Architecture, Heritage, and Compensation - renewal in areas with cultural values and architectural qualities

Other conference contribution, 2019

The paper deals with exploitation and preservation in a selection of detailed development plans that include cultural values and architectural qualities. The focus is on how compensation actions are expressed in detailed development plans in Sweden. These kinds of plans regulate land-use and design of buildings on plots by law. The planning and designing of detailed development plans for areas of Gothenburg with heritage values of national interest are investigated through case studies.

The objective is to investigate, analyze, and discuss compensation in the planning processes of sites with appointed cultural values. The overall goal is to develop knowledge of how key players understand the heritage and architectural qualities in detailed development plans. The research method is based on cases studies. From a selection of 39 detailed development plans obtained by the City Planning Authority of Gothenburg, 3 were chosen and studied in this paper. Selected detailed development plans were analyzed through close-reading of documents, site visits, and discussions at seminars. Detailed development plans seen as products have compensation measures embedded in the design as fixed regulations. They are demand-oriented to both land-use and architectural design. Compensation as a process is expressed by changes through opposition. The City Planning Authority eliminates criticism by changing the detailed development plan according to values and qualities protected by key players.

Typical compensation measures consist of supplementation of the detailed development plans with descriptions of cultural values through texts and illustrations provided by investigations conducted by contracted consultants, revisions of the proposals for the detailed development plans, and the introduction of more specific regulations for the control of architectural design as response to criticism. The demolition and construction of new buildings are combined with protection and the prohibition of the demolition of cultural values on the plot. Cultural values can also be transferred by compensation actions into aesthetic programs for the design of additional buildings.