Management of Historic Centres Edited by Robert Pickard - imbf

Introduction
Control procedures and sanctions and coercive measures to safeguard
the built fabric and other areas of recognized importance (including
sites of archaeological importance, open spaces and historic parks and
gardens).
Strategies to enhance the appearance and character of the area through
the use of design guides and development briefs for sites that have may
been regarded as having a negative or neutral impact within a centre.
Management and regeneration action
The management of a historic centre will require the formulation and
implementation of some form of plan mechanism and may include a
specific 'conservation plan' or 'action plan' and the use of an economic
development and regeneration strategy to encourage the maintenance and
re-use of historic buildings and environmental improvements. The improve-
ment or rehabilitation of buildings for housing, and the encouragement of
compatible businesses, are likely to be two basic objectives of conservation
as they may help to ensure that an area is kept alive. In this respect, action
taken to preserve single monuments as well as groups and sites will be
equally important. This will require some consideration of the levels of
vacancy within heritage assets, and an assessment of the whether historic
buildings are sufficiently flexible to accommodate new uses without damag-
ing their essential character.
National and local authorities and other agencies may need to take part
in the management process and this may involve the establishment of
specific management agencies (public, private and joint venture) for the co-
ordination of policies to revitalize a historic centre. Housing rehabilitation
organizations, commercial organizations and voluntary bodies may also
have a role to play in this context.
Specific financial arrangements will be needed to encourage preservation
action, environmental improvements and regeneration activity, including
funding partnerships or joint venture arrangements between the public
authorities and private organizations perhaps their involvement of found-
ations. Such arrangements maybe more directly linked to urban renewal
and regeneration organizations and mechanisms.
Environmental management
Comprehensive environmental erosion caused by heavy traffic and inappro-
priate traffic management measures, and other pollutants, can have a sig-
nificant impact, not just on individual buildings, but also on the whole
environment of a historic centre. It will be important to consider oppor-
tunities for reducing pollution and vibration, to remove traffic and reduce
congestion, and to improve the physical fabric of the environment including
road surfaces, street furniture and other features such as landscaping and
open spaces, and by the use of pedestrian priority schemes and the
planning of parking areas.
Thus, it can be seen that the co-ordination of the,authorities responsible
for the construction of new roads, other transport facilities and a range of