Heritage entrepreneurs

A high degree of complexity, be it in terms of governance or actors’ diversity in local contexts, characterises heritage development projects, which increasingly rely on private interventions or public-private partnerships. In this context, the interplay between public and private interventions becomes a critical arena for research. Tensions, negotiations and innovations increasingly shape heritage development while highlighting the challenges and opportunities of the intervention of private actors in the revitalisation of urban heritage – particularly in contexts where heritage is commodified as a comparative advantage for rehabilitation projects. The main objective of this conference, which specifically focuses on the role of private actors in heritage urban contexts (UNESCO World Heritage sites, conservation areas, historic centres, etc.), is to explore the relationships and dynamics established between “heritage entrepreneurs” and other urban stakeholders in diverse heritage contexts as a means to shed light on how these combined actions produce heritage today.