Aplinkos tyrimai, inžinerija ir vadyba, 2006.Nr.3(37), P.

74-79 ISSN 1392-1649

Environmental research, engineering and management, 2006.No.3(37), P.74-79

Cultural Heritage in the Context of Sustainable Development

Indrė Gražulevičiūtė
Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Department of Architecture
and Land Management

(received in June, 2006; accepted in September, 2006)

A broader concept of sustainable development includes not only environmental, but also economic,
social and cultural aspects. Lots of researches implemented around the world demonstrate that preservation of
cultural heritage enhances environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability. Cultural heritage can
contribute towards well-being and quality of life of communities, can help to mitigate the impacts of cultural
globalization and can become an incentive for sustainable economic development. Preservation of cultural
heritage is often understood as a barrier to economic development, though various economic benefits can be
generated by cultural heritage and its preservation: creation of income and jobs, job training and maintenance
of craftsmanship skills, revival of city centers, heritage tourism, increase in property values, enhancement of
small business et cetera. Re-use of abandoned or inefficiently used historic buildings is fundamental for
reviving communities and improving quality of life. In order to implement sustainable development strategies
and to improve quality of life it is essential to recognize cultural heritage as a valuable resource and
development incentive. The influence of immovable cultural heritage on implementing strategies of
sustainable development, the role of cultural heritage in the context of globalization as a basic means for
avoiding the trend of cultural globalization, creation of sustainable communities and a possible impact of
heritage resources on economic development and resource productivity are discussed in the paper.
Keywords: sustainable development, cultural heritage, community, cultural globalization, economic
globalization.

