The course covers the principles governing the management of an urban World Heritage Site in the UK. Learning is enhanced with case studies and examples of best practice from Europe and the wider world. This course will help to inform users’ thinking about heritage and maximise the wider benefits it can bring to city management.
 
Each module takes about 20 minutes to complete. The course comprises of:

This module will introduce you to the basic principles of World Heritage Sites, from the origins of World Heritage protection to some of the finer details of what makes the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site exceptional.
 

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of how heritage is managed in the UK by taking a close look at the UK planning system infrastructure. It explores what tools we have at our disposal to manage urban World Heritage Sites like Edinburgh.
 

This module will expand your understanding of heritage management into a European context. It will focus on the AtlaS.WH project, an Interreg-funded project in the sustainable management of urban World Heritage Sites. It will examine the project’s philosophy and reach some conclusions regarding the current state of heritage management in Europe, as well as key takeaways for Edinburgh, as we move closer to more sustainable ways of managing our heritage.
 

This module will build on some of the examples of best practice we have seen in the previous module to set out what are the common themes and requirements that should be included in an ideal urban World Heritage Site Management Plan. This module will take a closer look at the AtlaS.WH methodology for writing a sustainable management plan for World Heritage Sites, as well as touch on the UNESCO Operational Guidelines, and Historic Urban Landscape. In the next module, we will explore how we can apply these ideals to Edinburgh’s next Management Plan.
 

This module will summarise some key questions to consider for taking the management of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site forward. Then, this module will end with a call to action to suggest ways in which you can build on your learning from this course.
 
A key output of the AtlaS.WH project, the training for professionals element was redesigned during the pandemic to be an online platform which will continue to provide training to city managers, architects, students and developers long after the project closes.

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