IDENTIFYING CORE VALUES WITH A COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY APPROACH FOR CONSERVATION PLANNING OF URBAN HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN VIETNAM: THE CASE STUDY OF HANOI ANCIENT QUARTER

Abstract

In order to ensure an effective preservation of urban heritage in historical areas, it is critical that a science-based conservation methodology be applied, taking into account various aspects of the development process. The first key task is to identify the core values of the area, tangible and intangible values alike, while the development work will seek solutions to restore lost values, preserve other existing values and strengthen core values in a new context. The Ancient Quarter in the heart of Hanoi city has been selected as the case study for identifying core, both tangible and intangible, values of historical urban areas with community participation approach. Such findings reveal a relatively sophisticated and inter-linked combination of various elements including urban morphological structure, historical street network and architecture, commercial space, indigenous knowledge in traditional business and social management, folk festivals and traditional gastronomy. The application of the community participatory approach in identifying and analyzing core values of historical districts made the results more comprehensive and meaningful. The community plays an instrumental role in proposing a value-based conservation process while consolidating the visions and major strategies for developing historical districts in a sustainable manner.