The North Hatley Statement
Urban
Conservation
A
Call for Action
The
North Hatley Group
The world is changing radically, and most people are experiencing considerable difficulty in keeping up. Nowhere is this more evident than in attempts to marry the treasures of heritage and the requirements for innovation and progress. This is why urban conservation is so important; it provides a framework to protect the integrity of the old while ensuring a future for the new.
The urban environment - cities, towns - is the principal setting for forces which are simultaneously threats and opportunities for society. Whether they are issues relating to the environment, governance (politics), the economy or the community itself, the challenge is to mobilize resources to provide healthy, enriching environments, both now and in the future, for ourselves and for our children.
For instance, the environment has been subjected to a gamut of dangers. Only planned and sustainable development which acknowledges that our true heritage is the entire planet, can avert further environmental degradation.
The citizenry has become alienated from the institutions of government, effectively hindering them from exercising full power over their own lives and communities. People want to enjoy power locally, where important decisions, including those relating to the economy, are taken. This also involves developing a more effective model of economic development which will ensure that everyone can profit from the benefits of prosperity.
Finally, the strengths of communities, which include demographic diversity, require recognition and reinforcement.
As the world enters the 21st century, there is a need to build on existing community resources, to develop latent community potential, and to provide guarantees that the future will be liberating and satisfying.
This goal can be achieved through education, empowerment and organization.
The end of the 20th century has been marked by a remarkably accelerating rate of change. Due largely to contemporary political, economic and environmental developments, as well as innovations in technology and communications, the impact of this rapid change is particularly noticeable in urban areas, where the density of activity creates massive pressures to replace what is old with what is new, transient and soulless.
One of the simpler and more effective ways in which individuals can manage change for their own benefit is through the preservation of tangible legacies; natural and built environments. By looking at the past, lessons can be learned which provide individuals with principles to guide and inform future action. A culture which thrives only on the new and the trendy has an obscure relationship with the past. Maturity in a culture, as in a society, requires that action be built on a sense of collective memory. People ought to remember the past as they ponder and create the future.
For those concerned with the health of the urban environment, the challenge lies in creating cities which enhance the quality of individual and community lives rather than degrade, trivialize and endanger them. Though there are no easy formulae for doing so, many specialists look to the systematic organization of natural ecosystems for direction. Like these systems, cities are complex, for a minor change in one area can affect many parts of the system. Urban areas must provide balance between the built and the natural, between preservation of the old and creation of the new.
A community's heritage is the sum of the tangible and intangible evidences of the lives, past and present, lived within it. Its tangible expression is reflected in the character of the spaces and structures people inhabit and the objects they make and use. Its intangible expression is reflected in the memories, associations and forms of communication which celebrate those lives. Such expression will celebrate equally forms and means of work, home and institutional life, leisure and the links between them. In the past, most heritage efforts focused on the preservation of historic artifacts, monuments and buildings- that which was obviously valuable, and usually the "oldest", "largest", or "purest". Unfortunately, the living context which gave them special meaning has long since been lost.
These are heritage efforts in that these special places are saved for everyone. But they need to be more broadly conceived and require more public input so that communities of people carrying out their lives in the shadow of these monuments will recognize them as part of their own community. Heritage is naming and maintaining the meaning of the places in which people live.
Urban conservation should be a process whereby citizens define together their heritage and ensure its preservation, continuity and recognition in shaping development decisions.
Conservation is not a new field. Its tenets are not extreme or radical. Yet the value of its contribution to community life, particularly in North America, is little appreciated, and its potential remains largely unrealized. Its advocates are often regarded as unrealistic, limited in outlook and seeking to impose personal views on others. Its benefits are usually expressed or perceived within a narrow range of site-specific gains (or losses) rather than for their impact on the overall quality of life. Its philosophical links to ecologically sound and holistic approaches are often ignored.
Conservation processes can, however, help facilitate and direct change in appropriate directions. Urban conservation protects the integrity of the old and provides a framework to guide the new. It eschews the out-of-scale, the imitative and the pastiche. It is respectful of the qualities contained within and expressed by continuity and human values. Its successful practice requires intimate knowledge of those qualities and a shared appreciation of their worth within a community. Finally, heritage conservation solutions are indigenous, appropriately scaled and concerned with protecting public - as well as private - interests and values.
