storici deve essere considerata la base per pianificare e attuare strategie di gestione e sviluppo sostenibile. Inoltre, la pianificazione del patrimonio necessita di una serie di procedure che vanno dall’identificazione, alla valutazione, alla gestione e che insieme, costituiscono la base per le politiche di conservazione.
application/pdf
1973-9494
9225
en
Giuseppe De Luca
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
sustainable development
Specifying the Significance of Historic Sites in Heritage Planning
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
18
Articles
2018-12-31
2019-03-18
2018-12-31
2019-11-05
29-39
CSCH
Giuseppe De Luca
2018/12/31
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/9225
29
University of Florence
1973-9494
sustainable development
en
39
Specifying the Significance of Historic Sites in Heritage Planning
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/9225/9059
18
S     PECIFYING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORIC SITES IN
      HERITAGE PLANNING
    Ahmadreza Shirvani Dastgerdi*1
    Department of Architecture, School of Urban and Regional Planning
    University of Florence, Italy

    Giuseppe De Luca
    Department of Architecture, School of Urban and Regional Planning
    University of Florence, Italy




    Keywords: heritage planning, preservation, historic urban landscape, sustainable
    development.


    1. Introduction

    In the nineteenth century, the awareness of heritage values was basically associ-
ated with its monumental value. A century later, the element of social preservation
became part of this awareness, while the historic city was better understood in its
morphological and typological dimensions. Nowadays, the perception of the values of
the historic city has expanded to encompass the symbolic and aesthetic values of pla-
ces and to a new use of the urban spaces that define the historic city (or site) as a living
heritage. Historic places, considered to be urban heritage, are of vital significance for




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
cities today as well as in the future. Tangible and intangible features of urban heritage
are sources of social cohesion, factors of diversity and drivers of creativity, innovation
and urban regeneration [1].
    Heritage planning is the combination of heritage preservation and urban planning.
It begins with the presumption that communities look after historic places that are
valued; their significance provides reasons to retain them. At the same time, there is
reasonable economic and social pressure to demolish those historic places together
with their background. The aim of heritage planning is, therefore, to manage and con-
trol these situations and changes wisely, not to prevent them [2]. According to Tyler [3],
preservationists are not against development, rather they are against unsatisfactory
development. In fact, they disagree with development that is unresponsive to the cur-
rent context of a community and its important heritage. They are, however, in support
of development that mixes modern and old in an appropriate way that reinforces both.
Heritage planning does not aim to freeze a historic place in time. It strives to maintain
the significance of a historic place within the real-world context of urban planning and
development [2]. This study intends to discuss “what kind of approach can be effective
in recognizing the significance of the historic site and its sustainable development”,
utilizing the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach.
    The HUL approach considers the historic city as the layering of significance origi-


*   Corresponding author: ahmadreza.shirvanidastgerdi@unifi.it

                                                                                               29
                                                                                                nating both from natural and man-made features. While the view of the historic city
                                                                                                as a complex formation has always been integrated into conservation policies, other
                                                                                                aspects (such as the relationship with the geological, symbolic or spiritual value of the
                                                                                                place) have normally been associated more with cultural landscape than with histori-
                                                                                                cal areas where architectural aspects have always played a predominant role [1].The
                                                                                                HUL approach introduces a wider notion of “conservation”. This is understood not as
                                                                                                a simple tool for the protection of selected heritage items but as a method to manage
                                                                                                the process of change in an urban environment. It considers the heritage value of the
                                                                                                historic city as the legacy of the ways the urban environment has evolved over time,
                                                                                                and it assumes that it cannot be preserved without ensuring the vitality of the historic
                                                                                                environment, through functions, uses, and meanings that are compatible with its spa-
                                                                                                tial and social characteristics [4]. The HUL approach moves beyond the preservation of
                                                                                                the physical environment and focuses on the entire human environment with all of its
A. Dastgerdi, G. De Luca - Specifying the significance of historic sites in heritage planning




                                                                                                tangible and intangible qualities. It seeks to increase the sustainability of planning and
                                                                                                design interventions by taking into account the existing built environment, intangible
                                                                                                heritage, cultural diversity, socio-economic and environmental factors along with local
                                                                                                community values. In many cities, this approach has had very positive and encoura-
                                                                                                ging results; e.g. Lyon, Amsterdam, Quito and Fez. For each local situation, a balance
                                                                                                is reached between the preservation and protection of urban heritage, its economic
                                                                                                development, functionality and liveability. Thus the needs of current inhabitants are
                                                                                                satisfied while sustainably enhancing the city’s natural and cultural resources for future
                                                                                                generations [5].


