From Character to Value:Characterisation, Significance and Planning

Kae Neustadt, BA, MA, MPhilkae.neustadt@gmail.com

Significance:What does it matter what matters?

The act of ‘valuing’ is embedded into human nature

Heritage resources are finite Development and change are inevitable Governments are accountable Decisions must be made Transparency in decision-making is required “If you do not understand what is important,

how can you possibly make decisions about it?”

The first step in an effective heritage protection system is “identifying those aspects of the past that are most important to us and explaining why they are important.”

The Conflict of Significance

PPS5 relies strongly on the concept of significance, without providing processes for identifying and evaluating it.

English Heritage’s Conservation Principles provide detail on the concept of significance and its component values.

However, significance is also seen as an issue of degree, based on the individual judgement of the person perceiving a particular place.

CONFLICT: How to assess and assign significance if it is always subjective and individual?

The Archaeological Toolbox

Sites & Monuments Records

Designated Assets (Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, etc)

Historic Landscape Characterisation (England)

Historic Landuse Assessment (Scotland)

Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest (Wales)

Planning and Significance How to meet the demands

of the modern world without sacrificing history, identity, and a ‘sense of place’?

Necessary to answer this question to be able to achieve “sustainability.”

Everyday decisions relating to development control and infrastructure maintenance must answer this question.

The intersection of Heritage and Planning

Current guidance (PPS5) requires significance to be understood as a key identifier for heritage assets.

Therefore, these special architectural and historic elements must be defined in order to comply with heritage management legislation.

Decisions taken in the course of development control have long-term impacts and can profoundly effect societal welfare and quality of life.

Significance and value are thus the cornerstones of developing proactive and sustainable plans for the management of the historic environment.

Character, Distinction, Significance and Value

• Characterisation is mostly informative – it provides information without guidance.

• Begins with the premise that all is of interest and value (Herring 2007).

• Characterisation, as a process, is useful in providing information regarding character, but does not identify distinctiveness, significance or value in the landscape.

• Planning guidance focuses on preserving and promoting what is distinct and special within the historic landscape.

• Four key concepts that connect landscape character and the planning agenda: character, distinction, significance and value.

Evaluation Model:Character-to-Value

• Character forms the base of evaluation. Without it, other aspects cannot be identified.

• Distinctiveness articulates how character differs between places

• Significance indicates what people consider important within a distinct place any why.

• Value is a label applied for management purposes that can be useful for determining treatment when proposed change is inevitable. Character

Distinctiveness

Significance

Value

Character

Identifies primarily morphological characteristics related to historic processes that created the existing landscape.

Includes field patterns, ancient and modern woodlands, settlement patterns, enclosures, recreational space and common land.

Reflects mostly historic and modern use of landscape.

Significance within the Character Horizon

The characterisation process does not address significance in methodology or process

HLC specifically avoids assessing significance, basing its development on the premise that all is of value

Historic Landscape/Landuse Assessment follows with assumption that the significance of a place “will become clear” during the assessment process

Although meant to assist and support planning applications, the characterisation process does not use the language of concepts understood by planners.

Distinctiveness

• Combination of innate visual harmony, functionality of natural systems, human scale of cultural features and time-depth.*– Time-depth– Traces of struggle and

occupation– Evidence of production– Amenity attributes– Natural qualities– Customs and practices

* from Selman (2006)

Significance• “Understanding and articulating the values and

significance of a place is necessary to inform decisions about its future”– Fabric and evolution– Who and Why Values– Values related to fabric– Relative importance– Contribution of associated objects and collections– Contribution of setting and context– Comparison to places with similar values– Articulation of significance (“legibility”)

Value:English Heritage’s Heritage Values

• Evidential Value• Historical Value

– Illustrative– Associative

• Aesthetic Value– Design

• Communal Value– Commemoration and symbolism– Social value– Spiritual value

• Broad categories can be used for determining effect of proposed change or for identifying appropriate treatment/ mitigation measures.

Using the CTV ModelCharacter Type

Significance Time Depth Struggle & Occupation

Production Amenity Attributes

Natural Qualities

Customs & Practices

Value

The fabric and evolution of a place

To whom the place is valued and why

How those people's values relate to the fabric of the place

What, if any, associated objects contribute to those values

The contribution of setting and context

How the place compares to others with similar features

The fabric and evolution of a place

To whom the place is valued and why

How those people's values relate to the fabric of the place

What, if any, associated objects contribute to those values

The contribution of setting and context

How the place compares to others with similar features

Character Type

Significance Time Depth Struggle & Occupation

Production Amenity Attributes

Natural Qualities

Customs & Practices

Value

Pre-18th Century Irregular Fields

The fabric and evolution of a place

Hedgerows, lanes and paths may follow ancient boundaries;species-rich hedges may reflect time-depth (H-I, E)

Hedges in this type are among the oldest in-use landscape features in the area (H-I, E)

Hedges in this type are among the oldest in-use landscape features in the area (H-I, E)

Sunken lanes offer walkways for ramblers; bird-watchers and botanists (amateur and professional) have interests in access for recreation (H-A, C)I,

Important habitats for threatened/ endangered species of plants and animals (E)

(E)= Evidential(H-I)= Historical Illustrative(H-A)= Historical Associative(A)= Aesthetic(C)= Communal

To whom the place is valued and why

Archaeologists, historians, geographers (E, H-I)

Archaeologists, historians, farmers, land managers

Archaeologists, historians, farmers, land managers

Ramblers, bird-watchers, naturalists,

Conservationists, ecologists, politicians (for meeting sustainability goals)

How those people's values relate to the fabric of the place

The fabric often provides a sense of connection with the past, as modern distractions can be filtered out.

The fabric and management techniques of hedgerows in this type connect historic land use patterns to modern ones.

The fabric and management techniques of hedgerows in this type connect historic land use patterns to modern ones.

Without the fabric, the place cannot provide the habitat for species or the feeling of seclusion or tranquility.

The fabric of the type is necessary to maintain the habitats and connectivity necessary for sustainable management

What, if any, associated objects contribute to those values

Archaeological materials

Tools and techniques associated with traditional management

Tools and techniques associated with traditional management

Making Decisions about the Historic Environment

Planners who make decisions regarding impacts to the historic environment need an understanding of how heritage assets are evaluated for significance and how impacts can be assessed.

Archaeologists and heritage professionals who provide information to planners must understand the types of decisions required and how their expertise will be used to inform those decisions.

We can’t leave the decision-making to someone else and expect mutually acceptable solutions.

Any Questions?

Kae Neustadt, BA, MA, MPhilkae.neustadt@gmail.com

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/katherine-neustadt/29/b94/995