Heritage Protection and Cultural Identity: The Case of Urban Space

Abstract

Urban space, which is shaped by the dwelling patterns of a culture, records the evolution of its identity, and as such acquires a heritage value. This unique way of becoming a heritage emphasises that it is not the walls nor the floor nor the monuments that are facing it, but the environmental quality of the urban space that needs to be paid attention. Each culture proclaims the heritage within its current cultural consciousness;
thus protection of this environment quality would enhance a continuous life. The conventional conservation practices, placing priorities with physical elements, pay less attention to the mentioned environmental quality.
They, neglecting the evolved activity patterns and concepts, challenge
the phenomenological values of the urban space.
This paper interprets conservation as a cultural activity, rather than
a physical petrifaction of its wall, aimed at signifying the urban space within the present day cultural consciousness. It, assessing heritage values, proposes an approach that would enhance a cultural continuity.