ICCROM’s Strategic Planning Unit is conducting new research on economic valuation methods used to support investment decisions for heritage. This research forms part of the Valuing Cultural Capital for Inclusive Sustainable Development project led by Prof Patrizia Riganti, University of Glasgow and ICCROM Research Fellow, in cooperation with ICCROM and Prof David Throsby, Macquarie University, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, United Kingdom. 

This research addresses a fundamental gap in both academic research and policymaking practice. The diverse social and environmental benefits derived from conserving tangible and intangible heritage are often under-valued and unaccounted for when making the case for heritage protection. This leads to a significant under-estimation of the positive impacts cultural heritage conservation has on sustainability and the wellbeing of local communities and visitors. Recent years have seen the use of valuation techniques, such as choice experiment and contingent valuation, to elicit the non-market economic and social benefits associated with the conservation of historic sites and other cultural assets. Such survey-based techniques can also support more inclusive and participatory approaches to heritage conservation and management. Nonetheless, their application remains limited. This research aims to explore current barriers and bottlenecks to their uptake, comparing approaches from different cultural contexts.

Survey on heritage valuation methods

As part of the research project, ICCROM and the University of Glasgow have launched a survey addressed to ICCROM Member States. The survey will focus on what valuation methods are currently used, and how they are employed to inform public policy decisions to protect, conserve, maintain, restore cultural heritage – both immoveable (built) heritage (e.g. archaeological sites and other assets) and moveable heritage (e.g. public collections). The survey results will be presented at an international event planned for 2023.

Workshop and Public Webinar

ICCROM Public Webinar

In preparation for the survey launch, a workshop will take place (by invitation only due to space limitations) at ICCROM headquarters from 14-16 September 2022, bringing together government representatives (UK, Italy), heritage agencies (Historic England, ICOMOS) and leading academics in the sector. The workshop aims to foster dialogue between heritage scientists, cultural economists and policy makers on how to enhance current methods to account for the hidden value of cultural heritage assets and their social benefits.

The workshop will close with a 2.5-hour public webinar on these topics, taking place on Friday 16 September 2022 at 12.00 pm (midday) Rome (Italy) time, and will be held in English. Those interested to attend can register for this event here

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to access the webinar. If you do not receive it, also check your spam or junk e-mail folder. Registration will remain open until the day of the webinar.