Socio-Spatial Effects and Mechanism of Living Habitat Heritage Conservation

The Case of Phrae in Thailand

Abstract

The global approach to heritage conservation is evolving from a material-based to a value- based and then to a people-centred approach (PCA). However, the application of PCA in urban regeneration has faced significant challenges, and the long-term social and spatial implications remain underexplored. Taking Phrae, a city in Thailand that served as a pilot project for ICCROM's Living Heritage Sites in 2002, as an example, the study shows that the effects of the PCA over the past 20 years have been mainly (1) to strengthen the sense of belonging and identity in the hometown by reintroducing the local culture and traditional way of life to the local community of different age groups, and (2) to empower citizens to take action for their hometown. This paper constructs a theoretical framework for living habitat heritage conservation, redefines core communities, and discovers specific spatial and social manifestations of authenticity and continuity by exploring the efficacy of PCA in urban environments and explaining its impact mechanisms. It fills gaps in the existing theoretical framework of urban heritage within the PCA paradigm, enhances the social research aspect of heritage conservation, contributes to localising living heritage in East Asia, and complements authorised Western heritage discourses.