                                                                                                   2. Research methodology

                                                                                                   In this research, the preservation approach for determining the significance of his-
                                                                                                toric sites is fundamentally based on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach
                                                                                                and guidelines for the preservation of historic sites. The HUL concept interprets urban
                                                                                                areas as layers of significance, descending both from natural and man-made featu-
                                                                                                res. See­ing the city as a layering of significances will help to identify the conservation
                                                                                                policies and the “trade-offs” of conservation and development that communities and
                                                                                                decision-makers must think about. For data analysis, the qualitative method of content
                                                                                                analysis is used. Then, based on the results, an approach is presented for the sustai-
                                                                                                nable development of the historic site through specifying its value and significance.


                                                                                                   3. Evolution of the concept of sustainable development

                                                                                                   The concept of sustainability has been around for a long time. However, only sin-
                                                                                                ce 1987 has it taken on the particular meaning used today. According to the World
                                                                                                Commission on Environment and Development, “sustainable development is a deve-
                                                                                                lopment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
                                                                                                generations to meet their own needs” [6].
                                                                                                   After 1992, sustainability came to be commonly accepted as requiring the resolution
                                                                                                of three interrelated areas including the social, environmental, and economic dimen-
                                                                                                sions. “Sustainable development is said to be achieved when the goals of social equity,
                                                                                                economic development, and environmental quality are met in a coordinated manner”


                                                                                           30
[7]. In this model, culture and heritage, when considered to be a cultural endeavour,
are considered to be part of the social dimension.




Figure 1. Models of sustainable development comprising three and four pillars [2].

    Several authorities argued for culture as a fourth, independent pillar of sustainabi-
lity. As Turkish-Dutch conservation specialist Silvio Mutal expressed it, “conservation
is not sustainable if it is only carried out for cultural reasons” [8]. Heritage preservation
has significant environmental and economic dimensions, as well as the long-familiar
socio-cultural one.
    In fact, heritage is increasingly thought of as a social activity that addresses issues
such as quality of life; an economic activity associated with planning and sustainable
development; and an environmental activity with the potential to play a meaningful
part in the drive to preserve resources and diminish greenhouse gases. However, one
may choose to classify heritage and whichever of the two sustainability models (three
or four pillars) is preferred (Figure 1). Authorities together with the general population
have come to identify and recognize the close ties between heritage preservation and




                                                                                                     CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
sustainable development [2].


   4. Understanding the evolution of the historic fabric

   The significance of a place includes all the diverse cultural and natural values that
people associate with it. These values have a tendency to grow in strength and com-
plexity over time, as understanding deepens, and people’s perceptions of a place evol-
ve. Understanding and articulating the values and significance of a historic fabric are
necessary to inform decisions about its future. The degree of significance indicates
what protection, if any, including statutory designation, is appropriate under law and
policy [9].


   4.1. Historical research

   History is the study of human past, which includes its events, players, places, and
the outcomes of their interactions. History elucidates the past in the background of the
present day. As an academic discipline in the field of architecture and preservation,
history may be categorized into different branches (Table 1). The aim of historical re-


                                                                                                31
                                                                                                search is to perceive the circumstances under which the historic fabric was built, used
                                                                                                and reshaped over time, as well as the way in which people have used and thought
                                                                                                of the place. The historical disciplines are analytical, in that the professional assesses
                                                                                                the different sources and their context to make a critical judgment that indicates what
                                                                                                occurred in the past, why it occurred and what the impacts were [2].


