Shaping Vancouver 2019: What's Happening to Heritage?

When we think of our city as a whole, it is important that it sustains a strong sense of identity for the diversity of people who live here. One important use of heritage would be to present the multiple layers of stories across the city so that we can experience the areas of Vancouver in a variety of ways. The recent City of Vancouver Arts and Culture Plan proposes actions for the incorporation of new approaches to both intangible and tangible heritage. For the purposes of ongoing cultural vitality, redress and equity, it also proposes integration of intangible heritage into the City’s existing heritage program which up to now has mainly focused on the preservation of buildings. This idea is consistent with best practices in heritage where it is not a standalone silo but approached as a part of culture, integrated into city planning for the purposes of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Our final talk for 2019 will look at the opportunity for how a new City-wide plan might carve out a larger role for heritage and integrate current heritage thinking into a wide range of the City’s social aims.