1. Introduction and aims

As it is defined by the World Commission on
Environment and Development, sustainable
development is development that meets the needs of
present generation without compromising the abilities
of future generations to meet their own needs [1]. The
principles of sustainability have already been
acknowledged in economic development and
especially in industries related to resource use, though
a broadened concept of sustainable development
includes environmental, economic, social and cultural
aspects. Thinking of sustainable development in a
broader context, the role of cultural heritage becomes
evident.
It is generally recognized that the 21st century
will be a century of globalization. Notwithstanding all
the benefits of economic globalization, it causes the
substantive threat of cultural globalization. Therefore,
it is fundamental for every community to identify and
maintain its own characteristic features that reflect
diversity and identity of the place. One of such
features is cultural heritage. Historic buildings and
cultural landscapes are exactly those elements that
create the sense of belonging somewhere, so called
“sense of place”. Cultural heritage is not just of value
to the individuals who own it or live in historic
properties, it can also have a value to well-being and
quality of life of communities, can help mitigate the
impacts of cultural globalization and can become an
incentive for sustainable development.
Another important role of cultural heritage
striving for sustainable development is its relation
with resource productivity and economic
development. Preservation of cultural heritage is
oftentimes understood as a barrier to economic
development. Of course preservation of cultural
heritage is first and foremost organized to maintain
and enhance cultural values, though numbers of
studies have demonstrated positive economic benefits
 Cultural Heritage in the Context of Sustainable Development
of cultural heritage preservation. Better use of
existing immovable cultural heritage, especially
empty properties, is an essential part of a strategy for
reviving communities and improving quality of life.
Regrettably, the potential of derelict historic buildings
and territories is usually disregarded striving for fast
economic benefits. Due to such imprudent behavior
vast territories are developed inefficiently, energy is
wasted, residential territories are losing their identity,
transport efficiency is diminished and life quality is
worsened. In order to implement sustainable
development strategies and to improve quality of life,
it is essential to use the potential of cultural heritage,
especially the possibilities embodied in abandoned
historic buildings and territories.
The aim of the paper is to analyse the influence
of immovable cultural heritage on implementing
strategies of sustainable development, to discuss the
role of cultural heritage in the context of globalization
as a basic means for avoiding the trend of cultural
globalization, creating sustainable communities and
the possible impact of heritage resources on economic
development and resource productivity.
2. The concept of sustainable development
Traditional approaches of environment
protection were concentrated on limiting the impacts
on the natural and, to some extent on social and
cultural environment. The main concern of such
approaches was repair, and the perspective was short
time orientated [2]. However, over the recent decades
the concept of sustainable development has evolved.
At the end of sixties, with the general theory of
systems introduced by Von Bertalanffy, a new model
was proposed for the description of reality, with the
aim of creating a common ground between the natural
and social sciences. This theory has provided the
opportunity for a more intense dialogue between the
disciplines concerning nature and society and it has
generated a scientific paradigm of sustainable
development [3]. According to D. Throsby, the
concept of sustainable development merges the ideas
of sustainable economic development, keeping in
mind ‘development’ that will not slow down and, in
some sense, will be self-perpetuating, and ‘ecological
sustainability’ meaning the maintenance and
enhancement of environmental values [1]. The
concept of sustainable development has already been
acknowledged in the field of economic development,
though a broadened notion of sustainable
development acknowledges the importance of other
sustainability aspects, such as functional sustainability
of public infrastructure, the fiscal sustainability of
local government, physical sustainability of the built
environment and cultural sustainability of local
traditions and skills [4]. The notion of sustainability
involves rethinking development to integrate
environmental, economic, social and cultural goals.
To be sustainable, development must foster protection
and rehabilitation of ecological systems, improve
economic efficiency and enhance the well being and
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cultural diversity of the population [5]. In general, the
concept of sustainable development includes not only
environmental, but also economic, social and cultural
aspects and is based on the main principles of
integrity of the ecosystem, economic efficiency,
social and intergenerational equity and cultural
diversity.
Primarily, the efforts striving for sustainable
development were concentrated on traditional
economic activities, such as agriculture, mining,
forestry, fishery and manufacturing rather than on
cultural diversity or population well-being [5].
However, the loss of a sense of place in communities
became a factor of vital concern in the context of
cultural globalization and the main aspect striving for
sustainable communities and sustainable historic
environment.
3. Cultural heritage and sustainable
development
Speculative developments driven by short term
interests cause a substantial threat to cultural heritage
and historic environment. Cultural heritage and
historic environment are not just of value to
individuals who own or live in historic properties.
Cultural heritage can also have the value to the well-
being and quality of life of communities, can help
prevent cultural globalization, sustain cultural
diversity and positively affect economic development
[6]. According to D. Rypkema, thinking in a broader
context, the role of heritage striving for sustainable
development is absolutely clear: preserving cultural
heritage provides environmental sustainability,
cultural sustainability and economic sustainability [7].
3.1. Cultural heritage and sustainable
communities
The main feature of the 21st century is
globalization. It is universally acknowledged that this
phenomenon will affect every country despite its
political or economic system. According to many
economists, the most significant impacts of
globalization will not occur on national or even
provincial levels, the strongest impacts will be local
and primarily will affect communities and their
citizens [4]. As D. Rypkema states, globalization must
be understood as two distinct phenomena: cultural
globalization and economic globalization. Some
scientists state that cultural globalization is an
inevitable consequence of economic globalization,
though the others suggest that those two different
phenomena, while interrelated, are not inevitably
linked. It is recognized that economic globalization
has many positive benefits, meanwhile cultural
globalization has significant negative social, political,
cultural and economic consequences in a short and in
a long term [7]. The ongoing destruction of cultural
heritage, privatization and commercialization of
historic environment and public space, transforming
 I. Gražulevičiūtė
them into shopping centers, entertainment districts or
spaces flooded with car-traffic, foster the erosion of
neighborhoods and communities [2]. Everywhere
becomes the same as everywhere else and
communities from being ‘someplace’ become
‘anyplace’.
If smaller or larger communities tend to succeed
in economic globalization, they have to become or
remain competitive, though their success will be
measured not just by their ability to stimulate
economic globalization, but also by their ability to
mitigate cultural globalization [7]. The threat of
cultural globalization requires the decisions at the
local, regional and national levels to secure that
globalized culture will not emerge. In order to
mitigate the consequences of this phenomenon, every
community has to identify its own characteristic
features that can be competitive in a global market
