ENHANCEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Cultural Heritage sites located in both rural and urban areas are often facing the dilemma between loss of cultural values and hence loss of identity, due to non-sustainable growth, and economic decline and emigration, due to inappropriate infrastructure and high cost of living (especially, buildings maintenance). CHERPLAN aims to provide a strong basis for ensuring compatibility and synergy between Cultural Heritage conservation and socio-economic growth by fostering the adoption of a modern Environmental Planning approach throughout SEE. The aim of EP is to integrate traditional urban/spatial planning with the concerns of environmentalism to ensure sustainable development; when innovatively applied to CH sites, EP's comprehensive perspective can be regarded as composed of three spheres: the built and historical environment, the socioeconomic and cultural environment, and the biophysical environment. "Natural" (often human-induced) disasters are one of the factors to consider: CH sites are particularly vulnerable to such events, as they are scarce, valuable and non-renewable. A multilevel and multi-sectoral Partnership will ensure effective achievement of these goals. To promote efficient participatory management of CH sites, Cultural Site Management Partnerships will be established in the framework of Pilot Projects concerning 7 selected CH sites in the involved countries: subsequent to organization of workshops and training, Action, Business, and Environmental Management Plans will be prepared. The process is expected to lead to conflict reduction (CH is often perceived as a hindrance to development), durable jobs creation (to be linked to durable assets such as CH sites) and integration of minorities and their cultural backgrounds into the participatory scheme. Finally, an EP Model will be developed as a strategic tool for lasting transferability of project results, supported by a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed by the 4 involved Ministries of Culture.