Two important trends in society are on a potential collision course. On the one hand, industrialized, urban societies continue to favour short-term private economic gain over long-term public well-being. On the other, there is a growing environmental trend which argues that economic decisions must be integrated with ecological, social and cultural concerns and values. The future depends upon which trend wins the race.It is useful to explore how new perceptions of heritage conservation can be integrated into systems which promote more healthful and livable cities. It is equally critical to look at the variety of contextual issues which frame attempts to create vibrant urban environments.
There are a number of environmental issues which relate to our surroundings at the global, national and local levels, and to the natural and built systems within which people live. They relate to the natural and human-made environments and how these interconnect.
Governance issues relate to power, decision-making, systems of government and the relationship between these.
The use and depletion of resources, the production of goods and services, and the exchange and distribution of these in society are among the economic issues with which people are confronted regularly.
Finally, community issues concern people as they interact with each other socially and culturally, either as individuals or as groups, and the forms or institutions these interactions may take.
The built heritage is part of a larger landscape. The 1990s has seen a reawakening of concern for the environment. More and more, people are realizing that the Earth is their only habitat, and one that must be protected, nurtured and sustained if they are to survive. People must adopt new values and ways of living which are based on an understanding and respect for the potential and limits of the natural and built environments.
In the recent past, these environments have been usually regarded as mutually exclusive. Now there appears to be a consensus that they are integral parts of the world and of each other. Public concern is growing for the creation of development practices more consistent with ecological and environmental imperatives, and based on the concept of appropriate and sustainable development.
For instance, there is a tendency to focus on new industries and technologies that introduce elements into people's lives that alter some of the traditional relationships between people and the natural world, causing an imbalance which is most strongly felt in urban areas.
Mechanisms are required which will permit the accurate analysis of the effects of industry on natural and human environments and which take into consideration the need for an "adjustment time" in incorporating rapid technological change. In so doing, society will be able to integrate the inherent qualities of the old and the new.
Equally critical is the development of industrial processes which ensure the effective use of natural resources, the reduction of non-renewable and polluting energy sources, along with the development of efficient waste management systems.
Environmentally, much of the world's air pollution is caused by inefficient transportation systems and cars using fossil fuels. The demand for more highways uses up too much valuable land and has resulted in urban sprawl. Automobiles promote social isolation and alienation along with the important associated costs. The use of cars can be reduced through the development of efficient, widespread multi-modal, public transportation systems which use cleaner energy systems.
Automobile dependency can be diminished by returning to more traditional building patterns (e.g. mixed-use development where shops, offices and homes exist in the same building or general area) as a means of reducing the distance needed to travel from home to work, services and other necessary facilities.
Some industrial processes pollute land, air and water, as a result of how resources are harvested, produced, used and distributed. Of equal concern is the low level of recycling which occurs in current technological practices and the short useful life of many products. People have been focused on throwing things away, and have only begun to realize there is no "away"; trash and waste are never eliminated, they are merely stored or hidden.
The management of waste, the pace of development and the exploitation of opportunities to reuse and recycle must become integral to society's way of life. By doing so, communities will be able to reduce material waste, including the human use of resources and land; reuse more, including the city fabric; and recycle, including buildings.
It is eminently clear that livable human settlements must be created and sustained to recognize the interdependence of human and natural systems and acknowledge that the true heritage of everyone is the entire planet.
Since first formulated in classical Greece, democratic action has best flourished in the city. Of course, it is not impossible for democracy to occur at other levels of society. However, as population and distances increase, direct democracy becomes less viable than a representative form of government. It is principally at the city, town and neighbourhood level that the majority of individuals can hope to participate actively in the decision-making processes which affect their daily lives.
In the recent past, there has been a shift to more centralized forms of government, increasing discontent with the way the country, the provinces and many cities are being managed. This has been accompanied by a growing distrust of the current system of democratic representation.
As a result, individuals feel far removed from decision-making and have become alienated from participation in public life. As well, the crisis of confidence in the political institutions of representative democracy has led to isolated thinking and jurisdictional disagreements. The public perceptions regarding inefficiencies in government and in the public sector generally have compounded the crisis.
In order to exploit the potential of local community action and to rekindle community interest in participating in their own governance, it must be recognized that municipal governments are important decision makers. Cities are becoming the major units of global commerce. Rather than a "global village", the international linkages of cities might be characterized as a "globe of villages". The city must enjoy substantial autonomy in government and the regulation of its own economy in a manner reminiscent of the "city states".
