Public preferences for heritage conservation strategies: a choice modelling approach

Abstract

Studies aiming at valuing cultural and natural heritage projects are often focussed on one or only a few sites, whereas planning decisions concerning the allocation of public funds to heritage conservation deal with classes of heritage rather than single sites. In addition, such planning decisions are almost always concerned with non-monetary values that need to be incorporated into assessment procedures if the total value of alternative strategies is to be estimated. In this paper, we put forward and estimate models to address both of these issues within a choice-modelling framework. The method is developed in the context of conservation of a particular class of cultural heritage, namely major historic buildings in a city or country. We report results from a discrete choice experiment to assess public preferences in which the choices are alternative conservation programs and the attributes are dimensions of the programs’ cultural and economic value. The model is estimated from survey data using several flexible econometric specifications. We show that the methods developed can be used to obtain robust estimates of the economic value of this category of buildings. We also find a significant contribution of all aspects of cultural value to the formation of conservation preferences and the public’s willingness to pay.

Reflections on Local Community Identity by Evaluating Heritage Sustainability Protection in Jugra, Selangor, Malaysia

“…The willingness of people to pay is one of the most important theories used to reflect heritage values given by individuals in a community [30][31][32]. Throsby et al found a significant contribution by the four dimensions of cultural value-aesthetic value, historical value, social value, and architectural value-to the formation of conservation preferences and through the public's willingness to pay [33]. Heritage education is essential in order to create all these cultural values merely among the younger generations.…”

Cultural economics: the role of higher education institution in shaping the value systems

“…Throsby D., Zednik A., Araña J. E. interpret the city "historic core" as certain classes of cultural heritage, including the city historical buildings, monuments, sights, and others [7]. Consequently, economic calculations in relation to the city "historic core" and economic models associated with the restoration and development of the "historic core" are to be carried out not for individual buildings and objects, but for the class of cultural heritage, i.e., by means of cumulative impact on the city identity and the value system of its inhabitants [7].…”

“…On the one hand, the class of the city "historic core" forms cultural capital. Therefore, the buildings and objects that are part of the "historic core" and are defi ned as capital assets, embody or bring cultural value in addition to the economic value that they pos-sess [7]. On the other hand, the economic value of the city "historic core" class, measured as a direct use value or willingness to pay for unused demand, is expressed in monetary terms, while the cultural value of the "historic core" class is multidimensional and does not have a single unit of account.…”

“…On the other hand, the economic value of the city "historic core" class, measured as a direct use value or willingness to pay for unused demand, is expressed in monetary terms, while the cultural value of the "historic core" class is multidimensional and does not have a single unit of account. The latter characteristic takes cultural value beyond the monetary value inherent in neoclassical economics [5,7].…”

“…Modern economists will fi nd it trivial to ask: "Is it economically feasible to reconstruct old historical buildings in the city or to demolish and replace them with "modern" high-rise buildings?" Numerous studies prove the obvious benefi ts of reconstruction and preservation of the cultural value of buildings [7,10]. For instance, D. Throsby, A. Zednik, J. E. Araña confi rmed that the driving factors of people's preferences are the fundamental internal qualities of heritage objects, i. e., their cultural value.…”