Heritage and development : introduction

How things change. But is it not also true that the more things change the more they stay the same. Conventional wisdoms concerning the relationship between heritage preservation and economic development have shifted dramatically over the last four to five decades. And yet at the same time, the challenges facing planners, archaeologists, architects and conservationists of decades past seem surprisingly similar to those of today. Competing agendas and disparate opinions, the lament of loss and missed opportunities, the lack of long term thinking, along with a call for approaches that balance multiple values all seem perennial concerns.