Learning place-making from the bottom-up: communities contributing to heritage planning in Scotland

The paper aims to share insights from the doctoral research realized in rural Scotland, specifically focusing on case studies to analyze the contribution of community-led projects in the context for safeguarding and management of heritage assets to stimulate local livability. In that sense the paper will follow the trajectories and processes involved, when communities took an active role in formulating new functions for those assets and regulating them in close dialogue with local planning authorities.

The paper will be structured around three sections; analyzing the methods of research and showing novel approach to participatory evaluation of such processes of co-producing historic places with new contemporary functions. This should allow for mapping sense of place but also current needs by various groups involved in managing and using those spaces. Second, it will identify principles form bottom-up approaches for place making and discuss their applicability in other, urban contexts.

Finally, the development of recommendations for academics and practitioners working in participatory ton planning, will follow. A focus on the role of heritage assets or places of cultural significance as well as community ownership for achieving relevant place-making strategies will be discussed.

Discussion will include critical points on how to integrating social needs analysis in planning processes and place making, recognising role of community for an informed planning process.