Heritage-led urban rehabilitation: Evaluation methods and an application in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In proposing strategies for urban development in cities and towns with significant cultural heritage assets, there is considerable scope for implementation of projects involving rehabilitation of heritage as an alternative to demolition and replacement. Such projects are particularly relevant in cases where the heritage is concentrated in a historic core that is subject to deterioration or to relentless encroachment by urban expansion. In recent years there has been increasing interest in the possibilities for heritage-led investment as an effective means of generating a range of economic, social and cultural benefits while maintaining and enhancing the integrity of a city's historic assets. This paper outlines a methodology for evaluating these impacts and applies it to the case of the historic centre of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The results indicate the significant potential for a program of heritage-led investment in Historic Jedda as a focus for further rehabilitation of the World Heritage site.