1. As-Salt:
Steps to a Living Heritage
MSc Building and Urban Design in Development, UCL
19 May 2005
2. Enhance participatory processes through:
•Involving local and community organisations in planning and
implementation of projects
•Increasing consultative processes in municipal interventions
•Ensuring that interventions include the capacity building
component and are culturally sensitive
Encourage design interventions which:
•Facilitate social interaction through design
•Enhance local skills and human capital
•Accommodate the changing aspirations and lifestyle of the new
generation
•Recognise and utilise full potential of women and youth
•Introduce more effective maintenance and upkeep processes
Recommendation Framework
3. Promote economic strategies which:
•Generates local employment through tourism
•Promote household awareness on how to capitalise on tourism
potential
•Increase access to loans for maintenance and construction
•Retain Salti earnings and encourage inward investment
Improve the quality of the physical environment by:
•Providing green/open, recreational/social interactive spaces
•Promoting environmental awareness
All Interventions should support or take into account livelihood
strategies
Recommendation Framework
4. Vision:
To develop a living heritage for Salt
Living heritage:
Enhancing the built and cultural heritage, while respecting the
existing community, to adapt to changing contexts without
compromising livelihoods.
Objective
heritage
5. heritage
Location
This heritage cluster, located in Jada’a, consists of
three heritage complexes, a vital community,
open spaces and access points.
The process begins with clusters, which may or may
not contain heritage buildings, and gradually
impacts the surrounding area, leading to overall
development.
6. • Community-driven
• Resident-focused
• For the greater public good
• Involving mixed uses
• Incrementally implemented
• Tourist-friendly
• Incorporates 24-hour functions
• Uses adaptable spaces and functions
heritage
Guiding Principles
7. Phased Implementation Strategy
heritage
Phase I:
Foundation
Phase II:
Planning
Phase III:
Restoration
Consensus &
capacity building
of Municipality staff
Identification of
heritage clusters
and target
neighbourhoods
Community awareness campaigns
In situ planningConsideration of
funding options
Engage universities, professionals, “working vacation”
agencies
Interiors
Exteriors/
facades
Outdoor
8. insituplanning
Aim of In Situ Planning
• Increase social interaction
• Create partnerships with community and NGOs
• Assess community needs and aspirations
• Serve as a tool to determine new building functions
• Garner commitment to and interest in maintenance of area
9. In Situ Planning Process
Preparation In situ Meeting Feedback Presentation
•Identify target
community and
area
•Identify
appropriate
information
dissemination
•Determine
necessary process
tools
•Confirm meeting;
estimate number
of participants
•Organise
participants in
teams with two
coordinators
•Provide
introductory
explanation to
familiarise with site
and tools
•Allow teams who
are prepared to
begin
•Tools employed
are flexible and
should be
adapted to the
context of the
exercise
•Prepare visual
representation of
community
feedback from
exercise
•Present back to
participants
•Present in-situ
results and
feedback
modifications to
potential donors,
planning
authorities, etc.
insituplanning
10. In Situ Planning Process
insituplanning
1 10
11 14
15
Greenery (trees, flowers, shrubbery)
Street furniture (benches, lighting, swings)
Fences
16 17 No car parking
18 Danger
Library
Artisan skill Workshop
Occupied building
Fences
19
20
21
23
22
16. Community Fund:
• for the upkeep of community facilities
• sponsorships from private donors
• monthly, nominal contributions by the community for
access to library, community resource centre, etc.
Repairing Lease:
• government leases heritage building from owner at no
cost
• government funds restoration incrementally
• government collects rent from existing tenants
• incorporates protective conditions with regards to rent
control, building sales, etc
• post-lease period, building returned to owner
Funding Options
heritage
17. Repairing Lease compared to Current Scheme
RepairingLease
Government
leases from owner
at no cost
Government
finances repairs
Government
collects rent from
tenants
Building returned
to owner
CurrentScheme
Government
purchases building
Government gives
incentives to
residents to leave
Government /
funding body pays
for repairs
Commercial
tenant rents space
Lease Period
Owner collects
rent from tenants
18. Advantages
heritage
Advantages for community and Municipality:
Social/
cultural:
•Strengthens community
•Skills development for women and youth
•Strengthens culture without commodification
•Potential for tourism, while maintaining existing culture
•Building uses that are appropriate to existing social context
•Mixed functions
•Youth activities outside the home
Built
Environment:
•Clusters as opposed to individual buildings
•General improvement of public and private space
•Value of historic buildings maintained/increased
Economic: •Completed example will encourage private investment for
future heritage clusters
•Long-term financial benefits to owners and investors
Political: •Creates partnerships between community and local
government
19. Two main financial conflicts:
1. The high cost of the repair of the buildings combined with
the uncertain future revenue from these investment
projects.
2. The divergence between the financial proposal of the
municipality (i.e. purchase of heritage buildings) and the
demand of the local property market (directly involving the
needs of the residents).
In order to find solutions to these conflicts, we propose a two-
staged solution.
Participatory Conservation and Property
Development
finance:currentsituation
20. The aim of the first stage is to reduce the cost of heritage
buildings conservation.
• Focus on the improvement of the environment and living
conditions of the residents; holistic improvement of the
historic core.
