Conservation, Heritage and the Urban Environment

Module code: HS7511

During this module, you'll examine the environment of present-day towns and cities and how they are (or are not) conserved.

You'll look at how historical processes such as industrialisation and war have shaped urban environments, and how cultural, economic and emotional aspects of the legacy of the past have affected the value of specific buildings and areas. You'll examine the emergence of movements for conservation and heritage in the 1960s and how they came to shape urban policy, including their influence on economic regeneration. Plus, you'll analyse the principles of conservation in Britain and beyond and study their application, including within legal, political and planning frameworks and current issues faced by conservationists.

You'll get the opportunity to take part in fieldwork, looking at examples of conservation and urban regeneration in places like Leicester's cultural quarter and Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Throughout, you'll be encouraged to think critically about the politics of conservation and heritage and engage with the debates that surround heritage specialists and urban designers.