A brief review of the 8th edition of the annual course for professionals on Urban Heritage Strategies, 2023
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This summer, the 8th edition of the annual course for professionals on Urban Heritage Strategies (UHS), executed within the Dutch International Cultural Policy framework, concluded successfully. The program received a highly positive overall assessment from participants, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5, reflecting its success and beneficial effect. In this blog, project member David Schelkshorn explains what the programme entails and its importance.
The course Urban Heritage Strategies (UHS) was the result of a meanwhile established partnership between the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS, Erasmus University of Rotterdam), and the Department of Architectural Engineering (Delft University of Technology). The long-term impact the course aims to achieve is the integration of heritage conservation in urban management. Linking these domains successfully is considered an essential part and parcel to enhance the liveability and sustainability of our cities.
Objectives of the programme
The objectives of the programme were to develop the participants' capacity in cognitive knowledge on Integrated Conservation and equip them with interactive skills to perform urban heritage management. Besides, the course aimed to facilitate the exchange of expertise and experiences among participants, ultimately creating a (growing) network of professionals.
Diverse topics and perspectives
This year's programme was tailored to four main urban topics, namely climate adaptation, urban densification, social housing, and adaptive reuse.
Linked to the Dutch International Cultural Policy, participants joined from various countries across the globe, including Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Spain, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine, and Poland. They represented a diverse group of professionals working across various sectors related to heritage conservation and urban management. In the evaluation this was reflected several times by participants. I particularly enjoyed the case study groups being internationally mixed. This really added to the discussions we had.
Similar to the recent years, this year’s UHS edition was implemented using a blended learning format, with Part 1 being conducted remotely (online), and Part 2 taking place face-to-face in The Netherlands. Content-wise, Part 1 focused on fundamental theories and approaches related to urban heritage, while also addressing the economic, social, environmental, and cultural aspects associated with urban heritage and urban management.
Results of the workshop
The second part of the course was hosted by the IHS (Erasmus University of Rotterdam). Building on the outcomes and learnings of Part 1, Part 2 focused on practical skills and network building. The core element was an action planning workshop, in which four groups worked on the respective focus topics of the course (climate adaptation, urban densification, social housing, and adaptive reuse). Nijmegen, with its rich and diverse experience related to heritage conservation and urban development, served as a case study. The 8 days long workshop empowered participants to apply a set of planning tools, such as problem and stakeholder analysis, objective setting, and strategy development, among others, in a guided and iterative process. Overall, this course format has been refined during the last 3 years and was well received by course participants in the evaluation. One participant states for example: I highly appreciate the course methodology. The combination of theoretical and practical parts, online and offline formats, the balance between group work, field trips, and time for independent reflection.
Conclusion
In addition to the action planning workshop, an international networking event was hosted by the RCE in Amersfoort during Part 2. This event facilitated interaction and knowledge exchange between course participants and Dutch as well as international professionals through workshop sessions on the selected focus topics.
The course concluded with presentations of the outcomes of the action planning workshop in the city hall of Nijmegen. Participants presented context specific strategies to tackle the respective challenges of the chosen urban topics of this course, each in a selected neighbourhood of the city.
In conclusion, the programme not only expanded the knowledge and skills of professionals and contributed to tangible strategies the city of Nijmegen can build on, but also fostered international collaborations and networks ultimately contributing to the integration of heritage conservation in urban management.
Interviews with participants
IHS has published interviews with four participants on their LinkedIN page. Read more about the experiences of with Laura Nin Thomashoff from South Africa, Tetyana Oliynyk from Ukraine, Nisar Khan from India, and Dongwoo Yim from South Korea