Save the date: Heritage Entrepreneurs - International Conference

In heritage studies, the revitalisation of urban heritage has predominantly been studied through the lens of public policies and public sector. The role of private stakeholders in historic context has been neglected or focused on some exceptional figures even though private entrepreneurs play a significant role in shaping urban heritage. 
However, developers appear as intermediaries, converging and concentrating the resources of different stakeholders to bring a project to fruition. They are described as highly adaptive, forward-looking actors, characterized by their ability to read and respond to market conditions and changes with flexibility.  They are also described as opportunistic, using heritage as a means of securing the best financial terms or as a ‘selling point’ for uninspired property developments.  
Consequently, the study of their strategies and interventions in historic urban contexts and on historic objects can provide valuable insights into the changing economic and even societal values associated with urban heritage. This approach reframes developers not merely as profit-driven actors, but as stakeholders in a complex system of relationships that structures their decisions and strategies. 

The main objective of this conference, which specifically focuses on the role of private actors in heritage urban contexts (UNESCO World Heritage sites, conservation areas, historic centres, etc.), is to explore the relationships and dynamics established between “heritage entrepreneurs” and other urban stakeholders in diverse heritage contexts as a means to shed light on how these combined actions produce heritage today.

For further information and programme updates, please visit the conference website: https://herentrep.hypotheses.org/final-conference-2