Conservation of Cities and Landscapes

This subject is not offered in 2013.

140 hours

Enrolment in the Master of Design (234AA).

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

An advanced study of current issues and techniques related to the documentation, interpretation, conservation and management of physical and cultural heritage as applied to the broad scale of cities, precincts and natural and cultural landscapes. The study will proceed via detailed national and international case studies involving the complexities of large-scale sites, government and agency interaction, and the often competing challenges of cultural/commercial/ecological sustainability and local community needs. Key to this study will be the development of critical techniques of documentation, community engagement and diverse management techniques to achieve optimum outcomes. The subject may also be run as an intensive field trip posed as a critical case study of international practice.

On completion of the subject students should have:

• an understanding of current issues and techniques related to the documentation, interpretation, conservation and management of physical and cultural heritage as applied to the broad scale of cities, precincts and landscapes;
• a critical understanding of the complexities, when dealing with the management of conservation and cultural heritage of large-scale sites, that involve alignment of government and agency interaction, cultural, commercial and ecological sustainability, and local community needs;
• exposure to different practices in the heritage assessment and interpretation of cities, precincts and landscapes, and consideration of the role of cultural authority and difference in the process;
• a critical appreciation of the various threats to the heritage significance of protected places including gentrification, ‘touristification’ and ‘theming.’

Interim assessment of exercises and seminar/research paper (written/drawn/digital) to the equivalent of not more than 1500 words, due mid semester - 30%
Final assessment of exercises and seminar/research paper (written/drawn/digital) to the equivalent of not more than 3500 words, due end of semester - 70%

D Bluestone, Buildings, Landscapes and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation, New York 2011
P Fowler, Landscapes for the World: Conserving a Global Heritage, Bollington 2004
R Longstreth (ed), Cultural Landscapes: Balancing Nature and Heritage in Preservation Practice, Minneapolis 2008
D Rodwell, Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities, Oxford 2007
K Taylor & J Lennon (eds), Managing Cultural Landscapes, London 2012
E Vines, Streetwise Asia: A Practical Guide for the Conservation and Revitalization of Heritage Cities and Towns in Asia, Bangkok 2005

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• working knowledge and appreciation of current issues and techniques related to the documentation, interpretation, conservation and management of physical and cultural heritage as applied to the broad scale of cities, precincts and landscapes, both natural and cultural;
• familiarity with the key documents and conservation protocols that guide such work;
• working knowledge and appreciation of the complexities, of protecting and managing the cultural heritage of large-scale sites, that involve alignment of government and agency interaction, cultural, commercial and ecological sustainability, and local community needs;
• experience in the diagnosis of appropriate approaches to the documentation, interpretation and management of conservation and cultural heritage in cities, precincts and landscapes.