Abstract: This study investigates the policy system and political dynamics in heritage conservation at the federal level. Problems, such as dichotomy in heritage, dispersion of administration and authority, and conflicts, often impede the view of the whole field; therefore, I attempt to perceive different types of heritage policy and politics from a big perspective through mapping. Different actors and their programs in the U.S. federal government will be identified, and their roles, policy tools and goals and multiple values will be analyzed. Further, one of the goals of this research is to explore the relationships and impacts among the actors and to pay attention to the communication and collaboration of actors in policy formation and implementation in order to understand the policy making system and dynamics in the field. The U.S. government has developed heritage policy to allow for a minimized input of resources at the federal level while raising the symbolic visibility to maximize the policy impact: the diverse values of heritage tend to impact policy and programs goals, and the types of heritage they relate to wield influence over the chosen policy tools.

This book explores how enhancing the collection, accuracy, and management of data can aid in identifying vulnerable neighborhoods, understanding the role of older buildings, and planning sustainable growth. For preservation to play a dynamic and inclusive role, policy must evolve beyond designation and regulation and use evidence-based research.

How does heritage emerge, change, stagnate, disappear and/or revive over time? Should heritage be approached as a ‘non-renewable resource’ that needs to be sustained for eternity, or as a ‘renewable resource’ that adapts to change and transformation? Heritage Dynamics deconstructs the dynamic nature of heritage. Heritage as a socio-cultural practice goes through non-linear, continuous lifecycles, where certain factors will be the catalyst for the ending of one lifecycle and the revival for another. Kalliopi Fouseki develops a theoretical and methodological framework of ‘heritage dynamics’, which is used as the analytical thread of six heritage contexts: heritage-led transformation in historic urban places; decision-making on energy efficiency and heritage conservation in ‘everyday heritage’ residential buildings; lifecycles of heritage collections; exhibition dynamics and the impact of participation with emphasis of ‘difficult heritage’; dynamics of dissonance on contested museums and the dynamics of ‘intangible heritage’ with emphasis on flamenco. The book offers a new theoretical and methodological framework that will enable heritage scholars and practitioners to unpack the ways and conditions under which heritage changes. The new theoretical framework will re-orientate current thinking of heritage as a thing, a process or discourse towards a new, more systemic thinking that captures the complexity of heritage. Methodologically, Heritage Dynamics introduces the potential of systemic methods, such as system dynamics, in capturing the dynamic nature of heritage. The new theory and method not only opens up new avenues for theoretical explorations, but also offers a significant tool for heritage managers and policymakers.

Heritage Conservation in the United States begins to trace the growth of the American historic preservation movement over the last 50 years, viewed from the context of the civil rights and environmental movements. The first generation of the New Preservation (1966-1991) was characterized by the establishment of the bureaucratic structures that continue to shape the practice of heritage conservation in the United States. The National Register of Historic Places began with less than a thousand historic properties and grew to over 50,000 listings. Official recognition programs expanded, causing sites that would never have been considered as either significant or physically representative in 1966 now being regularly considered as part of a historic preservation planning process. The book uses the story of how sites associated with African American history came to be officially recognized and valued, and how that process challenged the conventions and criteria that governed American preservation practice. This book is designed for the historic preservation community and students engaged in the study of historic preservation.

A Companion to Heritage Studies is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art survey of the interdisciplinary study of cultural heritage. Outlines the key themes of research, including cultural preservation, environmental protection, world heritage and tourism, ethics, and human rights Accessibly organized into a substantial framework-setting essay by the editors followed by three sections on expanding, using and abusing, and recasting heritage Provides a cutting-edge guide to emerging trends in the field that is that is global in scope, cross-cultural in focus and critical in approach Features contributions from an international array of scholars, including some with extensive experience in heritage practice through UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS, and national heritage systems