Arnold, D., 2016.

The Architectural Heritage of Cities: Some thoughts on Research Methods, Theories and Strategies for Preservation and Sustainable Re-use in a Global Context

In this paper, I outline approaches both to theoretical and historical research into the cultural dynamics of cities and the ways in which these can inform future policy and planning in regard to the preservation and sustainable re-use of architectural heritage. My aim is to identify methodologies and approaches to architectural heritage that assists in situating the architectural heritage of Tianjin in a global context. I also consider how we can best use the experience of architectural heritage preservation and sustainable re-use in Europe to inform decision making in Tianjin and in turn what can Europe can learn from the Tianjin experience. The re-use and conversion of historic and heritage buildings and sites continue to be the prime challenge for conserving and revitalising cultural heritage. In order to place the architectural heritage of Tianjin in a global, or at least a European, context attention is paid to both its tangible and intangible heritage to reveal the uses of the past in patterns of development and growth as well as the value placed on historical symbols and cultural memory. I focus on strategies for sustainable re-use, including heritage tourism, an essential part of the cultural and economic landscape of present-day Tianjin that is both a benefit and a threat to the historic environment, as well as mixed-use development and co-design.