                                                                                                Table 1. Application of history in heritage planning (Authors).


                                                                                                History Branch             Description
                                                                                                                           History without the interpretive part. It is a sequence of
                                                                                                Chronology                 events, which is useful to obtain a basic understanding of the
A. Dastgerdi, G. De Luca - Specifying the significance of historic sites in heritage planning




                                                                                                                           evolution of a historic place.
                                                                                                                           It is more practical than academic history and is frequently
                                                                                                Public history
                                                                                                                           identified with heritage preservation, museums, and archives.
                                                                                                                           Study of the human past through the research and analysis
                                                                                                Archaeology
                                                                                                                           of its physical remains.
                                                                                                                           A discipline that uses the method of both historical
                                                                                                Architectural history      and architectural research to investigate the history of
                                                                                                                           architecture.
                                                                                                                           It satisfies the natural urge to classify things and has been
                                                                                                History of styles
                                                                                                                           the subject of countless studies.

                                                                                                   To describe cultural and natural values, it is not sufficient only to report the appea-
                                                                                                rance and specify the chronology of a historic place. Rather, historic research must go
                                                                                                beyond explaining the chronological information by encompassing the construction,
                                                                                                change and use of a historic place. It should look at the stories and narratives associa-
                                                                                                ted with the place. According to Kaufman, the final aim of heritage preservation is not
                                                                                                repairing or saving old things but rather creating places where citizens can live comfor-
                                                                                                tably and connect to meaningful narratives about history, culture and identity [10]. If
                                                                                                this perspective points to the future of preservation, then the core arrangements of the
                                                                                                discipline will have come full circle in little more than a century: from “saving old things”
                                                                                                with historical value in the late nineteenth century to saving things with architectural
                                                                                                value in the early twentieth century; also, from focusing on “fixing old things” [11], to
                                                                                                valuable places for their social and spiritual association [12]. And today saving places
                                                                                                with historical, social, and spiritual value. For now, we accept that both tangible and
                                                                                                intangible features are significant in understanding historic places and that research
                                                                                                must consider both the actualities and the associations [2].


                                                                                                   4.2. Physical investigation

                                                                                                   Physical investigation plays a critical role in making responsible decisions about
                                                                                                treating and interpreting historic sites. A successful project to research, inventory, do-
                                                                                                cument, and ultimately treat and interpret a building is directly linked to the knowledge
                                                                                                and skills of architectural investigators and other historic preservation specialists. The
                                                                                                expressed goal of historic preservation is to protect and preserve materials and fea-
                                                                                                tures that convey the significant history of a place. Careful architectural investigation

                                                                                           32
- together with historical research - provides a firm foundation for this goal [13]. For
physical investigation in the heritage planning process, four characteristics may be
recorded which are explained in the following table (Table 2).


Table 2. Characteristics of physical investigation of historic site [14].


Characteristics            Description
                           The conditions that cultural values are truthfully and credibly
                           expressed through a variety of attributes including: form
Authenticity               and design, materials and substance, use and function,
                           techniques and management systems, location and setting,
                           and other internal and external factors.
                           It is a measure of the wholeness and intactness of the natural
Integrity
                           and/or cultural heritage and its attributes.
Boundary                   It defines what properties will be subject to controls.
                           An area surrounding the nominated property which has
                           complementary legal and/or customary restrictions placed on
Buffer zone
                           its use and development to give an added layer of protection
                           to the property.


