There is a lot of published literature in the disciplines of Archaeology and Anthropology on ceramics that amongst others focus on their typologies, dating sequences, manufacture and trade with reference to groups of people that inhabit the Southern African region. Additionally, several studies have focussed on the use of ceramic objects including figurines in ritual practices of these societies. However, the emphasis has been differential and skewed as it has largely been focussed on certain cultures such as that of the Zulu group or linked to archaeological sites, to the exclusion of other groups. For example, there is scant literature that focuses on the description or discussion of ceramic vessels by the Basotho-Batswana people of Southern Africa, who, like the Zulu have an active ceramic tradition including the manufacture and reverence of spiritual ceramic vessels. The thrust of this dissertation is therefore to widen our understanding and knowledge of the spiritual significance of African ceramic vessels by focusing particular attention on how these Sotho-Tswana groups practice this tradition with the ultimate objective of encouraging the appropriate recognition and preservation of traditional African ceramic vessels. / Mini Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Mellon Foundation / Tangible Heritage Conservation / MSocSci (Tangible Heritage Conservation) / Unrestricted

Heritage assets and the values associated with their protection deserve recognition as they represent a reference point from which cities can look to their past, understand the present, and plan for the future. To strengthen our understanding, this research explores the relationship between Heritage Conservation District (HCD) designation and its effect on community improvement efforts. In doing so, it seeks to explore the reasons for and values associated with the desire for communities to conserve their architectural heritage. The concept of the HCD is also investigated as a mechanism for promoting heritage, and the role of the HCD in achieving revitalization goals is described. Multiple sources of evidence were analyzed to provide insight into these research objectives. Planning and policy documents and mapped census data were examined, and open-ended interviews, community surveys, and field observation were undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of policy implementation and its impact on communities. Markham Village and Unionville, two HCDs located in the Town of Markham, Ontario, serve as case studies and provide a focus on current experiences within a real-life setting. Community improvement indicators were devised to determine progress toward community improvement and to measure the success of these HCDs. This study attempts to provide a means by which to monitor and evaluate conservation and revitalization goals.

Heritage assets and the values associated with their protection deserve recognition as they represent a reference point from which cities can look to their past, understand the present, and plan for the future. To strengthen our understanding, this research explores the relationship between Heritage Conservation District (HCD) designation and its effect on community improvement efforts. In doing so, it seeks to explore the reasons for and values associated with the desire for communities to conserve their architectural heritage. The concept of the HCD is also investigated as a mechanism for promoting heritage, and the role of the HCD in achieving revitalization goals is described. Multiple sources of evidence were analyzed to provide insight into these research objectives. Planning and policy documents and mapped census data were examined, and open-ended interviews, community surveys, and field observation were undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of policy implementation and its impact on communities. Markham Village and Unionville, two HCDs located in the Town of Markham, Ontario, serve as case studies and provide a focus on current experiences within a real-life setting. Community improvement indicators were devised to determine progress toward community improvement and to measure the success of these HCDs. This study attempts to provide a means by which to monitor and evaluate conservation and revitalization goals.

Why do we care about heritage places? Heritage conservation theory and practice have assumed that these places are intrinsic to the idea of community and that their conservation is of public interest. Yet heritage places, as recognized by governments, do not necessarily have overwhelming support for their conservation, despite better processes to include multiple values. Some elicit a strong sense of connection, others are a ‘foreign country’ to be visited. Finally, some are forgotten though remain officially recognized as part of a ‘national heritage’. The relevance of these places is a deciding factor in their fate. In parallel, the concept of lieux de mémoire (place of memory) highlights the nature of those places that do not require official recognition to exist and to engage communities in their conservation. Their significance often clash with the purpose of legislation and government agencies because these tend to focus on processes based on facts and consensus. The relevance of these places to a community may not be captured and conserved by official means. This thesis explores the expressions of relevance of recognized (official) and unrecognized (unofficial) heritage places by studying the case of Grand Pré in Nova Scotia (Canada), a community with more than a century of official and unofficial heritage status. The case study reveals the various roles and responsibilities emerging from state and community initiatives to highlight differences in the nature of heritage places. By contrasting the roots of the mainstream heritage conservation movement and of the community-driven assignment of value to certain places, this thesis establishes characteristics that distinguish ‘historic places’ from lieux de mémoire. That distinction creates a path towards improved definition, conservation, and relevance of heritage places. This thesis concludes by proposing an approach to conserving heritage places based on their function as an evolution from current values-based conservation.

xii, 190 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The success of heritage conservation districts as a more holistic approach to heritage resource management has been documented around the country. Yukon, Canada has expressed a desire to move beyond traditional approaches to establish district designations. Through detailed examinations of the evolution of districts and of the progression of historic sites management in Canada and the Yukon, best practices will be established and measured against the unique challenges faced in the Territory. Further, an examination of the potential benefits and challenges are discussed and measured against three case studies: downtown Dawson City, Takhini North in Whitehorse and Carcross, Yukon. The case studies provide tangible evidence for the successful implementation of heritage conservation districts as a way to preserve and enhance the Yukon's historic sites. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Michael Hibbard, Chair; Barbara Hogan

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / Increasing demand for new construction has made the building sector responsible for approximately 43 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States. Building conservation, an intervention strategy that refurbishes an existing building without compromising its architectural integrity, is a response to the population’s current infatuation with the new and now that has desensitized modern culture to the past, while surfacing one’s responsibilities to future generations. The focus of this study will be on the University of Arizona’s Bear Down Gym. Through a historical and architectural evaluation, this report makes a case for the rehabilitation of Bear Down Gym in respect to the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

