Spatial thinking has pervaded all sectors of society, from science to business, and also heritage management; heritage is now commonly approached through the lens of landscapes, perceived as spatial and temporal palimpsests of memories and meanings, socially constituted and continuously redefined and co-designed. In the planning of these landscapes for the future, those palimpsests are often considered building blocks and sources of inspiration, with which to guarantee place making, community cohesion and economic exploitation, all vital elements in several UN Development Goals. However, spatially-based concepts, visions and regulations on the relationship between people and their living environment, heritage and space, still differ largely between academic disciplines, sectors or states; to serve a future generation of heritage planners, HERILAND will devote to these issues thorough reflection, from theoretical as well as methodological and operational points of view. Attention is focused on the socio-political, economic and governance dimensions in perceiving and shaping the living environment and the roles attributed to heritage (tangible and intangible), with transnational, cross-cultural comparative research of heritage discourses, ethics, governance and practices.
PhD projects:
1. Heritage-as-landscape and its socio-political drivers. Host: VUA (NL) (CLOSED)
2. Heritage in economic growth and social renewal. Host: UGOT (SE) (CLOSED)
3. Making trans-sectoral connections in governance, regulation and legislative frameworks. Host: UNEW (UK) (CLOSED)