   4.3. Community engagement

   Many values associated with historic fabrics, i.e. sociocultural, spiritual/religious,
economic and aesthetic values, are felt and represented by the community. We have
come to appreciate that the opinion of people who are not experts in the heritage field
are necessary to gain a thorough understanding of historic fabrics. As the Burra charter




                                                                                                  CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
states, “conservation is based on respect for the existing fabric, use, associations and
meanings” [14]. Therefore, we need a way to identify the associations and meanings
that society gives to the places from the past. According to Denis Byrne [15], the va-
lues and meaning of historic places are found in communities and individuals, rather
than in the places themselves. He further proposes that cultural heritage is a field of
social action. Therefore, the full meaning of places and their broader social, cultural
and political context can be learned only by paying attention to people who are familiar
with them [15].
   These intangible values are obtained by a process of public participation. Consulta-
tion with the community may serve several distinct purposes. The first is to learn what
people value and therefore believe should be preserved. Another is to understand
aspects of the historic place that might otherwise go unnoticed. And a third is to hear
and assess the public’s reactions, concern and conflicting options with respect to plans
for change. Traditionally a municipality would act as a mediator between the public and
a proponent (such as a developer) by facilitating participatory activities, but the propo-
nent is now increasingly taking on the engagement process [2].




                                                                                             33
                                                                                                   5. Identifying values

                                                                                                   According to Kalman [2], value is a characteristic that is valued in itself. The Burra
                                                                                                charter declares that “Places may have a range of values for different individuals or
                                                                                                groups” [12]. Values change over time because society is constantly in the process of
                                                                                                revising what it values. It follows that different parties may hold different sets of values
                                                                                                with respect to a historic place or may assign different weight to the same values. An
                                                                                                important factor about heritage values is that they are contingent, not objectively given.
                                                                                                The values of heritage are not simply found and fixed and unchanging, as was traditio-
                                                                                                nally theorized in the preservation field. Values are produced out of the interaction of
                                                                                                an artefact and its contexts; they do not emerge from the artefact itself [16].
A. Dastgerdi, G. De Luca - Specifying the significance of historic sites in heritage planning




                                                                                                Table 3. Summary of heritage value typologies devised by various scholars and organizations


                                                                                                 Scholars/
                                                                                                                         Value typologies             Description
                                                                                                 organizations
                                                                                                                         Intrinsic (memorial)  Age, historical, commemorative.
                                                                                                 Alois Riegl
                                                                                                                         Temporal (present- Use, art value, newness, relative art
                                                                                                 (1903)
                                                                                                                         day)                  value.
                                                                                                                                               The potential of a place to yield
                                                                                                                         Evidential
                                                                                                                                               evidence of past human activity.
                                                                                                                                               The ways in which past people, events,
                                                                                                                         Historical            and aspects of life can be connected
                                                                                                 English Heritage                              through a place to the present.
                                                                                                 (1997)                                        The ways in which people draw
                                                                                                                         Aesthetic             sensory and intellectual simulation
                                                                                                                                               from a place.
                                                                                                                                               The meaning of a place for the people
                                                                                                                         Communal
                                                                                                                                               who relate to it.
                                                                                                                         Aesthetic             The same as architectural value.
                                                                                                                         Historic              Having an extraordinary history.
                                                                                                                         Scientific            Describing educational value.
                                                                                                 Burra Charter
                                                                                                 (1998)                                        The qualities for which a place has
                                                                                                                                               become a focus of spiritual, political,
                                                                                                                         Social (or spiritual)
                                                                                                                                               national or another cultural sentiment
                                                                                                                                               to a majority or minority group.
                                                                                                                                               Historical, cultural, social, spiritual,
                                                                                                                         Socio-cultural
                                                                                                 Randall Mason                                 aesthetic.
                                                                                                 (2002)                                        Use (market), non-use (non-market),
                                                                                                                         Economic
                                                                                                                                               existence, option, bequest.


                                                                                                   Therefore, a simple site visit, paired with research on the place, is clearly insuffi-
                                                                                                cient. Sufficient knowledge of the various uses of the place over time is needed in or-
                                                                                                der to be able to make meaningful comparisons and thereby determine how effectively
                                                                                                particular values are demonstrated in the primary historic fabric as compared to other


                                                                                           34
places. The sampling of heritage value typologies devised by different scholars and
organizations is summarized in Table 3.
   Values can thus only be understood with reference to social, historical and even
spatial contexts through the lens of the person who is defining and articulating the
value, why now and why here. For preservation professionals, this requires some sub-
stantial rethinking of the kinds of research and knowledge that are needed to support
preservation. Traditionally, values were articulated by experts’ analyses of heritage
as a work of art or a record of the past. Manson argues that values are socially con-
structed. They are situational, and not inherent, depending on the memories, ideas
and social motivations of the interested communities. He explains that a certain ten-
sion exists between two “cultures” in the conservation profession, represented on the
one hand by the older “pragmatic/technical solutions”; and on the other the “strategic/
political mind-set” which seeks to learn the interest of stakeholders ranging outside the
realm of experts [16]. In other words, Manson differentiates between the professional
“experts” and the untrained “public” [2].