The conservation of built heritage is increasingly recognised as promoting cultural sustainability and encouraging the inclusion of culture in the sustainable development of the built environment. Reflecting this recognition is the advocacy of a dynamic integrated conservation approach that considers built heritage within its historic, physical, social, and cultural contexts. Yet, the cultural context of built heritage remains one of the most challenging and neglected aspects in conservation practice. In the specific case of Sudan's historic port town of Suakin, a number of recurrent obstacles to the site's conservation, in addition to a number of potential enablers to address these challenges, have been recognised throughout previous research. However, previous investigations have lacked an essential local socio-cultural perspective. Furthermore, a lack of strategy or framework for Suakin's conservation has so far prevented the coordination of its stakeholders, and the consequential implementation of potential enablers to address its conservation challenges. This thesis is the conclusion of a four-year EngD research that has developed a protocol for the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin. It begins with an introduction to the context, justification and scope of the research, and the research aim and objectives. A review of previous literature is then presented concerning a number of issues related to the research subject and the methodology employed to meet the research aim and objectives. The research methods conducted, including literature review, a mixed-method case study, questionnaire surveys, and a series of participatory action research focus groups, are then explained and the results achieved are discussed. The research findings result in the development of a protocol for Suakin's conservation consisting of five themes emanating from the research stages. These are: ownership; finances and planning; stakeholder inclusion and collaboration; conservation knowledge and awareness; response to the local context. Each theme is comprised of a challenge, or number of challenges, and corresponding solution(s). Furthermore, the research findings define a protocol implementation strategy, consisting of Suakin's stakeholders' suggested implementation and responsibility of the protocol solutions. The collaborative stakeholder process established by the research, and the resulting protocol and its implementation strategy, are a new development in the approach towards Suakin's conservation. The potential long-term impact of the research on Suakin's conservation has so far been indicated by the adoption of the resulting protocol implementation strategy as a formal approach to Suakin's conservation by NCAM. The thesis concludes with a critical review of the research throughout the research stages and key recommendations for the research sponsor, for Suakin's stakeholders, for the built heritage conservation industry and for further research. The findings of this research were published in four peer-reviewed papers.

Urban planning intended to conserve cities’ valuable past, both areas and structures, is challenging due to the need to find a balance between preserving urban heritage and fulfilling development needs. In China, efforts to preserve cities designated to be Historic Cultural Cities (HCCs) are affected by HCC planning mechanism (HCCPMs), which have been developed to protect the cities’ significant value as a whole. In this study, policies in HCC conservation plans are evaluated on their amount of detail and are compared to stakeholders’ expectations. A case study is carried out for areas in the City of Beijing. Findings of this study include the following: a general level of the detail used in HCC conservation plans; this level of detail ranges distinctively in various policy categories and HCC classes; stakeholders desire a higher level of detail than currently exists in the conservation plans; different expectations exist among stakeholder groups (residents, participants from the central districts, and participant without planning knowledge). Five statements can be reflected from the general level of detail: 1) urban conservation is not a primary concern in HCCs; 2) plan objectives were achieved in HCC plans; 3) the public did not effectively impact planning decisions; 4) little financial and human resources support exists for conservation activities; 5) the written legislative guidance is inaccurate. The differences in stakeholders’ expectation and the current plans reveal the failure to achieve public participation goals such as transparency and democracy. Recommendations are provided on improving plan quality and public participation in Historic Cultural Cities to better serve for urban conservation in Chinese cities.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province enacted its Heritage Act in 1975. The Ontario Heritage Act enables municipalities to conserve built heritage in a number of ways, including instituting heritage conservation districts. Heritage districts recognize and conserve built heritage that extend beyond the special architectural qualities of individual buildings. Port Dalhousie is a quaint community located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, and inextricably linked to the first three Welland Canals. Now a part of the City of St. Catharines, it was designated a heritage conservation district in 2003. However, after the designation an ambitious and controversial re-development plan was proposed for the community’s historic commercial core. The re-development aimed to revitalize the area, but in doing so also threatened to destroy the heritage. This case study used historical research, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires to investigate the cycle of heritage commodification, the effectiveness of public participation and the exercise of power as the various stakeholders in the community of Port Dalhousie deliberated over the future of its built heritage. Findings from this study reveal that sound governance and effective planning policies promoted public participation. The results also confirm that active civic involvement from local residents plays an integral role in heritage conservation, and influences developments that threaten heritage. This study recommends that heritage planning should be more proactive in municipal land use planning, and heritage guidelines for conservation areas should be part of broader heritage management programs where power sharing, participation, and decision making reflect social equity. The findings and recommendations from this study are intended to assist communities, managers and planners in future efforts to conserve built heritage.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province enacted its Heritage Act in 1975. The Ontario Heritage Act enables municipalities to conserve built heritage in a number of ways, including instituting heritage conservation districts. Heritage districts recognize and conserve built heritage that extend beyond the special architectural qualities of individual buildings. Port Dalhousie is a quaint community located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, and inextricably linked to the first three Welland Canals. Now a part of the City of St. Catharines, it was designated a heritage conservation district in 2003. However, after the designation an ambitious and controversial re-development plan was proposed for the community’s historic commercial core. The re-development aimed to revitalize the area, but in doing so also threatened to destroy the heritage. This case study used historical research, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires to investigate the cycle of heritage commodification, the effectiveness of public participation and the exercise of power as the various stakeholders in the community of Port Dalhousie deliberated over the future of its built heritage. Findings from this study reveal that sound governance and effective planning policies promoted public participation. The results also confirm that active civic involvement from local residents plays an integral role in heritage conservation, and influences developments that threaten heritage. This study recommends that heritage planning should be more proactive in municipal land use planning, and heritage guidelines for conservation areas should be part of broader heritage management programs where power sharing, participation, and decision making reflect social equity. The findings and recommendations from this study are intended to assist communities, managers and planners in future efforts to conserve built heritage.