Browsing by Author "Van Balen, Koen"

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    3(4) data models and their opportunity for relevant heritage analyses under a preventive conservation approach
    (Universidad de Cuenca, 2012) Heras Barros, Veronica Cristina; De Cubber, Ine; Van Balen, Koen; Anja Wijffels, Louisa María; Steenberghen, Therese; Van Orshoven, José
    Preservation of cultural heritage is progressively linked to regular maintenance and a continuous monitoring; both activities will define what is known as preventive conservation. This paper discusses the design of a conceptual model for a heritage monitoring system as a support to preventive conservation practices in World Heritage Properties. With respect to these properties the design of the proposed system starts by the choice of a data model, which is determined by different requirements. In heritage conservation, these requests are based on the values and attributes of analyzed elements. They will allow to the system the act of measuring change in the state, number or values presence. Within this framework, a conceptual model is proposed, showing how values and characteristics of heritage elements can be translated into data requirements, how these data requirements define a data model, how this data model determines the database to finally established , how the database determines the best choice for a Geographic Information System (GIS). The paper was illustrated for building blocks in Cuenca and it gives an insight into requirements and potentials of a heritage monitoring system able to combine complex information in spatial reference system valuable to public administration (site managers) for more informed decision making and management strategies. For Cuenca and other world heritage sites, the link made between technology (databases + GIS) and heritage requirements has the objective to overcome the existing gaps and to promote a more nimble heritage management.
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    Towards a contemporary approach to the study of development & cultural heritage
    (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 2014) Ost, Christian; Van Balen, Koen; García Vélez, Gabriela Elizabeth; Carofilis Cedeño, Nelson Leonardo
    The interest for understanding the relationship between Development and Culture, and specifically Cultural Heritage, has increased during the 21st century. During the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), representatives from different contexts acknowledged the role of Culture as a pillar of Development. This recognition has been recently recalled by the Hangzhou Declaration (2013), which proposed to include Culture as a fundamental principle of the post-2015 UN development agenda. However, the notion of Development – as much as that of Cultural Heritage, both embrace complex and dynamic natures, which have been only partially understood. Development as growth and Cultural Heritage as limited to the arts, are known to have negative implications in other areas (social, environmental, cultural). In spite of the recent advances to clarify each of these notions, the bridge between theory and practical actions, is still a debt. This article aims to develop a baseline for the study of the binomial Development and Cultural Heritage. As a first approach, a retrospective analysis is presented in order to reveal the theoretical advances influencing the adoption of the terms, and to build a contemporary understanding of these notions. In this regard, key moments on the evolution of the relationship between Development & Cultural Heritage are examined through the lens of the leading international organizations on each field: The United Nations (UN) Head of development studies, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in the Cultural field. The article then discusses preliminary findings on the theoretical gaps and concludes by identifying their potential challenges.