A Future for the Past: A New Theoretical Model for Sustainable Historic Urban Environments

Abstract

Industrial regions across the developed world have experienced a period of steady decline since the 1960s. The regeneration of former industrial sites, particularly for tourism, has become an expedient strategy for targeting the economic and social deprivation often associated with de-industrialization. This places significant expectations on heritage not only as a contributor to the more immediate regeneration process but also as a vehicle for long-term sustainable development. Using data drawn from a case study of UK industrial World Heritage sites, this article presents findings that indicate the need for procedural and institutional innovation if industrial heritage sites are to respond to the challenge of sustainable development. The paper concludes with a model of sustainable heritage management that is relevant to other complex historic sites.