   6. Statement of significance

   Significance is a synthesis of values. The heritage significance of a historic place
is determined by synthesizing the many values that are attached to it. The degree of
significance determines what, if any, protection, including statutory designation, is ap-
propriate under law and policy. This is often expressed in a formal document called a
“statement of significance” (SOS) [2].
   A statement of significance is a declaration of value that briefly explains what a
historic place is and why it is important. The statement of significance identifies key
aspects of the place that must be protected in order for the historic place to continue
to be important [17]. While the details of the document vary from one jurisdiction to




                                                                                                            CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
another, the primary goal is the same (Figure 3).




Figure 3. Different types of SOS in different countries. (A) Australia (B) Canada (C) USA (Authors).



   Regardless of the template or format, the SOS is a highly useful document that
summarizes heritage values and demonstrates heritage significance. The SOS sati-
sfies the first question (does the historic place have heritage significance?) but fails


                                                                                                       35
                                                                                                to provide an answer to the critical questions. Is the place significant enough to merit
                                                                                                formal recognition and protection? On the other hand, if it lacks sufficient significance,
                                                                                                can it be left without formal protection?


                                                                                                   7. Assessment of significance

                                                                                                   Strategic decision-making with respect to heritage recognition and protection requi-
                                                                                                res a more rigorous evaluation process to determine the level of significance of each
                                                                                                historic place under consideration. At its simplest, this consists of establishing criteria
                                                                                                and assessing whether or not the values meet the criteria. In other words, whether the
                                                                                                place is sufficiently significant for recognition. A criterion is a standard against which
                                                                                                things are judged. The reliance on criteria and the proficiency to make a competent
A. Dastgerdi, G. De Luca - Specifying the significance of historic sites in heritage planning




                                                                                                value judgment - with or without a significance threshold - usually works well when
                                                                                                nominations for recognition are considered on a one-off basis. However, this system
                                                                                                can fail when many places are being evaluated as a group, such as when looking at all
                                                                                                the properties within a neighbourhood, in order to determine which of the group should
                                                                                                and which should not achieve formal recognition. Comparisons must be made among
                                                                                                numerous candidates, rather than between a single candidate and comparable former
                                                                                                nomination.
                                                                                                   In a more complicated version, grades are assigned to the assessment of each cri-
                                                                                                terion, in order to determine with greater precision the extent to which the criteria are
                                                                                                met. The determination of whether to provide formal recognition depends on the out-
                                                                                                come of this grading process. In other words, rather than responding to a criterion with
                                                                                                a “yes” or “no”, we respond by deciding that the association is excellent, very good,
                                                                                                good, fair, or poor. The choice of which grade to apply to a specific criterion should be
                                                                                                justified in point-form or narrative.




                                                                                                Figure 4. Process chart for determining the significance of the historic fabric (Authors).



                                                                                           36
   Determining heritage significance is usually undertaken by assessing the values
of a historic place against a set list of criteria for determining whether the place has
sufficient significance to be formally recognized. Most jurisdictions have their own lists
of criteria for determining significance.


