How can the re-development of heritage assets impact the sustainability of towns and cities?

Abstract

The topic chosen for this dissertation is entitled ‘How can the re-development of heritage assets impact the sustainability of towns and cities’. The reason why this study has been undertaken is to try and identify an alternative to the expensive and wasteful process of constructing building from new when there are many derelict heritage assets at the disposal of developers. The aim of this report was therefore to outline the sustainability benefits that relate to the re-development of heritage assets. This aim was met by working towards the following 3 objectives:
1. Determine the impact of heritage redevelopment on local and national economies.
2. Determine the impact of heritage redevelopment on society.
3. Determine the impact of heritage redevelopment on the environment.
In terms of the research methodology chosen to carry out the research, the author opted to use a quantitative methodology. This was carried out by distributing a questionnaire survey to various construction professionals via email. A total of 30 questionnaires were sent out, with 14 responses obtained. The respondents included Architects, Architectural Technicians, Building Surveyors, Planners, Conservation Officers and Construction Project Managers. This data was then recorded using Microsoft Excel, before being analysed using a descriptive approach and cross-tabulation. The analysis paid
particular attention to the mean and mode results of each question. This study has determined that there are many economic, environmental and social benefits to redeveloping heritage assets. These benefits include the creation of jobs, increasing tourism, city centre revitalization, increased property values, improved social confidence, multiculturalism, retailing an areas character, reducing CO2 levels and reducing overall construction waste, to name just a few. Overall, it is
seemingly the case that the economy is positively impacted the most by heritage re-development, closely followed by society. The environment does not benefit quite as much, however there are still some arguments to suggest that heritage re-development can be environmentally advantageous. Overall, this dissertation has highlighted the fact that there are many benefits to re-developing heritage assets as opposed to constructing new buildings constantly. This is a point that should therefore be looked into and considered by developers in the future.