The recent Horizon 2020 Expert Group Report on cultural heritage calls for the EU to do more to promote innovation in cultural heritage and its wider contributions to society, as it also notes that ‘renovation and maintenance represents more than a quarter of the value of Europe’s construction industry’ (page 7).
Three objectives are set for cultural heritage:
- Economy (promoting innovation in finance to support heritage needs)
- Society (valuing the contribution of heritage to communities as well as recognising the contribution of volunteers and heritage outreach, especially the involvement of young people)
- Environment (landscapes and historic environments)
Four further recommendations are made within the report:
- Heritage Led Urban Regeneration (setting up a knowledge network of 30 cities Europe wide to share experiences and good practice, finding solutions to heritage funding)
- Sustaining Cultural Landscapes (setting up a knowledge network of ‘30 cultural landscapes that have demonstrated how culture and biodiversity can be integrated and enhanced to create successful living rural landscapes’ Europe wide to share experiences and good practice to develop a ‘blueprint for successful rural heritage-led regeneration’ (p12).
- Inclusive Governance (a new prize to showcase good practice in the involvement of communities and especially young people in managing and exploring heritage)
- Innovative Business Models for cultural heritage
Grainger Town in Newcastle is the only example from the UK which is featured in the report, as a pioneering example of heritage led regeneration.