      8. Conclusion

   In the mid-twentieth century, heritage conservation was mostly concerned with tech-
niques of safeguarding the material remains of architectural monuments. By the first
decade of the present century, heritage preservation had become a social practice that
accepts varied and conflicting values en route to creating places where people can
connect to meaningful narratives about history, culture, and identity. Nowadays, urban
heritage is a human and social-cultural element that goes beyond the static notion of
groups of buildings. To define urban development strategies and policies, the signifi-
cance of historic fabrics must be clear at the outset and be used in this approach in
a practical manner. This study uses a value centred approach to identify the different
types of values that are an intrinsic part of historic sites, showing they possess a dyna-
mic character which can help in promoting the social and functional diversity that exists
in the historic fabric. It also indicates that determining the significance of the historic
fabric is a process involving a variety of inquiries to understand and recognize, and to
make statements and assessments.
   In specifying the significance of historic sites, it is necessary to assess all the in-
formation relevant to an understanding of the place and its fabric. The task includes a
report comprising both written and graphic material. The contents of the report should
be arranged to suit the site and the limitations on the task, but it will generally be in two
sections; the first will be the assessment of its cultural significance and the second, a
statement of its cultural significance. The assessment of cultural significance follows




                                                                                                        CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
the collection of information. The validity of the judgments will depend upon the care
with which the data has been collected and the reasoning applied to it. It is essential
that the statement be clear and pithy, expressing simply why the place is of value
but not restating the physical or documentary evidence. Therefore, heritage planning
needs a progression from identification to evaluation and from evaluation to mana-
gement as a basis for policies. The identification of values and the determination of
significance are only means to a greater end. That end is the management of change
within a historical place/site in a manner that retains its values and respects its cultural
significance.


      References

[1]     Bandarin, F. & Van Oers, R. (2012). The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing
        Heritage in an Urban Century. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
[2]     Kalman, H. (2014). Heritage Planning Principles and Process. New York: Rout-
        ledge.
[3]     Tyler, N., Ligibel T. J., Tyler, I. R. (2009). Historic Preservation: An Introduction to
        Its History, Principles, and Practice. WW Norton & Company.



                                                                                                   37
                                                                                                [4]     Pini, D. (2005). The Historic Urban Landscapes: A Comprehensive Approach to
                                                                                                        Conservation. ISLAMIC URBAN HERITAGE, 13.
                                                                                                [5]     UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2013). New Life for Historic Cities: The His-
                                                                                                        toric Urban Landscape Approach Explained. Paris.
                                                                                                [6]     WCED. (1987). Our Common Future. World Commission on Environment and
                                                                                                        Development. Oxford University Press.
                                                                                                [7]     Levy, J. M. (2011). Contemporary Urban Planning. Boston: Longman.
                                                                                                [8]     Rodwell, D. (2011). Urban Conservation and Sustainability. Oxford: Blackwell.
                                                                                                [9]     Drury, P. & McPherson, A. (2008). Conservation Principles: Policies and Guid-
                                                                                                        ance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment.
                                                                                                [10]    Kaufman, N. (2009). Place, Race, and Story. New York and London: Routledge.
                                                                                                [11]    ICOMOS. (1964). International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of
                                                                                                        Monuments and Sites (The Venice Charter 1964). IInd International Congress of
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                                                                                                        Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, pp. 1-4.
                                                                                                [12]    ICOMOS. (1999). The Burra Charter: The Australian ICOMOS Charter for the
                                                                                                        Conservation of Cultural Places of Cultural Significance.
                                                                                                [13]    McDonald Jr, T. C. (1994). Understanding Old Buildings: The Process of Archi-
                                                                                                        tectural Investigation.
                                                                                                [14]    UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2015). Operational Guidelines for the Imple-
                                                                                                        mentation of the World Heritage Convention. , (July).
                                                                                                [15]    Byrne, D., Brayshaw, H. & Ireland, T. (2003). Social Significance: A Discussion
                                                                                                        Paper. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
                                                                                                [16]    Mason, R. (2002). Assessing Values in Conservation Planning: Methodological
                                                                                                        Issues and Choices. Assessing the values of cultural heritage, pp. 5-30.
                                                                                                [17]    Canadian Register of Historic Places. (2011). Writing Statements of Significance.
                                                                                                        Parks Canada. Retrieved from www.historicplaces.ca/media/5422/sosguideen.
                                                                                                        pdf


                                                                                                      Biographical notes

                                                                                                   Ahmadreza Shirvani Dastgerdi, holds a PhD in Architecture, from the school of
                                                                                                Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florence, Italy. His research focuses on
                                                                                                planning and architectural theory and specifically on the preservation of historic urban
                                                                                                sites. He has a broad range of teaching experience as a visiting lecturer in graduate
                                                                                                and undergraduate courses on architecture at Isfahan’s universities.