• Engage the local community in property development. The
municipality will act as initiator and mediator whilst the
investment will be provided by the private sector.
The second stage focuses on implementing free market
mechanisms which are more appropriate for long-term
development, conservation of heritage buildings and economic
prosperity of the area.
Participatory Conservation and Property
Development
finance:currentsituation
22. Motivation for
maintenance
and
improvement
Family Pride
Support of
municipality
Higher
Revenue from
new-built
property
Poor living
conditions
Low rent
Poor holistic
environment
Increase in
property
prices
High repair
and
maintenance
costs
Resident Landlord
finance:currentsituation
decreases
increases
23. Motivation for
maintenance
and
improvement
Poor living
conditions
Low financial
ability
Low
investment
security
High mobility
Poor holistic
environment
Increasing
prices of new-
built property
High repair
and
maintenance
costs
Low rent
Tenant
finance:currentsituation
decreases
increases
24. New houses Heritage houses
Resident
Landlord
Absentee
Landlord
Tenants
Municipality
Private
sector
?
Current Property Market
finance:currentsituation
25. Heritage
building
s
Investment in
tourism
Purchase of
the heritage
buildings
Repair of
heritage
buildings
Low financial
abilities
High cost of
maintenance
of heritage
buildings
Unsustainablefunding
Single use of
heritage
buildings
Municipality
finance:analysis
Current
Scheme
Analysis
28. The Role of the Municipality
• Focus on improving the living conditions of the residents.
• Seek alternative funding options - do not rely on foreign aid
and tourism revenue.
• Act as catalyst for new investment.
• Mobilise and motivate the residents into taking initiative in
the planning and implementation of solutions for their built
environment.
• Provide the institutional setting for the provision of
affordable housing, infrastructure and services.
finance:proposal
29. Management & Planning for the Municipality
• Establish a technical support office to provide advice and
support to the residents/potential investors.
• Establish a financial award for Best Open Space.
• Carry out in situ planning exercises.
• Create a ‘heritage zone’ incl. the built environment, natural
environment and interstitial spaces.
• Promote a holistic approach to regeneration/economic
development.
• Set up a Heritage Buildings Fund.
• Encourage flexible regulations for restoration of Heritage
Buildings.
finance:proposal
31. Financial Schemes
• Increase the existing Building Permit Fee for all new
construction outside the ‘heritage zone’.
• Allocate the difference from the increase to the BPF Fee
for; the Technical Support Office, financial award for the
Best Open Space, refurbishment of Open and Green
Spaces and contribution towards the Heritage Buildings
Fund.
• Waive the Building Permit Fee for the ‘Heritage zone’.
• Carry out discussions with lending institutions to offer loans
for repair and maintenance at more flexible conditions;
small loans at lower rates over a longer repayment period.
i.e. Emergency Loans for Repair and Maintenance
finance:proposal
32. • Use match funding to encourage resident investment for
the refurbishment of Open and Green Spaces.
• Establish a Shareholders’ Scheme for the Restoration and
Management of the heritage buildings.
• Create a Community Fund for maintenance costs of the
community facilities.
• The government can agree on a repairing lease with a
heritage building owner to lease the property for
renovation.
Financial Schemes
finance:proposal
33. Municipality Technical Support Office
[Financial Unit]
Lending
Institutions
Grant
Funding
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Small
Medium
Large
Sub-schemes
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
Owner Owner
MatchFunding
Heritage
Building
Fund
Refurbishment
of Open and
Green Spaces
Award for “Best
Open Space”
External
Investors
Municipality
1/3
Investors
2/3
Shareholders
Overall Financial Strategy
finance:proposal
Building
Permit
Fee
Revenues
[Set-up]
Additional
Sources
34. Proposal
builtenvironment
•access routes, stairs and paths are linked, extended, cleared;
street signage is standardised
•green and open spaces are landscaped and linked with the main
thoroughfares
• spaces for recreation and social interaction are incorporated into
the overall system of paths and stairs
•clear distinction of private and public routes
•open spaces can be given creative functions
39. On the Steps
A trellis on the stairs
which provides a
small, shaded
seating area for
passer-bys.
Walls which was
covered by graffiti is
cleaned.
Plants added as a
cosmetic measure.
builtenvironment
40. Courtyard
A new wooden courtyard is cantilevered atop existing derelict green space.
Space has been modified as a new and innovative use, and can inspire the
transformation other derelict spaces in the area.
builtenvironment
42. Wider Context
builtenvironment
•process can be applied to other
areas in the Greater Salt area
• clusters consist of open/green
areas, communities, access points
and heritage or non-heritage
buildings
•guiding principles:
• in situ planning
•holistic integration of open and
green spaces
•re-adaptation of heritage
buildings with creative land use
functions
•tourism-friendly, while
remaining faithful to the lifestyle
and cultural norms of its residents
43. End
Babar Mumtaz
Mona Khechen
Aferdita Bytyqi-Campbell
Pao Dusitanond
Karolina Grebowiec
Helen Lee
Cecilia Lindstrom
Zhen Yong Lu
PoNien Lu
Sandhya Mugve
Yen-Chong Wang
Pakistan
Lebanon
Kosovo
Thailand
USA
USA
Sweden
China
Taiwan
India
Taiwan
Prepared by:
