Neighbourhood sustainability of heritage revitalization : a mixed-methods, multidimensional approach

Abstract

Achieving sustainable development requires striking a balance between the environmental, economic and social needs of a neighbourhood. Due to the increased number of historical buildings and heightened awareness concerning the importance of conservation, authorities emphasized the integration of cultural aspects into sustainability initiatives. Also, institutions can strengthen the linkage among various sustainable aspects by implementing a comprehensive set of standards, legal frameworks, and rules, which contribute to the revitalization of historic buildings in the context of sustainability. These show that the concept of sustainability has expanded beyond the traditional three-pillar model. Diversified needs and increasing recognition of the outstanding value of architectural heritage in contemporary communities demonstrate the importance of revitalization as a preservation strategy to achieve sustainable development. However, the allocation of focus on different sustainable aspects is unbalanced in various neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools. In general, there is a notable emphasis on environmental values, but an inadequate emphasis on others. The applicability of those assessment tools to historic buildings is also limited since most of them cannot be fully employed for assessing conservation values. The above sheds light on the importance of having a more thorough approach to address the multidimensional nature of sustainability in heritage revitalization and facilitate the formation of sustainable neighbourhoods. This study aims to contribute to the enhancement of existing neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools for heritage projects and enable stakeholders involved in heritage revitalization to make comprehensive decisions. Professionals with experiences in heritage conservation and sustainable development were interviewed. The interviews produced significant insights into how to indicate neighbourhood sustainability in heritage revitalization. In order to improve the illustration of the viewpoints addressed, real-life projects in Hong Kong are presented. Specific factors and indicators identified in these interviews facilitate the assessment of neighbourhood sustainability in heritage revitalization projects, showing how heritage revitalization helps to build a sustainable neighbourhood. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey study was conducted to investigate the public perceptions on neighbourhood sustainability and heritage revitalization projects. The results of surveys offer evidence that neighbourhood sustainability is impacted by the attraction of customers and visitors, indoor environmental quality, crowdedness, historical connections and community input channels in such projects. The findings establish a strong foundation for the inclusion of heritage in the neighbourhood sustainability assessments.