Amsterdam as a case study; II: Retrospective heritage impact assessment: the development and testing of a method to clarify and quantify the impact of redevelopment

Within the Amsterdam World Heritage Bureauconcern has been raising about the negative impact of (re) development on the attributes of OUV in the Amsterdam Canal ring area due to urban development. This research aims to clarify and quantify the impact of redevelopment on a Amsterdam Canal house, inside the 17th century canal ring area. It aims to design and develop such a method, in which the attributes that convey of cultural significance are uncovered. Results show that the cultural significance of Herengracht 448 is multilayered in attributes and values, ranging from international to user values. Subsequently these attributes will be mapped and analysed for change. The attributes are compared before and after (re) development, change is mapped and presented in floorplans. The method is tested against one time frame, the (re) development of 1911 of Herengracht 448. Thirdly methods are designed to impersonalise the change to clarify the meaning of impact in the relation to the management of the attributes. Redevelopment, due to changes in use, has proven to affect the integrity and authenticity of attributes now considered of cultural significance. The systematic analysis of the (re) developments of Herengracht 448, by means of retrospective heritage impact assessments (RHIA), is a valid method to clarify and quantify the impact of (re) development.