The Awareness of and Input into Cultural Heritage Preservation by Urban Planners and Other Municipal Actors in Light of Climate Change

Abstract

Future climate conditions need to be considered in planning for urban areas. As well as considering how new structures would best endure in the future, it is important to take into account factors that contribute to the degradation of cultural heritage buildings in the urban setting. Climate change can cause an increase in structural degradation. In this paper, a review of both what these factors are and how they are addressed by urban planners is presented. A series of inquiries into the topic was carried out on town planning personnel and those involved in cultural heritage preservation in several towns and cities in Finland and in a small number of other European countries. The target group members were asked about observed climate change impacts on cultural heritage, about present steps being taken to protect urban cultural heritage, and also their views were obtained on how climate change impacts will be emphasised in the future in this regard. The results of the inquiry demonstrate that climate change is still considered only in a limited way in urban planning, and more interaction between different bodies, both planning and heritage authorities, as well as current research on climate change impacts, is needed in the field.

Cities and Urban Heritage in the Face of a Changing Climate

“…The paper also touches upon the risks associated with the reconceptualization of heritage to achieve certain political and economic goals. Carroll and Aarrevaara [11] further expand on the relations between climatic impact on heritage buildings and urban planning through a questionnaire activity aimed at probing the planning professionals' perceptions and experiences of the phenomenon. In the specific case of Finland, the authors note a good level of understanding and appreciation of climatic risks by town planners; however, they conclude that they cannot always prioritise heritage structures when tackling such risks.…”