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Cultural Heritage and the City

Discover how cities develop their own unique cultures and explore key concepts related to cultural heritage.

15,210 enrolled on this course

An eclectic mix of architectural styles in the City Centre of Birmingham, UK.

Cultural Heritage and the City

15,210 enrolled on this course

  • 3 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Explore the unique cultural heritage of cities

Cultural heritage is usually discussed in national or religious terms: we speak of Italian culture, Greek civilization, Islamic art, and so on. But today cities are creating their own heritage through museums, galleries, markets of artistic goods, and urban networks. Cities project themselves as cultural hubs representing and connecting entire regions, for example Doha and the UAE, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Los Angeles and North America.

Using these and other examples, through this course you’ll explore exactly what is meant by urban cultural heritage and key concepts related to it.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 12 seconds Hello, everybody. My name is Anna Triandafyllidou. And I would like to invite you to join me in an instructive and cultural journey around the world. Together, we will look into what is cultural heritage, who owns, governs, and is responsible for cultural heritage. We will see which are the key actors involved in its conservation and promotion, as well as the policies in place.

Skip to 0 minutes and 43 seconds We will also look at how urban development is impacting cultural heritage and try to answer a pressing question, can urbanisation be an asset or is it a threat to the preservation of heritage? Together, we will visit places such as Carthage in Tunisia and Istanbul in Turkey to see how cultural heritage is managed, preserved, and promoted or not. Come with me and learn more about cultural heritage and its governance, the main actors and factors, and how cities mobilise heritage for a variety of purposes and which challenges they face. I look forward to seeing you soon.

What topics will you cover?

Cultural Heritage in an Urbanising World

  • What is cultural heritage?
  • Cultural heritage policies
  • Cities and their heritage

The Governance of Heritage

  • Heritage governance
  • Heritage in urban strategies
  • Heritage and urban development

Heritage and Urban Change

  • Urban transformations
  • Cultural heritage vs urban development
  • The role of civil society
  • Events and City identity
  • European Capitals of Culture

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain what cultural heritage is, its different types and how it has emerged as an area of public policy
  • Identify the key actors of cultural heritage governance
  • Evaluate the impacts of cultural heritage projects on cities
  • Explain the tensions between urban development and cultural heritage
  • Compare the governance of heritage in different cities or countries

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone interested in cultural heritage and cities, but it might be of particular interest to students of archaeology, sociology, and related subjects; urban practitioners like planners and community activists; or cultural heritage professionals like those working in tourism.

Who will you learn with?

Anna Triandafyllidou is Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

Jeremie Molho is Research Fellow at the European University Institute

Who developed the course?

European University Institute (EUI)

We are the European University Institute (EUI), the leading institute in Europe dedicated to social sciences and humanities. Founded in 1972 by the six original members of the then European Communities, the EUI has earned a reputation as a transnational hub of research and higher learning.

Global Governance Programme

One of the flagship programmes at the European University institute (EUI), launched in 2010 in response to a growing need for global governance in an ever more interconnected and multipolar world.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$89/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 18 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

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  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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