This module aims to:

1. Develop a critical understanding of why and how heritage landscapes and sites, fabric, resources and assets (including tangible, intangible and natural) are managed, safeguarded, presented and explained in ways that support sustainable development.
2. Introduce students to the complex challenges of heritage management currently faced by heritage bodies, professionals and communities, including the choices they have to make, balancing development needs, funding and wider economic pressures, tourism demands and the politics surrounding heritage.
3. Develop an understanding of the primary methods, techniques and tools used, as well as archival and other secondary research necessary, to document different types of heritage: from tangible heritage assets, such as settlements, buildings, artefacts and archaeological sites, to intangible heritage assets, such as cultural landscapes, traditional knowledge, performative arts and craft practic es, and oral history.
4. Develop an understanding of the methods and tools for analysing and establishing the values and significances of heritage assets, identifying threats and building on opportunities for sustainable development, and assessing the suitability of heritage management and safeguarding measures.
5. Provide students with knowledge to tackle a variety of challenges from stakeholder institutions and disciplinary perspectives, e.g., planning authorities, museums and other repositories, education, conservation, and archaeology, at various levels: locally, nationally and internationally.
6. Develop an understanding of the wide-ranging approaches for managing heritage, from conservation to new intervention, and from restoration to adaptive reuse.
7. Develop the students’ knowledge of contractual aspects of conservation and heritage management, besides being familiar with different sources of funding for the management of heritage sit es, and the ability to seek and use resources effectively.

(LO1) Critically evaluate – adopting a cultural landscape approach – the different strategies through which heritage is managed in a sustainable way including, conservation, safeguarding or consolidation, restoration, interpretation, rebuilding, adaptive reuse and new interventions.

(LO2) Develop in-depth understanding of the practical challenges facing the heritage bodies, regulators, professionals and communities, towards achieving sustainable developmental solutions while safeguarding heritage assets.

(LO3) Critically examine the practice of implementing local, national, and international legislations, statutes and guidelines to achieve sustainable heritage management.

(LO4) Acquire knowledge in relation to procurement strategies, as well as around conservation and heritage management project contracts, methods of valuation, cost planning and funding application.

(LO5) Debate and examine different solutions to tackle the diversity of challenges at various levels, sustainable heritage management is facing in both theories and practice.

(LO6) Acquire knowledge of a range of analytical and evaluative methods to analyse and interpret heritage documentation towards sustainable heritage management master planning, as well as to be able to make recommendations on appropriate approaches for safeguarding and managing heritage sites and properties.

(LO7) Acquire knowledge of decision-making process around investments towards sustainable heritage management, besides being familiar with grants and funding application process.

(LO8) Develop in-depth understanding on appropriate methods for assessments of sites and building condition, and knowledge of the maintenance of historic buildings, areas and sites.

(S1) Written literacy/ ability to produce clear, well-structured and well-written work.

(S2) Communication and presentation skills.

(S3) Heritage drawing skills.

(S4) Problem solving/ questioning and critical thinking.

(S5) Analytical and interpretative skills of situations and facts towards making appropriate choices and developing effective solutions.

(S6) Time management.

(S7) Teamwork.

Module topics and activities will typically include:

• Introduction to sustainable heritage management, its scope and scales of operation;
• Sustainable heritage management in local, national and international contexts, challenges for the professionals;
• Heritage management, architecture and urban design;
• Challenges faced by the professionals and stakeholder communities, with focus on decision-making, funding, contracting and procurement;
• Methods, techniques, applications and tools used to document different types of heritage assets (tangible and intangible);
• Methods, techniques, applications and tools used to sustainably manage different types of heritage assets (tangible and intangible);
• Challenges and opportunities of heritage legislations and policies (local, national and international);
• Heritage management and conservation interventions: design strategies at site and building levels;
• Heritage management and conservation interventions: structural and material employment strategies, methods of repair, alteration and reuse.

In the first weeks, the students will be introduced to the notion of sustainable heritage management at different levels – local, national and international and scales –settlement, neighbourhood, site and building. Following this, the relationship between heritage management, urban design and building design intervention (architecture) will be investigated. The challenges faced by different heritage bodies, including professionals, academics and communities will be addressed in the subsequent weeks. The students will also learn about the wide-ranging methods, techniques and tools for documenting and managing different types of heritage assets. Building on issues explored in the first module, challenges and opportunities of heritage legislations will be further investigate d. The students will have the additional input from diverse heritage institutions (public, private and NGO) and professionals via interactive communication. The concepts and understanding developed in this module will be explored further in the forthcoming modules in semester 2.

Students will gain confidence through their conversations with diverse heritage experts and via presentations of their own work in the final week. Digital fluency and global citizenship attributes will also be gained via a range of well-planned activities. The key hallmarks and attributes of the UoL Curriculum 2021 will thus be gained, while student employability will be enhanced by acquiring key criteria of the eight Areas of Competences recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).

Teaching method 1: Lecture
Description: Most weekly sessions through the semester will be structured as combined lecture and workshop sessions.
Attendance recorded: Yes
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: Students will be directed to reading list and additional sources and information on Canvas and other digital online material.
Teaching method 2: Workshop
Description: Most weekly sessions through the semester will be structured as combined lecture and workshop sessions. During the workshops, the students will have the opportunity to discuss their coursework and presentation, including topics, methods, locations and other related issues. In addition, professional experts will be invited to discuss real-world related issues with the students in some of these workshops.
Attendance recorded: Yes
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: Students will be encouraged to choose and develop their own case study f or the course work and presentation.