F1310 Managing Heritage Cities in the Era of Global Tourism, Francesc Muñoz

Munoz Francesc

The main aim of the course is to offer critical perspectives on the main impacts that the globalization of tourism have represented for the management of cultural heritage in cities at the present moment.
More specifically, the course is organized in three main parts:

Firstly, some preliminary definitions are presented. Concepts such as 'cultural heritage' and 'tourism' are explained underlining main changes historically and remarking the relationships between both ideas. This is to say, recognizing the influence of tourism on the definition of urban heritage and considering the importance of urban heritage reinforcing the role of tourism as one of the most relevant urban activities.

Secondly, a multi-layered explanation on the idea of tourism is suggested. Main discussions cover the transition from modern to postmodern tourism taking into consideration three different approaches:

-The economic dimension of tourism: dealing with main facts and data to illustrate the extraordinary diversification of touristic activities and their capability for being located and developed in a wide range of very different spaces.
-The territorial dimension of tourism: regarding how modern tourism used to locate specific touristic uses of the land in very specific types of territories – the seaside, the mountains, the countryside, etc –, whereas postmodern tourism establishes a particular disconnection between touristic uses and places. In plain words, any kind of touristic activity can actually take place in a multiplicity of places at the present moment. That is why tourism has become global.
-The cultural dimension of tourism: suggesting the surprising capability of tourism to shape and change culture in places. From this perspective, tourism is considered as one of the main drivers when analyzing major changes in the evolution of cultural forms, particularly considering the case of the urban culture.

Thirdly, main risks and challenges are considered when taking into consideration the active role of tourism defining heritage management in cities. In this sense, a wide range of study cases are presented to explain particular urban scenarios where tourism has a very clear influence reshaping local urban culture throughout the management of heritage.
Samples cover 19th century industrial neighborhoods and waterfronts; old historical centers; or specific urban areas where cultural heritage represents important peculiarities regarding particular urban identities, as happens with the Jewish ghettos in the case of some European cities or the colonial neighborhoods in some American and Asian cities.

Finally, the course approaches these contents using the city of Venice as an urban laboratory where testing the previous mentioned ideas. Considering this ambition, the students will be invited to work comparing the state and management of cultural heritage in different areas of the city. The interest of this comparative work results from the selection of particular areas in which urban tourism shows very different features and presence: from the touristic hubs in the city structure –those places strategically important for the management of the touristic flows of visitors– to those more peripheral areas not directly integrated into the touristic itineraries.

Learning outcomes
-Getting familiar with critical definitions and perspectives on key concepts such as 'heritage', 'culture', or 'tourism'.

-Multidisciplinary knowledge on different approaches –economic, social, cultural– to the definition of cultural heritage and urban tourism.

-Comparative work with different real study cases particularly relevant for the understanding of the main contents.

-First contact with some of the leading concepts, projects and programs updating cultural heritage management from the basis of the development of the touristic activities.

-Empirical knowledge on the city of Venice based on the analysis and observation of urban space, local cultural heritage and the urban fingerprint of tourism.

Teaching and Evaluation Methods (priority given to interactive tuition)
-Two presentations on selected readings particularly relevant for the course
-One essay based on an observation and research urban fieldtrip
-One essay based on a group work and discussion on selected issues particularly relevant for the course
-One final essay based on a research work on an issue particularly relevant for the course

Syllabus

Week 1
Contents: Introduction to the main aims of the course (I). Presentation and definition of main concepts regarding heritage and the city. Discussion on these introductory ideas in relation with the globalization process.
Lecture 1: Culture and heritage: main concepts regarding history & cityscapes.
Lecture 2: Culture and heritage: main concepts for the heritage management.

Week 2
Contents: Introduction to the main aims of the course (II). Presentation and definition of main concepts regarding urban tourism. Discussion on these introductory ideas in relation with the globalization process and the city.
Lecture 1: Global tourism today: main concepts regarding the urban form.
Lecture 2: Global tourism today: main concepts regarding the city image.

Week 3
Contents: The development and evolution of urban heritage. Main considerations made on the role of heritage defining both the physical built urban environment and the city image. Key statements cover important discussions such as:
- Main differences between the modern and the postmodern city, culture and society.
- Main reasons explaining the evolution and social perception of heritage urban values.
Lecture 1: The evolution of the urban heritage (19th and 20th centuries).
Lecture 2: The role of the urban heritage from modern to postmodern cities.

Week 4
Contents: Historical evolution of tourism considering structural changes in mobility, culture and society. Main statements cover key discussions related to the transition from the fordist to the postfordist city such as:
- The revolution of transportation systems and mobility patterns.
- Main reasons explaining the present role of tourism defining cities economy and culture.
Lecture 1: The evolution of tourism (19th and 20th centuries).
Lecture 2: The role of tourism from the fordist to the postfordist city.

Week 5
Contents: The economic dimension of global tourism in the transition from the modern to the postmodern city. Main statements refer to the explanation of the present day extremely diversified global tourism offers, destinations and touristic experiences.
Lecture 1: The urban industry of tourism: the construction of a global economy.
Lecture 2: Typologies of tourism: the ubiquity and diversity of a global offer.

Week 6
Contents: The cultural dimension of global tourism in the transition from the modern to the postmodern city. Main statements refer to the definition of tourism as a new type of urban experience defining cultural behaviour, perception and collective visions. Particular emphasis put on the relationships between memory, local identity and space perception throughout the idea of the 'souvenir'.
Lecture 1: The everyday tourism: urban culture and the 'souvenir society'.
Lecture 2: The mutation of the touristic experience and the 'tourist gaze'.

