Urban Heritage Strategies in Times of Conflict

General information

* Please note that for EU participants, the VAT of 21% will apply. The tuition fee stated above is excluding the VAT.

Course components

Note:

This Urban Heritage and Strategies short course consists of two parts. Part I will be offered remotely (online) in June 2024. Part II is scheduled to take place on campus (on-site) in the Netherlands in July 2024.

This course is tailored to the historic Ukrainian cities that are currently under siege. Urban professionals working in conflict zones are invited to apply for this course. More specifically, urban professionals from Ukraine are invited to apply. The Dutch government provides a full tuition fee waiver for selected participants from Ukraine. Additionally, all selected participants (from all countries) will receive financial support for travel and accommodation provided by the Dutch Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

This course has been prepared with the generous advice of IHS alumni Iryna Matsevko (Vice Deputy Chancellor at Kharkiv School of Architecture), Oleksandra Tkachenko (Urban Planner at KuiperCompagnons) and Tetyana Oliynyk (Project Manager at Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine).

UHS post-graduate diploma is obtained after successful completion of part I and part II.

In cities around the world, built heritage is under pressure from either over- or under-development. Cities struggle to combine desired conservation with necessary development. Meanwhile, we may observe that heritage plays an increasingly important role in the present-day city. It reflects the identity of its residents, reveals stories about its past and gives character and human scale to the city. If managed properly, heritage can effectively contribute to the urban quality and serve as a vital asset for future development.

This year’s course is tailored to the historic Ukrainian cities that currently suffer from military threats as well as development pressure. How to position the urban heritage in future rehabilitation plans? To what extent can the historic features contribute to a sustainable recovery? How do we shield the built heritage from attacks and development pressure? You will learn about the potentials, challenges and risks these cities face. At the end of the course, you will be able to define a strategic action plan for the current needs and the future potentials of the historic core. You will be able to explain how different urban disciplines interact with heritage conservation. You will study and discuss different perspectives of related disciplines to your local case. Urban management tools will be brought into relation with heritage conservation and vice versa. You will get to know specific urban heritage conservation approaches, like integrated conservation and learn about the economic, social and environmental impact of heritage conservation.

Throughout the course, you will critically reflect on which strategies work in which contexts and the reasons behind it. 

Urban Heritage Strategies (UHS) aims to develop a better understanding of the complex relationship between urban development and heritage management. UHS develops your capacity in terms of cognitive knowledge and practical skills to perform the management of historic urban cores. It also stimulates the exchange of experience with your fellow participants and encourages you to expand your professional network.

How will I learn?

The course is developed by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (part of Erasmus University Rotterdam) in close cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and the Department of Architecture and the Build Environment of Delft University of Technology. The curriculum draws upon the knowledge of both academic institutes and the expertise of the governmental department.

The short course on Urban Heritage Strategies consists of two parts.

Part I (online)

Part I is offered remotely and consists of online activities, including lectures and discussions, group work and individual self-study components, as well as individual and group assignments. Throughout the whole course, you work in subgroups focussing on selected case cities. The online course has a duration of eight days and takes place between Wednesday, 5, and Friday, 14 June 2024. Please note that you will be expected to spend full working days on the course during this online part. 

You will apply the obtained knowledge by means of individual and/or group assignments, which will be assessed individually and/or by means of presentations.

Part II (on-site)

Part II builds upon the lessons learned during the online course (Part I) and will be conducted in a face-to-face setting in the Netherlands for the duration of eight days. It takes place between Wednesday 17 and Friday 26 July 2024. The content of the training is tailored around the case cities, as introduced during part I. These introductions will be used as a basis for the group work in part II, which follows the steps of the Strategic Action Planning Method. Besides that, excursions and exchanges with leading experts in the field will take place during this part.

What will I learn?

The overall learning objectives which guide Part I and Part II of the course are:

• Improve cognitive knowledge on ‘integrated conservation’ 
• Strengthen applicable skills (assessing tools for a Strategic Action Plan)
• Create and expand the participants’ professional networks

Throughout the course (Part I and II), you will critically reflect on which strategies work in which contexts and the reasons behind them.

Part I (online)

Part I of Urban Heritage Strategies (UHS) aims to develop a better understanding of the complex relationship between urban development and heritage management in cities under siege. The online course covers the holistic context of the historic city in its economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions. Besides, it looks into the management, planning and governance of the historic city. In this way, urban management tools will be brought into relation with heritage conservation and vice versa. You will learn about the potentials, challenges and risks the historic cities face. At the end of Part I of UHS, you will be able to explain how different urban disciplines interact with heritage conservation. You will get to know specific urban heritage conservation approaches.

Part II (on-site)

In Part II, you will refresh and apply the knowledge gained in the first part of the course. Based on the assignments as conducted in your case city, you will be guided to develop a strategic action plan for the historic core affected by military conflict and lack of maintenance. This means that you will learn to critically reflect on and apply urban heritage strategies to your own practice, which involves the consideration of different perspectives of related disciplines to your local case. By the end of Part II, you will have a draft version of a strategic action plan for the case city, which you will then present.

Am I suitable for this training course? 

If you are engaged in urban management or heritage conservation as a government official, working for the private sector or at an NGO; if you are working as a consultant, advisor or lecturer; when you are an academic researcher in urban management or heritage conservation, then this is the right course for you. 

Please check our admission requirements to ensure you meet the minimum requirements for the course.

Thematic areas

Typically, but not exclusively, the following thematic areas are covered.

• Values and Attributes
• Military threats
• Development pressure
• Post-war rehabilitation 
• Management Plans
• Integrated conservation
• Urban planning and governance
• Public-private partnerships
• Heritage economics
• Community participation
• Gentrification
• Adaptive reuse

How to apply

Are you interested in participating in this short course? Use the "Apply now" button above to submit your application using our new, simplified, user-friendly forms. For questions regarding the application procedure and admission requirements, visit our dedicated information page. 

Fellowships

Selected participants from Ukraine will receive a full tuition fee waiver. Besides, all selected participants (from all countries) will receive financial support for travel and stay. Selected participants, being non-Ukrainians who are searching for a sponsor, can have a look at our section on available funding opportunities.