Examining the Position of Community Participation in the Process of Conservation and Management Policymaking of World Heritage Cities

Problem statement:

 The complex and valuable structures of World Heritage Cities, as historical profiles and identities of societies, have emerged and developed throughout history and have been inherited from one generation to another. Due to the physical, social, and cultural significance of these cities, numerous researchers have tried to apply novel approaches to conserving and managing them. Also, over the years, many international institutions have been trying to present guidelines following modern management methods focusing on the active role of local communities. However, considering its specific physical, social, and cultural structure, each of these cities requires a tailored operational management structure, and applying a one-size-fits-all management approach in all societies is not feasible.

This article mainly aims to examine the efficacy of the international charters’ guidelines in enhancing community participation in the conservation and management of World Heritage Cities and presenting a flexible applied framework for effectively implementing such an approach in these cities.

While applying a content analysis method to rank the guidelines of the international charters that include an approach to increasing community participation in the management of World Heritage Cities, this article examines the process of conservation and management in eight cities. Then, by comparing the findings, it discusses the efficacy of these guidelines in increasing community participation.

The results show that the active role of local communities in the conservation and management process of World Heritage Cities is essential. Its implementation requires conformity to the guidelines presented by international organizations in the field of managing historical cities. In implementing this process, the recommendations of the charters must be localized to the structural features of any given context to achieve the highest possible efficacy of the community participation approach.