What is the importance of heritage

Q: What is the value of heritage?

The term heritage values refers to the meanings and values that individuals or groups of people bestow on heritage (including collections, buildings, archaeological sites, landscapes and intangible expressions of culture, such as traditions).

Inventorying and safeguarding humankind's heritage

Table of Contents Show

Why is it important to save our heritage?
What is the value of heritage?
What is the importance of cultural heritage in our society?
What cultural heritage is important?

Heritage, encompasses tangible and intangible, natural and cultural, movable and immovable and documentary assets inherited from the past and transmitted to future generations by virtue of their irreplaceable value. The term ‘heritage’ has evolved considerably over time. Initially referring exclusively to the monumental remains of cultures, the concept of heritage has gradually been expanded to embrace living culture and contemporary expressions.

As a source of identity, heritage is a valuable factor for empowering local communities and enabling vulnerable groups to participate fully in social and cultural life. It can also provide time-tested solutions for conflict prevention and reconciliation.

Through a complete set of Conventions concerning heritage, UNESCO offer a unique platform for international cooperation and dialogue, fostering mutual respect, appreciation and understanding. These legal instruments support the development of national policies for heritage protection, with an emphasis on preservation, management and training.

Natural and cultural heritage sites, museums, libraries and archive collections around the world are increasingly becoming the collateral victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. The upsurge in wilful destruction of heritage, whether in Afghanistan, the Middle East or Africa, over the past decade demonstrates UNESCO’s enduring relevance in leading

international efforts to prevent the pillage and illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Upon first hearing the phrase, heritage preservation may sound more like the study of the chemicals used to keep the collection of canned soup at Grandma’s in an edible state, or at least a boring course you dodged in university. As it turns out, however, the planned preservation of our historical and cultural resources is actually hugely important for urban planners and residents alike.

Here are the top 5 reasons why the City of Mississauga continues to work with its residents to preserve our local heritage:

1. In preserving our heritage, we preserve our identity.

Heritage sites are arguably the physical component of a city’s identity. The lived-in architecture, the strategic locations and the uses of these buildings reveal unique stories telling of how our city came to be and can offer predictions of where it might be going. These features add character and beauty to our city, fostering a sense of home and community, and serving as a reminder to each of us that our city’s history belongs to all of us together. Just as these magnificent buildings have been passed down to us, we must preserve them for future generations.

2. A wealth of heritage attracts a wealth of external ...wealth.

Tourism. I’m talking about tourism here.

There’s a reason why your Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with selfies at La Louvre or forced perspective photos with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One, your friends travel a lot or keep throwing back with a #tbt to that one time they did, and two, because well-preserved heritage sites create unique and exciting experiences that are worth travelling the globe for.

It’s no secret that physical heritage attracts tourism, which in turn yields external funding for the local economy, potentially stimulating economic growth and prosperity. (High fives for employment and savings accounts!)

3. Heritage sites circulate wealth within the local economy.

Older buildings are often expensive to maintain due the laborious tasks and custom craftsmanship involved with reviving old features. However, this less than ideal situation creates an opportunity to stimulate the economy, creating new jobs for contractors, architects, and artisans within the local community.

Heritage designations and designated heritage districts have also demonstrated positive economic correlations with real estate prices in studies completed all over the world. Almost always, official recognition results in the increased value of the property at the time of sale, in comparison to non-designated properties of otherwise similar value.

4. Heritage preservation fits right in with the City of Mississauga’s Living Green Master Plan.

Heritage preservation discourages the waste of resources and energy expended by prior generations, as well as the total replacement by new, energy-consumptive materials, such as steel and plastics. The World Bank additionally notes that sunk costs have already been paid for by prior generations, and that such assets should not be overlooked.

5. Local heritage preservation is part of something bigger.

Like the advancement of physical sciences, heritage preservation is part of a greater universal cause. UNESCO is a direct result of these efforts. Heritage preservation brings all kinds of people of different skill sets and academic disciplines together as a unified front for a very noble cause.

So there you have it, heritage preservation – a lacklustre term that offers economic, environmental and social impacts to long for. So, is it really any mystery why the City of Mississauga is taking this one seriously?

Interested in getting involved? Take the City of Mississauga's heritage planning survey for a chance to win a free ipad!
Like the photos? Give Streetsville local & photographer a follow @akamarthacdn

To learn more about Mississauga’s heritage, check out the links below:

Top 5 Restaurants in Historic Houses in Mississauga
It's Not All About Toronto
Historic Industries in Mississauga
Dogs of Historic Mississauga

Why is it important to save our heritage?

It is important to protect our heritage as it adds character and distinctiveness to the place, region or community and hence provides a sense of identity. Heritage, tangible as well as intangible, has a positive influence on many aspects of the way a community develops.

What is the value of heritage?

The term 'heritage values' refers to the meanings and values that individuals or groups of people bestow on heritage (including collections, buildings, archaeological sites, landscapes and intangible expressions of culture, such as traditions).

What is the importance of cultural heritage in our society?

Cultural heritage has the potential to promote access to and enjoyment of cultural diversity. It can also enrich social capital and create a sense of individual and collective belonging, which helps to maintain social and territorial cohesion.

What cultural heritage is important?

Cultural heritage gives people a sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows them to better understand previous generations and the history of where they come from. Cultural heritage implies a shared bond and our belonging to a community.