Your client is hesitant about heritage preservation. How can you persuade them of its importance?

My mum is a developer, and let me just say that unless the town planning code forbids her doing something, she will act in what she believes are the best interests of herself and the people she is creating a home for. Always remember that we are serving a client. While it's great to have discussions around what we as the horticulturists and designers value, at the end of the day, we are not in the driver seat. Someone like my mum would quickly pick up on whether you're an "activist" and will just move on to another LA or designer who gets her vision.

Cultural heritage includes everything from artifacts, traditions, values, and customs passed on from generation to generation. It is part of our identity and part of our life; it enables us to have a real connection with our past and culture. The preservation of cultural heritage can enable us to instill in ourselves and within the community a sense of belonging and national identity. Historic and cultural artifacts serve as a bridge, connecting us with our ancestors, which is helpful in learning from experiences and achievements. It is our turn as the current generation to manage this heritage sustainably and bequeath it to the succeeding generations.

One aspect of cultural heritage is its economic importance and its impact on the local and national economy. Cultural heritage can create jobs by attracting tourists and investors. This is especially significant in small towns where the opportunities for finding suitable employment are limited. As a result, job creation helps prevent individuals from migrating to larger cities for work.

The economic benefit is going to be the most powerful attractive factor for most developers, particularly in commercial projects. You just need to be able to effectively communicate that value.

enerally, clients are hesitant to retain heritage elements for a few major reasons, such as: a) Maintenance costs b) Liability in terms of city regulations c) Difficulty in upgrading it to suit a new function However, these issues can be addressed by assuring the client that refunctioning and repurposing the project will not only provide good financial returns but can also help: a) Increase property value b) Generate tourism revenue c) Build cultural and social capital d) Create a unique identity

Cultural and historical heritage serves as a university for various groups, ranging from architecture, history, and art to anthropology and sociology. This heritage provides opportunities for learning and education in a real-world setting—an environment where students can see, touch, and vividly portray it up close

Some clients care about educational opportunities, but most commercial developers probably couldn't care less about educational opportunities unless it fits into their economic model. This is probably something that we as LAs, designers and horticulturists care about. It's important to see through your client's eyes, otherwise you'll be limited to working with clients who see the world the same as you. And there aren't many developers that care about historical education.

Many historic landscapes incorporate traditional knowledge and methods used by our ancestors that were inherently sustainable and in harmony with the environment. This includes the use of local materials in construction or building according to the land's form and drawing inspiration from natural patterns in construction. Therefore, by preserving these sites, you are not only protecting cultural and historical heritage but also safeguarding the environment and contributing to the ecological health of the area.

Heritage preservation is not inherently linked to environmental stewardship. That's just something that AI would say. Just think about it for a minute and you can see that heritage sites may or may not be supporting significant biodiversity. Sure, some pre-development heritage sites are full of all sorts of rare and wonderful critters. But in reality, the present ecology is probably a weedy garden with a few overgrown hedges (good for pollinators but not exactly worth preserving) and a few possums in the ceiling.

I would expand this category to "personal and social connection". Social sciences have clearly established that the most important aspect of personal thriving is a sense of connection: knowing that one is part of something bigger than oneself, be that a family, church, sports team, political party, or whatever. Heritage sites are an important means by which people can not only connect with their contemporaries, but feel that they are part of something going back for generations and/or centuries. This must not be reduced to economics. The only justification for not preserving "heritage sites" is when the connection they foster is with hatred, bigotry and the exclusion of others, as with Confederate monuments in the southern United States.

Historical and cultural environments serve as spaces for connecting different individuals within a community due to their usage. As a personal experience from my home country, Iran, I can refer to the example of people visiting Persepolis or the tomb of Cyrus ) (koroush ) on specific dates to celebrate particular occasions. During such events, there is a strong sense of belonging to the region among everyone, and all individuals strive to contribute to the preservation of this valuable history in some way.

Historical and cultural artifacts possess undeniable aesthetic values, and it could be said that similar ones cannot be found elsewhere. It is also difficult to determine which is more beautiful, as each has its unique charm. We may have often seen in various designs where the designer attempts to replicate a part of a historical artifact but fails to achieve the intended beauty. The reason for this is that historical and cultural artifacts have a spirit and sense of place. They communicate with us through their history. By preserving these unique and beautiful landscapes, we contribute to enhancing the attractiveness of the area and the city, as well as increasing tourism appeal and other aspects.

Lean into this value for commercial clients. They want something that looks good, is easy to market, and which provides a good return on investment.