Planning for urban heritage places: Reconciling conservation, tourism, and sustainable development

A conflict between the preservation of the character of existing historic towns and "change" has formed the central argument for conservation. More recently, heritage has superseded conservation, where marketing of heritage as a product according to the demands of the consumer, mainly tourists, has resulted in the commercialisation of heritage over conservation values. Today, the symbiosis of both tourism and heritage places has become a major objective in the management and planning of historic areas. This article examines the current conflicts among the ideas of conservation, heritage, and tourism and argues for a sustainable approach to the management and planning of heritage places based on a community and culture-led agenda.