Intangible cultural heritage as a tool for urban and social regeneration in neighbourhoods. Participatory process to identify and safeguard ICH in the city of Malaga, Spain

ABSTRACT

Not only the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but also researchers have called for the involvement of local communities in the management of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the last decade. Despite awareness of this need for local involvement, there is no consensus regarding common criteria and implementation methods, especially in the case of small urban neighbourhoods. This research seeks to fill that gap by exploring different participatory actions with local communities in the neighbourhoods to identify and inventory their ICH. A participatory process was conducted in the Fontanalla neighbourhood of the city of Malaga and included expert opinions and local knowledge. Informal interviews, observational works and participatory actions were used to collect extensive data, which was then categorised and analysed. The results allowed the singularities and traditions to be recognised as part of their ICH. An ICH inventory is proposed with the involvement of the local community. The results from collected data and the suggested methodology to activate ICH participatory processes are expected to be useful for researchers and practitioners working on Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as Urban Regeneration in cities.

KEYWORDS:

• Intangible cultural heritage (ICH)
• participatory methodologies
• local communities
• neighbourhoods
• urban regeneration
• crafts

Acknowledgements

We thank the residents of Fontanalla area who have been involved in the participatory process, as well as the following institutions and entities: the association of ‘residents and merchants of Arrabal Fontanalla’, the ‘Museum of Glass and Crystal of Malaga’, the ‘Viarca glass workshop’, and the educational centre ‘I.E.S. Vincent Espinel’. We also appreciate the collaboration of the artisan Rocio Botello, and the researchers Marta Córnax-Martín and Monica A. Soto, for their work in specific activities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by (1) the University of Malaga under Grant B3. First Research Program (B3-2019_15); (2) European funds through Feder-Andalucía I+D+i Projects (UMA20-FEDERJA-131); (3) the Spanish Ministry of Universities through a PhD grant (FPU19/02468).

Notes on contributors

Nuria Nebot-Gomez de Salazar

Nuria Nebot-Gómez de Salazar is Associate Professor at the School of Architecture of the University of Malaga. She is an Architect (2003) by the Polytechnic University of Madrid and PhD in Architecture (2012) by the University of Malaga. She has developed her professional activity through architectural projects in her own Architecture Office (https://mlkt.es/) and as a founding partner of the Malakaton collective (http://malakaton.es/). Currently (2010-2023), she is a lecturer and researcher at the School of Architecture and the University Institute for Habitat, Territory and Digitalisation, both in the University of Malaga. Her research career focuses on tourism and landscape, linked with regeneration of mature destinations; what was object of study for her doctoral thesis through a grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. Co-director of the Chair Emerging Technologies for Citizenship (2018-2020) at the University of Malaga, with research interests in public space, participatory urbanism and new technologies.

Francisco José Chamizo-Nieto

Francisco José Chamizo-Nieto is PhD candidate in Architecture at University of Malaga through a grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Universities (FPU19/02468). He is Architect (2016) by the University of Malaga. Collaborator in the Chair Emerging Technologies for Citizenship (2018-2020) at the University of Malaga. Since 2019 he is a member of the research group HUM-969 Urbanism, Tourism, Landscape and Architectural Innovation, and the University Institute for Habitat, Territory and Digitalisation, both in the University of Malaga. His research interests focuses on the tourism gentrification phenomenon in the main port destinations through the spatial analysis of the intensity of tourist use and the different citizen initiatives involved in the conflict of interests. The social perspective is present in the different lines of research through citizen participation: urban tourism, intangible cultural heritage, urban safety and social mobilisation for the preservation of the coastal landscape.

Francisco Conejo-Arrabal

Francisco Conejo-Arrabal is PhD candidate in Architecture at University of Malaga through a grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Universities. He is Architect by the School of Architecture of Malaga (2018). As a researcher, he is a member of the research group in HUM-969 Urbanism, Tourism, Landscape and Architectural Innovation, and the University Institute for Habitat, Territory and Digitalisation, both in the University of Malaga. His research interests focuses on the following topics: urban tourism, historic urban landscape and urban planning.

Carlos Rosa-Jiménez

Carlos Rosa-Jiménez is full professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Malaga since 2020. He is an Architect (1996), Master in Architecture & Heritage (1997) and PhD in Architecture (2003) by the University of Seville. He was honoured with a Final Project’s Degree award (1997) and Doctorate award (2004). He was an Assistant Lecturer (2007), Assistant Doctor (2010) and Associate Professor (2011) at the School of Architecture of the University of Malaga. He is currently the Secretary of the University Institute for Habitat, Territory and Digitalisation. His research career focuses on the architectural dimension of tourism and its link to the landscape, as well as urban and heritage rehabilitation and requalification. This research has been awarded various recognitions as the XIII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (category of research, 2016).