Urban Heritage : putting the past into the future

This article presents part of the results of doctoral research focused on the contribution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s historic urban landscape approach to the theory of urban heritage management. This paper argues that the historic urban landscape approach reflects a century of evolution on theories related to urban heritage management. Moreover, it confirms that heritage management is going through a process of change both in theory and practice, from focusing on isolated built heritage assets, towards a landscape-based approach, adopting notions such as the intangible, setting and context, and urban and sustainable development. Next, this process of change is related in theory to the need for a more integrated approach towards urban heritage management, combining policies and practices on conservation with those of urban development. Furthermore, this article discusses the challenges and possible contributions of the landscape-based approach to urban heritage management. Lastly, this article pleads for the need not only to develop, but also to assess the adequacy of the tools and methods to support the implementation of such an integrated approach, because only then can the sustainable development and conservation of urban heritage be fostered.