Such realignment of constitutional responsibilities will allow citizens to influence political power and redefine and decentralize the public policy process. Once empowered in this way, people can and will take action on their own behalf.
The most important decision affecting citizens at the local level involve matters of development and conservation. Communities must be encouraged to promote the creation and support of community-based management and action groups or institutions which can effect change in these areas. As well, the establishment of direct and open channels of communication linking citizens and their government should be promoted, ensuring that citizen concerns are incorporated into all major decisions.
It was in the first villages some 8000 years ago that work became specialized. Most economic activity continues to take place within dense human settlements - cities and towns- and the degree of specialization has increased enormously. Cities are now the focus of national economic and cultural life and concern for ecological and community values must temper the economic locomotives which are pulling cities into the 21st century.
There is a need to move towards basing the economic health of cities on the promotion of a multiplicity of values and the welfare of citizens. The goal ought to be providing the opportunity for each individual to enjoy an equitable share of the benefits and responsibilities of development.
Corporatism and the globalist and monetarist economic principles it embraces have had an important influence on how society is developed. When small-scale buildings and establishments are demolished to make way for large developments, local interests have not always been accommodated. As well, rural communities continue to decline as people move to urban centres, causing imbalances between rural and urban areas as well as strong growth and economic pressures in the city.
The state of the economy has also created a large number of unemployed citizens, especially in urban areas. The increasing number of homeless and poor in the late 20th century city brings back memories of the urban poor during early industrial times. Chronic despair and the deterioration of the social fabric of cities are often the result, causing increased crime and poverty.
What cities require is the elaboration of new approaches to economic development which promote the short-and long-term well-being of the community. Developing land and building ownership options which protect some real estate from pure market forces might be a good place to begin. This kind of initiative should be accompanied by a regulatory apparatus for development and design which is based on the premise that development must always add to rather than detract from the common good, by promoting livable communities and neighbourhood business districts.
The development of urban and rural land trusts should also be considered; these could be held for the common good and allow for urban preservation. Why not prepare as well a list of procedures to ensure that cities exhibit consistency in the use of existing structural resources, employment of assets, and the maintenance of diversity in employment, or the development of guidelines which encourage healthy environments for living and working, through the provision of adequate light, clean air and peaceful environments? These are important elements which are as much an investment as a cost.
A community's inherent qualities - the human scale, sense of rootedness, meshing of past and present, and sense of evolution - are all important to consider when discussing the future of cities.
There does exist a strong desire for living and working environments which respect communities and protect and enhance the full diversity of cultural activities. At their best, human settlements establish and reinforce that sense of community.
Contemporary urban development practices promote large-scale, homogenous projects which do not enhance or create a sense of community or an intrinsic sense of identity. As a result, people feel disconnected and increasingly alienated from each other. Contemporary urban life does not always encourage community activity. The competition for resources in urban areas and increasing specialization and stressful lifestyles tend to divide people and institutions.
Communities and cultures need to see the larger picture or linkages among situations and ideas. In fact, many ideas are often shared by different groups, though there may be a failure to communicate them to each other. Perhaps the powers of technology can be harnessed in order to increase the desire and ability of people to act collectively. Technological innovations can indeed provide opportunities for decentralization, thereby strengthening neighbourhoods.
It is at the neighbourhood level that institutions and organizations must be involved in decision-making, thus establishing neighbourhood democracy through local control of important aspects of daily life. A convergence of environmentalists, conservationists, ecologists, urbanists, artists and cultural groups can result from such citizen participation in the development of areas where a heightened sense of community and neighbourhood is necessary.
In a culture where majority values tend to dominate, there is growing concern for the diversity of values in an increasingly multi-ethnic Canada. Many cultures, including those of First Nations, have community-based traditions which could help in making our cities more livable. The potential contributions of native and other minority cultures to Canadian cities must be better leveraged. Citizen-based consultation with various ethnic groups and their constituencies, and the integration into decision-making of a multitude of concerns, values and needs are essential to the development of healthy communities. In a multicultural society, how communities are defined must reflect not only the values of the majority, but also the values of sub-cultures which exist within them.
The four areas of concern outlined above are a synthesis of the discussions at North Hatley. A concluding conceptual synthesis starts with seeing urban conservation in environmental terms, understanding human and environmental ecology. The historical relationship between people and their environment - natural and built - provides a multitude of lessons.
