Research into the ways in which the past is constructed and consumed in the present is now reaching a mature stage. This maturity derives from the general acceptance that heritage as a social and cultural construct is closely connected to the making and maintaining of identity at all spatial scales. This unique book contributes to the developing discourse by focusing on 'heritage from below' in a field where the literature on the relationship between heritage and identity has, rightly, been focused on national identity. Never before have the contemporary manifestations and the theoretical structuring framework of the idea of heritage from below been discussed in the depth offered by this book. The authors first establish the concept and then engage with the actual practice and practitioners of heritage from below in the UK, Europe, Australia and North America.

Focusing on the practices and politics of heritage-making at the individual and the local level, this book uses a wide array of international case studies to argue for their potential not only to disrupt but also to complement formal heritage-making in public spaces. Providing a much-needed clarion call to reinsert the individual as well as the transient into more collective heritage processes and practices, this strong contribution to the field of Critical Heritage Studies offers insight into benefits of the ‘heritage from below approach’ for researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

Research into the ways in which the past is constructed and consumed in the present is now reaching a mature stage. This maturity derives from the general acceptance that heritage as a social and cultural construct is closely connected to the making and maintaining of identity at all spatial scales. This unique book contributes to the developing discourse by focusing on 'heritage from below' in a field where the literature on the relationship between heritage and identity has, rightly, been focused on national identity. Never before have the contemporary manifestations and the theoretical structuring framework of the idea of heritage from below been discussed in the depth offered by this book. The authors first establish the concept and then engage with the actual practice and practitioners of heritage from below in the UK, Europe, Australia and North America.

Water is vital for life, and its availability has been a concern for mankind throughout the ages. Its presence has always been ascertained in a variety of ways and the development of human society everywhere is connected with various forms of water management. Man also needed to manage water to find protection from its dangers and the need for that is increasing. In the coming decades, the impact of climate change is expected to intensify floods and droughts, affect groundwater resources, raise sea levels, increase pollution and enhance the frequency and magnitude of disasters. Societies around the world are challenged to adapt to these threats to ensure water security, economic prosperity and environmental and cultural sustainability. This book deals with the heritage of water management and the use that was made of water, as well as the impact of water management on heritage. An example of the former may be an ancient irrigation system in the Filipines or in the Middle East that still functions today, while the latter may reflect the importance of maintaining groundwater levels for the preservation of organic remains on archaeological sites or of wooden piles underneath standing buildings. In either case the papers in this book reflect the dynamic nature of water, and hence the equally dynamic relation between water management and heritage. This publication follows up on a Heritage and Water conference in Amsterdam, the first of its kind. Its main purpose is to credibly present the importance and value of heritage and historical experience for water and sustainable development, and vice versa, present the importance of water management for the protection of heritage. It presents evolving insights and concepts about Water and about Heritage from a variety of disciplines, policy and public perspectives illustrated with cases studies and aims to connect decision makers with experts such as engineers, archaeologists, historians, geographers, ecologist and landscape architects

Taking the significant Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Council of Europe 2005) as its starting point, this book presents pragmatic views on the rise of the local and the everyday within cultural heritage discourse. Bringing together a range of case studies within a broad geographic context, it examines ways in which authorised or 'expert' views of heritage can be challenged, and recognises how everyone has expertise in familiarity with their local environment. The book concludes that local agenda and everyday places matter, and examines how a realignment of heritage practice to accommodate such things could usefully contribute to more inclusive and socially relevant cultural agenda.

Examining international case studies including USA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, this book identifies and explores the use of heritage throughout the world. Challenging the idea that heritage value is self-evident, and that things must be preserved, it demonstrates how it gives tangibility to the values that underpin different communities.

Food Heritage and Nationalism in Europe contends that food is a fundamental element of heritage, and a particularly important one in times of crisis. Arguing that food, taste, cuisine and gastronomy are crucial markers of identity that are inherently connected to constructions of place, tradition and the past, the book demonstrates how they play a role in intangible, as well as tangible, heritage. Featuring contributions from experts working across Europe and beyond, and adopting a strong historical and transnational perspective, the book examines the various ways in which food can be understood and used as heritage. Including explorations of imperial spaces, migrations and diasporas; the role of commercialisation processes, and institutional practices within political and cultural domains, this volume considers all aspects of this complex issue. Arguing that the various European cuisines are the result of exchanges, hybridities and complex historical processes, Porciani and the chapter authors offer up a new way of deconstructing banal nationalism and of moving away from the idea of static identities. Suggesting a new and different approach to the idea of so-called national cuisines, Food Heritage and Nationalism in Europe will be a compelling read for academic audiences in museum and heritage studies, cultural and food studies, anthropology and history. Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.