1.3.3 Cultural Heritage and Identity Jan van der Borg University of Venice

The Data Europe-wide statistics for NUTS 3 regarding heritage, culture and identity are extremely scarce. Therefore: - extensive network of Universities that produces a limited number of significant indicators - number of indepth case studies - involvement Council of Europe & UNESCO WHC

Indicators Presence and the importance of material and immaterial cultural assets Use of the cultural assets. Focus on excessive and insufficient use Impact of heritage on the local economy and society

Issues Sustainability leads to two broad families of (spatial) policies: 1) Policies that aim at conserving arts, heritage and identity 2) Policies that aim at ‘valorising’ culture and at enhancing identity

Macro Policy Issues Conserving European Cultural Heritage should, because of its very nature (space product and European concern), be an important element of territorial policies; ‘Valorising’ European Heritage offers regional economies new impulses for the economy and the society (culture as a priority in assigning structural funds).

Policy Issues in Detail I Culture and competitiveness; Costs and benefits of the development of cultural tourism (carrying capacity versus multipliers); Tax policies and facilitating conservation by private parties; Multiculturality, identity and social and economic development; Transeuropean networks for cultural development;

Policy Issues in Detail II Culture as a fundamental precondition for territorial development; Culture and accessibility; Cultural landscapes, natural landscapes and spatial clusters of cultural assets; Creative industries; Use of cultural assets in border regions;

Policy Issues in Detail III Marginal areas and culture (on one hand marginality as a menace and on the other culture as a cure against marginality); Cultural heritage and hazards.

Progress Partner Meetings in Venice (December) and in Barcelona (May) and Seminar in Barcelona (May) First two interim reports delivered: - Broad definition of cultural heritage - Identification of indicators - Construction of meta database