Ecology contributes a sense of health and balance; however the centralizing forces of governance, economics and development mix into a healthy culture. The consideration of these factors, which was the purpose of the North Hatley meeting, will contribute undoubtedly to a redefinition of heritage. Conservation thus becomes placed in whole communities, not individual buildings, and in an action process which reveals and guides urban conservation as a significant part of life's processes.
To achieve the desired changes which have been proposed, it is necessary to acknowledge that any effective heritage strategy must focus on awareness, empowerment and organization, based on principles underlying sustainable development. As the 1987 National Task Force on Environment and the Economy noted, "it is crucial that the utilization of resources and the environment today... (provide)...for their use by future generations."
To ensure that communities truly meet the needs of the citizenry, it is necessary that individuals actively participate in determining their future. The democratic political process calls for public participation in decision-making, but in reality the goal has not yet been attained.
By informing and educating citizens about the many ways in which they can participate in their community, their awareness can be increased. People will learn that many communities are effecting change through action in order to believe in their own abilities.
An empowered citizenry is essential, developing a sense that through action, both individual and combined, people can affect and participate in decision-making and hence, direct change to meet their goals. Empowerment means the conferring of power on people by accepting the principle that citizenship offers rights and responsibilities to participate in the governance of society. People are empowered when they create a political system, where through actions, elections and referenda, they exercise real community and democratic control in order to effect the changes they desire. This is an important foundation of citizenship.
While individual empowerment is important, it is not sufficient, and citizens must also join and work together to achieve goals. So, by organization is meant the formation of citizen associations which encourage people's ability to have an impact on their environment, politics, economics and culture. In creating such organizations, people enhance their effectiveness by increasing their understanding of their relationship to the city and its systems.
If citizens are to become aware, empowered and organized so as to initiate change in their urban environments, a new partnership must be developed among individuals, grass roots neighbourhood associations, local governments and the private sector.
In order to change people's perception of the role urban conservation and heritage can play in shaping future cities, one must broaden the view of the activities which support the creation, enhancement and conservation of livable cities. Onemust allow for this new perception to permeate every process affecting and shaping the city. While it is important to change ideas and attitudes, it is equally important to spawn organizational proposals and specific projects which might help translate proposals into reality.
There are many things citizens can do that lead to change through empowerment. It may be as simple as collecting and distributing information to people about what affects their lives, or as complex as participating in the creation of new networks of government and citizen-based organizations which work together to improve and sustain the quality of life.
In any case, there must be:
increased public awareness and understanding of how development decisions affect people's physical and natural environments;
increased public knowledge of how changes to the physical and natural urban environment affect social, economic and political development in communities;
and increased public ability to develop and advocate policies which will ensure the future well-being of urban communities.
This is our world, these are our cities, and we have the duty to provide healthy, enriching environments, both now and in the future, for ourselves and for our children.
Below is a list of participants at the workshops hosted by the Canadian Centre for Architecture at North Hatley, Quebec, October 18-21, 1990. The titles and professional affiliations of participants reflect their situation in 1990.
Dinu Bumbaru
Héritage Montréal
Montréal, Québec
Joan Busquets
Escola Technica Superior d'Arquitectura de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Adèle Chatfield-Taylor
American Academy of Rome
New York, New York
Harold Chorney
Dept. of Political Science
Concordia University
Montréal, Québec
Jacques Dalibard
Heritage Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
David Delong
Historic Preservation Program
Myerson Graduate School of Fine Arts
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kent Gerecke
Dept. of City Planning
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Michael Hough
Hough Stansbury Woodland Limited
Toronto, Ontario
Daniel Latouche
INRS - Urbanisation
Université du Québec à Montréal
Montréal, Québec
Phyllis Lambert
Canadian Centre for Architecture
Montréal, Québec
Judy Oberlander
Judy Oberlander Preservation Consultants Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Phil O'Brien
World Trade Centre Corp./ Devencore Realties
Montréal, Québec
Jan Rosvall
Institute of Conservation
Göteborgs Universitet
Göteborg, Sweden
Dimitri Roussopoulos
Black Rose Books
Montréal, Québec
Lynda Schneekloth
School of Architecture
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Herb Stovel
Institute for Heritage Education
Ottawa, Ontario