Towards a Beneficial World Heritage: Community Involvement in the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape

Abstract

Community involvement has become a ubiquitous element of heritage management in recent years. However, in practice, involving local communities may more resemble superficial forms of inclusion like ‘consultation’ rather than true ‘collaboration’. This means that the benefits that heritage professionals envisage when initiating projects with various communities may not be forthcoming. The article discusses the ways in which the local community has been involved in the management of the Blaenavon Industrial World Heritage Site in Wales. Through this case study, it is asserted that heritage professionals should more critically engage with the concerns, needs and values of local communities in order to more effectively realize economic and social aims like ‘community empowerment’ and ‘social wellbeing’.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the eighteen individuals who allowed me to interview them for this research. Thanks also to the staff at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre for being so accommodating during my time in Blaenavon.