Sustainable Historic Towns - Urban Heritage as an Asset of Development

Programme 2000 - 2006 Baltic Sea Region

Date of latest update: 2021-04-06

Description

Description (EN):

The goal of the project was to find good practices for integrating urban heritage values in development processes of local communities. Project activities focused on methods to identify, analyse, evaluate and manage local historic characteristics in a sustainable way. Furthermore, the project aimed at strengthening national, regional and local efforts to enhance urban heritage as a local resource and an asset of identity. Its aim was also to develop strategic networks and form guidelines for management of the urban heritage. The partnership involved national, regional and local authorities, researchers, professionals and NGOs. Unlike single monuments, urban historic areas cannot be isolated from development. The challenge of our time is to balance the urban transformation in a sustainable way. Historic characteristics should be used as a current asset of societal well-being. Urban environmental values should be enhanced on a cross-sector basis involving local community. Today, global challenges put increasing pressure on local built characteristics in BSR, demanding integrated management and international agreements. These obligations call for proper decision aid, increasing co-operation and co-ordination. The activities of the SuHiTo-project have focused on improved ways to manage urban heritage by updating practices to include different levels of urban contexts and the dynamics of development. The partners involved are national, regional and local authorities, researchers and professionals in BSR. The Norwegian approach systematised urban heritage analyses via the DIVE (Describe-Interpret-Valuate-Enable) method, which was tested in the towns Røros and Mosjøen. In the town of Ystad in Sweden a type for municipal building code that covers local historical characteristics was elaborated. In the Finnish town of Forssa improved practices were tested to update aged preservation plan involving inhabitants. A method of inquiry aiming at mapping the local knowledge was used as part of pilot activities. The Estonian heritage authorities carried out analyses of urban heritage in small towns by national funding in interaction with the project.

Achievements (EN):

Much of the work focused on country specific studies or pilot activities, in which different methods and approaches referring to the overall project goal were developed. The Norwegian partners developed a specific 4-step model that integrates urban heritage and its conservation in urban planning processes. The model follows a 4 step approach of 1 - Describe 2 - Interpret - 3 Valuate - 4 Enable (DIVE) and was tested in the town of Röros and it was also applied in the city of Mosjöen. In Sweden, the city of Ystad was chosen a pilot site. The pilot activities in Sweden included the elaboration of a comprehensive plan for urban conservation. Key elements in the plan were inventories, a town analysis, a preservation programme and updating of a good building code. In the Finnish town of Forssa the pilot activities produced new information and understanding of how to preserve a wooden town area. The studies carried out in Finland included development of tools for evaluating the citizens´ feelings, identity and understanding of the build environment. Results from the pilot activities as well as the main findings of the project were summarised in the project report Sustainable Historic Towns – Urban heritage as an Asset of Development. In addition, national reports were compiled. Apart from the country specific studies the project achieved a strengthening of an existing network in the Nordic countries by involving representatives from the Baltic countries. On a BSR level, the project proved to be a major actor contributing to the arrangement of an international conference in 2005. The project actively marketed the project work in an international context using the branch specific networks on both the BSR and European level. Suggestions for follow up activities were made, but did not yet results in funding.

Thematic information

Cultural heritage and arts Regional planning and development Community integration and common identity

Partners (23)

Lead Partner: Museovirasto

Address: Department of Monuments and Sites, PO BOX 169, 00511 Helsinki, Finland

Legal status: n/a

Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto

Name: Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto

Address: PO BOX 527, 33101 Tampere University of Technology, Finland

Legal status: n/a

The State Inspection of Heritage Protection

Name: The State Inspection of Heritage Protection

Address: M. Pils iela 19, 1050 Riga, Latvia

Legal status: n/a

Regional Centre for Studies and Preservation of Built Environment in Gdansk

Name: Regional Centre for Studies and Preservation of Built Environment in Gdansk

Address: Ul. Swietej Trocy 5, 80822 Gdansk, Poland

Legal status: n/a

National Heritage Board, Estonia

Name: National Heritage Board, Estonia

Address: Uus 18, 10111 Tallinn, Estonia

Legal status: n/a

Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas

Name: Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas

Address: Olandu 54-20, 2007 Vilnius, Lithuania

Legal status: n/a

Centre for Urban and Regional Studies

Name: Centre for Urban and Regional Studies

Address: PO BOX 9300, 02015 Espoo, Finland

Legal status: n/a

Town Forssa

Name: Town Forssa

Address: PO BOX 62, 30101 Forssa, Finland

Legal status: n/a

Gothenburg University, Department of Environmental Science & Conservation

Name: Gothenburg University, Department of Environmental Science & Conservation

Address: PO BOX 130, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet

Name: Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet

Address: Institute of Architectural History, 7491 Trondheim, Norway

Legal status: n/a

Municipality of Röros

Name: Municipality of Röros

Address: Posttuktap, 7361 Röros, Norway

Legal status: n/a

Municipality of Druskininkai

Name: Municipality of Druskininkai

Address: Vilianus al. 8, 4690 Druskininkai, Lithuania

Legal status: n/a

Regional Council of Häme

Name: Regional Council of Häme

Address: Niittykatu 5, 13100 Hämeenlinna, Finland

Legal status: n/a

Municipality of Vefsn

Name: Municipality of Vefsn

Address: Rådhuset, 8654 Mosjöen, Norway

Legal status: n/a

SINTEF-Civil and Environmental Engineering, Arch. And Build. Techn

Name: SINTEF-Civil and Environmental Engineering, Arch. And Build. Techn

Address: Alfred getz v. 3,m, 7465 Trondheim, Norway

Legal status: n/a

NIKU- Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage Research

Name: NIKU- Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage Research

Address: Tungasletta 2, 7485 Trondheim, Norway

Legal status: n/a

Cultural heritage Agency

Name: Cultural heritage Agency

Address: Slotsholmgade 1, 1216 Copenhagen, Denmark

Legal status: n/a

National Heritage Board

Name: National Heritage Board

Address: PO BOX 5405, 11484 Stockholm, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Lund Institute of Technology, Department of Construction and Architecture

Name: Lund Institute of Technology, Department of Construction and Architecture

Address: PO BOX 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Riksantikvaren

Name: Riksantikvaren

Address: PO BOX 8196, 0034 Oslo, Norway

Legal status: n/a

Archaeological Statemuseum of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Name: Archaeological Statemuseum of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Address: Schloss Wiligrad, 19069 Lubstorf, Germany

Legal status: n/a

University of Oulu

Name: University of Oulu

Address: Department of Architecture, PO BOX 4100, 90014 Oulu, Finland

Legal status: n/a

Ystads kommun

Name: Ystads kommun

Address: Miljö & Bygg, Tystad kommun, 27180 Ystad, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Sustainable Historic Towns - Urban Heritage as an Asset of Development

Project acronym: SuHiTo

Project start date: 2003-01-21

Project end date: 2006-01-20

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 997 700.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 298 350.00

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2000 - 2006 Baltic Sea Region

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2019-07-08

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

136 / 136 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

3 143 / 3 143 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Sustainable Historic Towns - Urban Heritage as an Asset of Development

Description

Thematic information

Partners (23)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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