Cultural heritage is a major cultural, economic and ecological resource and is, thus, crucial for the preservation and resilience of European communities. At the same time, cultural heritage is vulnerable to a vast range of risks and disasters, which are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life in Europe.
Against this background, the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) together with a group of experts jointly discussed and developed ways for an integrated approach to risk and heritage management in European cities. This was part of the Partnership on Culture and Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with Italy, within the Urban Agenda for the EU. This work was supported by the consortium of Reicher Haase Associates, Prof. Neugebauer and Prof. Greiving to deepen and merge all the different expertise.
This joint process identified several key outcomes, including the need to build both theoretical and practical capacity within the field of urban development that deals with cultural heritage. In particular, the risk management method can be valuable when implemented at local governance level; it must therefore be explained and communicated to a wide range of stakeholders. Consequently, this publication aims primarily to support local practitioners in the fields of risk and heritage management and marks the outcome of a remarkable project and process.
