Developing relations between heritage conservation and urban revitalization: lessons from China

Thesis

The overall aim of this thesis is to further understanding of the developing relations between heritage conservation and urban revitalization, by following the on-going World Heritage List nomination process for the Grand Canal in China. A review of the history and current situation of heritage conservation and urban revitalization establishes several key gaps in knowledge, for example, the field of systematic heritage conservation is still left blank. Taking advantage of the opportunity to work with this on-going nomination, the project examines the nature and challenges of heritage conservation research and practice for a heritage property of large scale and complexity, in the form of four linked studies. A critique of the national level nomination process to date illustrates the complexity of the task, and concludes that systematic heritage conservation has not been established as a concentrated and nation-wide heritage conservation activity in China. Focusing on the municipal level nomination process to date through a case study of the city of Zhenjiang (and Yangzhou as a comparator) establishes key reasons why one city has been more successful than the other in its participation in the World Heritage List nomination. A second case study, of the Xi Jin Ferry area in Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province), provides a fuller account of the ways in which heritage conservation can contribute to, and work with, urban revitalization. Drawing on the case of Xi Jin Ferry, a theoretically-informed, but practically-viable approach to linking heritage conservation and urban revitalization is developed which learns from the past and looks to the future. Building on the empirical research projects, a critique of existing approaches to heritage conservation of large, complex sites leads to a proposal for a 'Heritage System' framework which would facilitate future evaluations and improve the prospects for on-going management of the Grand Canal.

Authors: He, S

• Publication date: 2014
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-vqwr2ryrk
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: heritage conservation; urban development; the grand canal; world heritage
• Subjects: Urban Studies; Transport; Asia