MIDTERM BREAK

Week 7
Contents: The relationships between culture, heritage and tourism at the present moment (I). Main discussions cover economic, social and cultural perspectives on tourism. Particular emphasis put on the idea of authenticity and the role of tourism as a collective representation in terms of commodification of social life and local culture.
Lecture 1: Tourism becomes global: the commodification of place and heritage
Lecture 2: The heritage in the age of global tourism: copy&pasted authenticity

Week 8
Contents: The relationships between culture, heritage and tourism at the present moment (II). Presentation of study-cases and urban examples will be used for the better understanding of the previously introduced key concepts. A diversity of heritage cities are presented to illustrate different approaches to both urban tourism and local heritage management.
Lecture 1: Urban heritage, places and monuments: the memorial city.
Lecture 2: Urban heritage, spectacle and consumption: the resort city.

Week 9
Contents: Discussion on how tourism is redefining local urban culture throughout the management of heritage. Main statements are illustrated with the presentation of different urban touristic places such as 19th century industrial neighborhoods; old waterfronts; historical centers; or specific urban areas where cultural heritage represents particular urban identities, as the Jewish ghettos in the case of some European cities or the colonial neighbourhoods in some American and Asian cities.
Lecture 1: Touristic heritage urban areas (I): historical centres and waterfronts.
Lecture 2: Touristic heritage urban areas (II): local identity neighbourhoods.

Week 10
Contents: Presentation of traditional approaches managing heritage cities. Main statements refer to the explanation of basic strategies for heritage preservation and protection. Different projects on urban heritage are presented to illustrate how very different cities usually share common views on heritage management.
Lecture 1: The preservation rationale: strategies for heritage protection.
Lecture 2: Cultural urban heritage: highlights and hotspots on the visitor's map

Week 11
Contents: Presentation of new approaches for the managing of heritage cities based on Innovation and creativity. New perspectives mainly refer to two orientations: firstly, moving from the simple preservation-protection strategy to a wider management approach that emphasizes adding new social values to urban heritage. Secondly, considering the heritage city in a much broader sense to integrate new typologies of urban heritage such as 'ordinary heritage' or 'intangible heritage'.
Lecture 1: The management challenge: adding new values to urban heritage
Lecture 2: Cultural urban heritage today: understanding the ordinary city.

Week 12
Contents: Final discussions on the main impacts that global tourism have represented for the management of cultural heritage in cities at the present moment. Presentation of final remarks and conclusions of the course.
Lecture 1: Summary of main points on global tourism and heritage cities.
Lecture 2: Summary of main points on urban/cultural heritage management.

Exam week
Final Seminar (presentation of the final research papers).

Evaluation

Required readings
-Ashworth, G.J; Tunbridge, J. E. (2000) The touristic-historic city: Retrospect and prospect of managing the heritage city. Oxford: Pergamon (1st edition in 1990).
-Crouch, David; Jackson, Rhona; Thompson, Felix (2005) The media and the tourist imagination. Converging cultures. London: Routledge.
-Davis, Robert; Marvin, Garry (2004) Venice, the tourist maze: a cultural critique of the world's most touristed city. Berkeley: University of California Press.
-Hall, Tim; Hubbard, Phil; Renni Short, John (2008, eds) The Sage Companion to the City. Los Angeles: SAGE.
-Hannigan, John (1998) Fantasy city. Pleasure and profit in the postmodern metropolis. London: Routledge.
-Ioannides, Dimitri; Debbage, Keith (1998, eds) The economic geography or the tourist industry. A supply-side Analysis. London: Routledge.
-Judd, Dennis; Fainstein, Susan (1999, eds) The tourist city. New Haven: Yale University Press.
-Lanfant, Marie-Françoise (1995, ed) International Tourism, identity and change, London, Sage.
-LeGates, Richard; Stout, Frederic (2002, eds) The City Reader. London: Routledge (1st edition in 1996).
-Maccanell, Dean (1999) The tourist; a new theory of leisure class. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
-Rojek, Chris; Urry, John (1997, eds) Touring Cultures. Transformations of travel and theory. London: Routledge.
-Urry, John (2002) The Tourist Gaze. Leisure and Travel in Contemporary societies. (1st de. 1990). London: SAGE.
-Urry, John (1995) Consuming places. London: Routledge.
-Zukin, Sharon (1998) "Diversity and standardisation in spaces of consumption". In Urban Studies, 35 (825-839).

Suggested readings
-Brenner, Neil; Keil, Roger (2006, eds) The global cities reader. London: Routledge.
-Conesbee, M; Kjell P; Oram, J; Bridges PJ; Simms A; Taylor, J (2004) Clone Town Britain: the loss of local identity on the nation's high streets. London. The New Economics Foundation.
-Dann, Graham (2002, ed.) The tourist as a metaphor of the social world. Wallinford: CABI Publishing.
-McLaren, Brian; Lasanski, Medina (2004) Architecture and Tourism: Perception, Performance, and Place. Oxford: Berg Publishers.
-Muñoz, Francesc (2010) "Urbanalisation: common landscapes, global places". In The Open Urban Studies Journal, num. 2 (75-85).
-Murzyn, Monica (2006) The Central Europe experience of urban regeneration. International Cultural Centre, Cracow.

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F1310 Managing Heritage Cities in the Era of Global Tourism, Francesc Muñoz

Munoz Francesc

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