Why do historic places matter? Emotional attachments to urban heritage
Published: 17 September 2021
Research insight
How can policymakers consider emotional attachments to place during the designation and management of historic urban asset
The significance of heritage and its potential to contribute to a range of public policy agendas is now acknowledged in Scotland and internationally.
But despite the role of emotion becoming an increasingly influential theme within heritage studies, the heritage sector has not yet fully evidenced the reasons why the past matters emotionally to a range of individuals. These emotional attachments are often latent but can be unlocked at times of change.
Professor Rebecca Madgin has examined the key questions: how, and to what extent, are emotional attachments to place considered during the designation and management of historic urban assets?
Data from a range of sources was analysed to explore the extent and the reasons why the past matters to a range of individuals, including heritage professionals, non-heritage professionals, and people such as residents and activists who are embedded within their local historic urban environment.
The report explains how and why these emotional attachments form and what advantages these insights offers planning and development policymakers.
Get the report, animation and resources on the Social and Political Sciences website
First published: 17 September 2021