                                                                                                   Giuseppe De Luca, is a Full Professor in Spatial Planning, at the School of Urban
                                                                                                and Regional Planning, Florence University, Italy. He is currently Deputy Director of
                                                                                                the Department of Architecture and Coordinator of the PhD programme in Architectu-
                                                                                                re. From October 2000 to June 2011 he was Vice-president of the National Society of
                                                                                                Town, Territorial and Environmental Planning. From May 2011 to July 2016 he was Ge-
                                                                                                neral Secretary of the National Institute of Urban and Regional Planning (INU) in Rome.
                                                                                                He is a consultant on territorial and urban planning for several local Governments.




                                                                                           38
   Summary
   Heritage planning is the preservation, conservation, rehabilitation, restoration and
management of heritage resources. This paper aims to propose an approach for
specifying the values and importance of historic sites. In this study, the Historic Ur-
ban Landscape approach is taken as the research framework. This approach mo-
ves beyond the preservation of the physical environment and focuses on the entire
human environment with all its tangible and intangible qualities. It seeks to increa-
se the sustainability of planning and design interventions by taking into account the
existing built environment, intangible heritage, cultural diversity, socio-economic and
environmental factors along with local community values. This study indicates that a
values-centered planning approach has emerged as a way of formalizing strategies
for dealing with preservation challenges. The importance of values-centered preserva-
tion is the framework it offers for dealing holistically with historic sites and addressing
both the contemporary and historic values of a place, a task which includes a report
comprising written material and graphic material. The contents of the report should be
arranged to suit the site and the limitations on the task, but it will generally be in two
sections: first, the assessment of cultural significance and second, the statement of
cultural significance. Therefore, determining the significance of historic places is to be
considered as the basis for planning and implementing management strategies and
sustainable development. Furthermore, heritage planning needs a progression that
goes from identification, to evaluation, to management and together form a basis for
preservation policies.


   Riassunto
   La tutela del patrimonio culturale si ottiene mediante una attività pianificata di con-
servazione, riutilizzo, restauro e gestione. Questo articolo propone una metodologia
per individuare i valori e l’importanza dei siti storici inseriti nel Paesaggio urbano. Nel-




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
lo studio si considerano non solo gli interventi conservativi sull’edificio ma anche i
rapporti che esso ha con l’intero ambiente culturale e sociale circostante, con tutte
le sue caratteristiche tangibili e intangibili. Si vuole, in definitiva, aumentare la soste-
nibilità degli interventi di pianificazione e progettazione tenendo conto dell’ambiente
immobiliare esistente, del patrimonio immateriale, della diversità culturale, dei fattori
socio-economici e ambientali insieme ai valori della comunità locale. Lo studio indica
che mediante un approccio di pianificazione centrato sui valori, si ottiene un modo per
individuare idonee strategie per affrontare le sfide della conservazione. L’importanza
della conservazione centrata sui valori permette di considerare in modo olistico i siti
e affrontare le esigenze contemporanee nel rispetto dei valori storici di un luogo, ac-
quisiti attraverso una accurata ricerca documentaria. La progettazione dell’intervento
deve riguardare il sito e le sue caratteristiche specifiche e, quindi, considerare due
istanze: in primo luogo, la valutazione del significato culturale e in secondo luogo, la di-
chiarazione di rilevanza culturale. Pertanto, la determinazione del significato dei luoghi
storici deve essere considerata la base per pianificare e attuare strategie di gestione
e sviluppo sostenibile. Inoltre, la pianificazione del patrimonio necessita di una serie di
procedure che vanno dall’identificazione, alla valutazione, alla gestione e che insieme,
costituiscono la base per le politiche di conservazione.




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