From preservation to change management and transformation

In this chapter, the author examines the ‘slow revolution’ in the field of heritage conservation practice from managing for fixity of physical structures (‘preservation’) to managing places for dynamism, continuous change, and transformation. He looks back on preservation approaches to management before examining current thinking on ideas of change management and transformation. The author contrasts current ideas of ‘landscape change’, which can be small and incremental, large and complex, gradual or sudden, with the concept of transformation. Culture is a key concept in situating Kalman’s heritage planning process and a change management approach. Culture is also a useful frame to think about change management because cultures are dynamic and that dynamism is reflected in the changing meanings and valuing of heritage objects, practices, and places. The aim of referencing climate change, disaster risk, and sustainability is to underline the complexities associated with change and transformation of cultural landscapes and, more broadly, in heritage management decision-making.