Over the last two decades regeneration processes, which occur in historic urban areas, are increasingly integrating heritage as a lever for physical, social and economic development. They raise the values inherent in the historical built fabric as a tool for accelerating cultural activities and tourist attraction, for creating a unique and rich urban environment and for fostering a sense of pride and of community identification.

Urban heritage is a cultural resource requiring ongoing management in order to ensure protection of the values and the preservation of the physical components. Urban Conservation is a practice aiming to identify, protect and manage historical areas in urban context, and providing a set of tools which aim to attain integrated and sustainable development.

The seminar will present and critically analyze different approaches for this practice through discussion of local and international case studies.