and help sustain cultural diversity and reach the goals
of sustainable development [4]. One of such
distinctive features definitely is cultural heritage.
In the past economic competitiveness and well-
being of the community were basically determined by
geographic location and resource factors, though in
the 21st century there also exist significant factors, do
not depending on geographic location, that influence
economic development and well-being of
communities. These factors are referred to as Five
Senses of Quality Communities: sense of place, sense
of identity, sense of evolution, sense of ownership and
sense of community. The expression ‘sense of place’
is used to express the particularity of a specific place.
Sense of identity of the community is shaped by its
attributes that contribute to its differentiation from
anywhere else. Sense of evolution is created by the
physical fabric of community that reflects its
functional, cultural, aesthetic and historical evolution.
The notion ‘sense of ownership’ is defined not as an
ownership in a legal or property sense, but more
broadly, as a feeling of an individual sake arising
from a particular place and fellow citizens. Sense of
community expresses the obligations to and
interconnectedness with other citizens of community
[4, 2]. It is obvious that cultural heritage is the
element that shapes the so called five senses: historic
buildings and historic environment create the senses
of belonging somewhere, of social traditions and of
cultural identity of historic continuity and foster the
senses of ownership and responsibility.
Numbers of countries, cities and communities
have decided to develop individual measures for
reaching the goals of sustainable development.
Preservation of cultural heritage and maintenance of
historic environment play a significant role in many
strategies of sustainable development. For example,
the government of the United Kingdom has
recognized that cultural heritage and historic
environment can play a significant role towards
meeting the defined sustainability targets [6]. The
government of the country has established a series of
indicators against which a progress towards
sustainable development is measured. The number of
buildings at risk are recognized as one of the 147
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‘core indicators’ within a sustainable development
strategy. The strategy states clearly that fostering
local distinctiveness and sustaining cultural heritage
are the keys of building sustainable communities [8].
Another contribution towards implementing the
strategy for sustainable development of the United
Kingdom is the Communities Plan adopted by the
Deputy Prime Minister in 2003. The Communities
Plan is a long-term program of action for creating and
maintaining sustainable communities in rural and
urban areas. The plan lists a set of key requirements
for sustainable communities among which a sense of
place, a safe and healthy local environment with well-
designed public and green space, a diverse vibrant and
creative local culture encouraging pride in the
community and cohesion with it are included [6].
It is evident that protection and maintenance of
immovable cultural heritage play a crucial role for
sustainability of communities, because all the cultural
assets, theater, music, visual arts, crafts, local customs
and traditions, are inherently connected with and
enhanced by the physical context within which they
were created and evolved for centuries [4]. It is
acknowledged that cultural resources will play a
significant role in sustainable cultural, social,
economic development of communities, so the
physical fabric, that has influenced their creation, has
also to be maintained.
3.2. Cultural heritage and sustainable economic
development
In the sphere of cultural heritage, the
preservation values are critical deciding what to
preserve and how. Even making a typical preservation
decision reveals many different and sometimes
divergent values: artistic, aesthetic and historic
values, plus economic values tied with the use of
building or other structure under consideration [9]. Of
course, preservation of cultural heritage is primarily
organized to maintain and enhance cultural values, as
D. Rypkema states in the long run the economic
impact of heritage preservation is far less important
than its environmental, cultural, aesthetic and social
impacts. However, many of those agents who have
the greatest influence on heritage preservation,
property owners, investors, bankers or government
officials, mostly care about the economic aspects of
cultural heritage [7]. But even in the economic
context the value of cultural heritage and the use of its
preservation are evident. A number of studies
implemented around the world have demonstrated
positive economic benefits of cultural heritage and
heritage preservation.
Cultural heritage can be valued in a wide variety
of ways, from the aesthetic and emotional pleasure
gained from experiencing heritage sites, to the value
of those sites as generators of revenue, jobs and
training opportunities [6]. Various economic benefits
can be generated by cultural heritage and its
preservation. The basic of them are job and household
income creation, job training, city center
 Cultural Heritage in the Context of Sustainable Development
revitalization, heritage tourism, increase in property
values, small business incubation, compatibility with
modernization and compatibility with evolution,
product differentiation and import substitution [4].
The main priorities of economic development are
creating jobs and local household income. The
rehabilitation of historic buildings is particularly
efficient in this regard. The intensity of labor required
for building rehabilitation determines a substantial
economic impact on jobs and income. For example, in
Norway rehabilitation of historic buildings creates
16.5 percent more jobs that new construction and
every direct job in a cultural heritage sector creates
26.7 indirect jobs, comparing with auto industry there
the factor is only from 6.3 to 1 [7]. A study
accomplished by D. Listokin and M. Lahr in the
United States in the state of New Jersey has
demonstrated that each million dollars spent on
rehabilitation of non-residential historic buildings
create two jobs more than the same amount of money
spent on new construction [10]. Besides, there are
other significant issues regarding jobs in cultural
heritage preservation. These jobs are generally well-
paid and there is a scarcity of the required skills. The
local craftsmanship of the building process can often
be nearly lost but instead can be passed on through
historic preservation, creating jobs and skills [7, 4].
The other important impact of cultural heritage
and heritage preservation is city center revitalization.
The revival of city centers can be noticed in many
European cities and usually rehabilitation of cultural
heritage is a key component of revitalization [11, 12].
The next economic benefit generated by cultural
heritage is heritage tourism. It is recognized that
cultural production will become one of the leading
sectors in the post-industrial economy, and the
products will be more and more transformed into
‘experiences’ [2]. Of course not every city or other
urban settlement should consider tourism a major
section of its economic base, though when tourism is
identified as a part of an overall development strategy,
the identification, protection and enhancement of
cultural heritage is fundamental for a successful
tourism effort [4].
The effect of cultural heritage on property values
is one more significant economic impact. The study
implemented by New York City’s Independent
Budget Office has demonstrated that a statistically
significant price premium associated with the
inclusion of a property in a historic district exists. The
quantity of the premium varies from 22.6 to 71.8
percent [10]. The research implemented in the United
Kingdom has revealed that a pre-1919 house is worth
average 20 percent more than an equivalent house
from a more recent era and the premium becomes
even greater for an earlier historic home [6].
One more contribution of cultural heritage is its
role in small business incubation. In Europe and in
United States, circa 85 percent of all new jobs are
created by firms employing less than 20 people. The
firms of such size are usually concerned about an
affordable rent. Relative affordability of older
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buildings is a significant contribution of cultural
heritage to the local economy [7].
There are many historic buildings that do not
meet current standards of comfort and safety, though
great efforts have been made to design the methods of
adapting historic buildings to modern needs without
harming their physical structure and architectural
character. As it is widely recognized that effective
preservation of cultural heritage is not just
conservation in museums and the concept of adapted
re-use is acknowledged, historic buildings can be used
in a wide variety of ways and respond to the widest
range of needs [4].
Import substitution is a basic issue creating a
sustainable local economy. The essence of the issue is
creating locally what otherwise would be purchased
elsewhere. Expertise, labor and materials from the
local market are mainly used for preservation of
cultural heritage, so heritage preservation can be
defined as locally based. New construction, contrarily,
often requires import of expertise, materials and labor
[7].
In economics the differentiated product usually
gains a monetary premium. If cities or other urban
settlements strive to attract capital, they must
differentiate themselves from anywhere else. Cultural
heritage is the element that best expresses diversity
and identity of the place [4].
3.3. Cultural heritage and resource productivity
As it is underlined in A Strategy for Sustainable
Development for the United Kingdom, The
improvement in resource productivity can help deliver
sustainable development [8]. Resource productivity
measures the efficiency of the economy in generating
the added value from the use of natural resources. In a
simple phrase, resource productivity can be defined as
getting the most out of finite resources, maximizing
the use of renewable resources and minimizing waste.
Everywhere, where environmental limits exist,
improvements in resource productivity allow to
combine economic growth and environmental
protection [14]. Immovable cultural heritage can also
contribute reaching the targets of resource
productivity and foster not only economic growth and
environmental protection but cultural diversity and so
called five senses of communities, too.
The value of cultural heritage and historic
environment to resource productivity and sustainable
development is particularly clear in relation to
abandoned historic buildings. Unfortunately, it is
common for developers to ignore the value that is
inherent in the ageing and abandoned building stock.
They usually prefer demolition of decaying buildings
and replacing them by new constructions or
constructing in a vacant land in a fringe of urban
territories [6, 13]. For example, in the United
Kingdom during the last twenty years nearly three
million of families have moved to new houses in
suburbs [11]. Meanwhile, around one million homes
in over 120 local authorities in the North and
 I. Gražulevičiūtė
Midlands are affected by low demand and abandoned
[6]. Due to such short term interests driven
development, vast territories are developed
inefficiently, then energy is wasted, residential
territories lose their identity, transport efficiency is
diminished and life quality is worsened in the centers
as well as in the edges of smaller and larger
settlements.
Vacant land and greenfields are neither
renewable nor expanding the resources. The
appropriate and effective use of abandoned or
inefficiently used historic buildings and territories can
contribute towards saving non-renewable resources,
enhancing sustainable economic development and
improving quality of life. It does not mean that
retention of ageing buildings is favored in every
instance, though the re-use of existing properties can
significantly contribute to the identity and
distinctiveness of an area [6].
One of possible ways to demonstrate the
economic benefits and contributions towards resource
productivity of the re-use of historic buildings is to
evaluate the energy savings represented by the re-use
of existing ageing buildings instead of replacing them
with new constructions. The research implemented in
the United Kingdom has indicated that the energy
produced from non-renewable resources consumed in
building services accounts for about half of the
emissions of carbon dioxide in the United Kingdom.
Besides, over 90 percent of non-energy minerals
extracted in Great Britain are used to supply the
construction industry with materials, and each year
circa 70 million tones of construction and demolition
materials and soil become waste [14]. Moreover, new
construction is not necessarily less expensive or more
profitable than rehabilitation and re-use of existing
historic buildings. The study by D. Rypkema
implemented in 1991 has demonstrated that, if no
demolition is required, a commercial rehabilitation of
existing buildings will cost approximately from 12
percent less to 9 percent more than comparable new
construction. The typical cost saving in rehabilitating
the existing buildings is 4 percent. If a new
construction requires, including the costs of
demolishing an existing building, the cost savings
from rehabilitation should range from 3 to 16 percent
[10].
The stock of existing buildings constitutes in
itself a substantial investment of energy and capital,
which should not be wasted demolishing them and
constructing new buildings. Though the energy
embodied in ageing structures is not the only factor
making decisions about their future. The costs of
maintenance and occupancy of older buildings have
also to be taken into account when reaching the goals
of sustainable development. It is often considered that
maintenance of older buildings is more costly, due to
variety of factors related to their size, constructions,
heating systems and propensity to damp. Though the
research carried out in the United Kingdom for the
heritage preservation organization English Heritage
has demonstrated that, contrary to earlier thinking, an
older housing actually costs less to maintain and
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occupy over the long-term than a more modern
building. Due to the quality and life-span of the
construction materials, the maintenance of the
Victorian house costs almost 1000 £ per 100m2 less
than the maintenance of the property constructed in
1980s [6].
The governments of developed and developing
countries striving to implement sustainable
development strategies and to improve quality of life
in communities must recognize the value of historic
buildings and their repair and regeneration have to be
welcomed rather than their demolition and
replacement or construction in the vacant land.
4. Conclusions
Sustainable development can be defined as the
development integrating environmental, economic,
social and cultural goals. The trend of economic
globalization carries a substantial threat of cultural
globalization. The loss of distinctiveness of the built
environment and identity of the place are the main
concerns striving for sustainable development of
communities. Numerous studies and researches
implemented around the world have demonstrated
that cultural heritage and its preservation can
significantly contribute towards reaching the targets
of sustainable development.
Nowadays preservation of cultural heritage has
to be considered not only as a means for preserving
physical fabric and sustaining cultural values, but as
an incentive for enhancing cultural diversity, sense of
place and sustainable economic development. Various
economic benefits can be derived from cultural
heritage and its preservation. Historic buildings and
sites are generators of income, jobs and training
opportunities, they contribute towards product
differentiation of communities. Preservation of
cultural heritage enhances import substitution, revival
of city centers, heritage tourism, influences increase
in property values. Historic properties stimulate small
business incubation and are compatible with
modernization and evolving needs of modern society.
In order to implement the sustainable
development strategies, the value of historic buildings
is to be recognized and their repair and regeneration
has to be welcomed instead of their demolition and
replacement or construction in the vacant land.
Historic environment and cultural heritage need to be
acknowledged as valuable resources and development
incentives.
References
1. Throsby D. Economics and Culture. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2002.
2. Hassler U., Algreen-Ussing G., Kohler N. Cultural
Heritage and sustainable Development in SUIT
(Sustainable Development of Urban historic areas
through and active Integration within Towns).
 Cultural Heritage in the Context of Sustainable Development

<http://www.lema.ulg.ac.be/research/suit/Reports/Pub 9. Avrami E., Mason R., De la Torre M. Values and

lic/SUIT5.2c_PPaper.pdf> (10 02 2006).
3. Dallari F. Cultural Heritage as a Territorial Innovation
in the Protected Mountain areas.
<http://www.dse.unibo.it/dallari/aree_fragili/3a.%20C
ultural%20Heritage%20as%20a%20Territorial%20In
novation%20in%20the%20protecyed%20Mountain%
20Areas.%20Theory.pdf> (10 02 2006).
4. Rypkema D. Culture, Historic Preservation and
Economic Development in the 21st Century. Paper
submitted to the leadership conference on
conservancy and development. Yunnan Province,
China, September 1999.
5. Pepper C. Sustainability of Cultural Heritage and
Landscapes.
<http://www.sustainability.dpc.wa.gov.au/docs/BGPa
pers/CoralPepperlHeritage.pdf> (10 02 2006).
6. Heritage Counts 2003: The State of the Historic
Environment. <http://www.english-heritage.org.uk>
(10 02 2006).
7. Rypkema D. Cultural Heritage and Sustainable
Economic and Social Development.
<http://www.europanostra.org/downloads/speeches/do
novan-rypkema_keynote_address_07dec_05.pdf> (10
02 2006).
8. A Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for Sustainable
Development for the UK. <http://www.sustainable-
development.gov.uk/publications/uk-
strategy99/index.htm> (05 04 2006).
Heritage Conservation. Research Report. Getty
Conservation Institute, 2000.
10. Mason R. Economics and Historic Preservation: a
Guide and Review of the Literature. Discussion Paper
Prepared for the Brookings Institution Metropolitan
Policy Program. University of Pennsylvania, 2005.
11. Rogers R., Power A. Mažos valstybės miestai.
Vilnius: Vilniaus dailės akademijos leidykla, 2004.
12. Tung A. M. Preserving the World’s Great Cities. The
Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis.
New York: Three Rivers Press 2001.
13. Southworth M. Wastelands in Evolving Metropolis.
Working paper. University of California, 2001.
14. Resource Productivity: Making More with Less.
Report by Performance and Innovation Unit.
<http://www.strategy.gov.uk/downloads/su/resource/a
nnexc.htm> (28 02 2006).
Indrė Gražulevičiūtė, PhD student at the Department
of Architecture and Land Management.
Main research areas: economic valuation of cultural
heritage, cultural heritage protection.
Address: Studentų str. 48, LT-51367
Kaunas Lithuania
Tel.: +37060033496
Fax: +370 37 300456
E-mail: grazuleviciute@yahoo.co.uk

Kultūros paveldas darnaus vystymosi kontekste

Indrė Gražulevičiūtė
Kauno technologijos universitetas, Statybos ir architektūros fakultetas, Architektūros ir kraštotvarkos katedra

(gauta 2006 m. birželio mėn.; atiduota spaudai 2006 m. rugsėjo mėn.)

Platesnė darnaus vystymosi samprata apima ne tik aplinkosaugos, ekonomikos, bet ir

socialinius bei kultūrinius aspektus. Įvairūs pasaulyje atlikti moksliniai tyrimai ir studijos parodė,
kad kultūros paveldo apsauga skatina tiek aplinkosauginių, tiek ekonominių, socialinių ir kultūrinių
darnaus vystymosi aspektų įgyvendinimą. Kultūros paveldas gali turėti įtakos bendruomenių
gerovei ir gyvenimo kokybei, gali sušvelninti ar padėti išvengti kultūrinės globalizacijos pasekmių
ir gali tapti darnios ekonominės plėtros stimulu. Deja, dažnai kultūros paveldo apsauga yra
suprantama kaip alternatyva ar net ekonominės plėtros kliūtis. Žinoma, visų pirma paveldo apsauga
organizuojama siekiant palaikyti bei išryškinti paveldo objektų kultūrinę vertę, tačiau paveldas ir jo
apsauga gali teikti ir įvairiapusę ekonominę naudą: kurti papildomų pajamų ir darbo vietų, sudaryti
sąlygas išlaikyti bei tobulinti darbo įgūdžius, skatinti apleistų miestų centrų atgaivinimą, kultūrinį
turizmą, smulkiojo verslo vystymąsi ir kt. Apleistų ir netinkamai naudojamų istorinių pastatų
pritaikymas naujoms paskirtims yra viena pagrindinių bendruomenių atgaivinimo bei gyvenimo
kokybės gerinimo jose sąlygų. Siekiant įgyvendinti darnaus vystymosi strategijas ir gerinti
gyvenimo kokybę, būtina kultūros paveldą pripažinti vertingu ekonominiu ir kultūriniu ištekliumi
bei kokybinės plėtros stimulu. Straipsnyje aptariama kultūros paveldo ir jo apsaugos įtaka darnaus
vystymosi strategijų įgyvendinimui, kultūros paveldo vaidmuo globalizacijos kontekste, siekiant
išvengti kultūrinės globalizacijos ir užtikrinti darnų bendruomenių vystymąsi bei kultūros paveldo
įtaką ekonominei plėtrai ir išteklių tausojimui.

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