the regional level, is so high that a clearly defined focus is essential for a study that has the ambition
to go beyond an inventory and description of diversities.
A consequence of this way of looking at cultural assets is that the activity of preserving and
promoting cultural heritage and identity is seen to have spatial implications, because it invests the
models of organisation of the society and its “use” of the environmental assets. Monitoring and
planning for these activities requires not only the listing of objects produced by past actions, but
extends to the full comprehension of the production and reproduction of cultural value in the
contemporary society. The objective of spatial planning changes from the activity of regulation of
the space use in order not to interfere with the process of preservation of the heritage assist, to a
proactive activity of promotion of the developments in a territory (economic growth, social
development and integration) through the valuation and furthering of its cultural features and
historical landmarks.
2.5 From “concepts” of CHI to operationalisations
Heritage can be conceived alternatively as a documentation of the past, a symbolic representation of
the culture of a community (past and present), or aesthetic value embodied in physical and
intangible expressions of a culture. Moreover, there is a functional side of any definition that invests
the valuation process. Heritage can either be valued for maintaining its original function, or be
appreciated when it is able to flexibly adapt to new functions, and in this case, it should be
evaluated whether “revitalisation processes” which provided the heritage with new uses have any
sense in the light of the original function (which might be contested or even dissonant ...)
Following Auclair (in Gravari-Barbas & Violier, 2003:95-ff.), cultural heritage is analysed in this
study as an element of dynamism of the territory (‘La culture qui réveille les territoires .. ’):
- a tool to promote territorial identity or to reconstruct territorial coherence (‘Le refondation
territoriale ..un processus de production culturelle et de création du lieu’. L. Despin in
Gravari-Barbas & Violier 2003: 165-174).
- an element of distinction of the territory used by local communities. 5
The activities of mapping the dynamics of the heritage is more complex than presenting the geo-
references of the existing heritage assets (and the observation of “endangering elements”), because
they involve: