Lubimora Trojan (p)

Silvia Cerisola

Modern theories of heritage management treat it as a resource and a process that can be shaped according to the needs of the recipients. New products, services, images of regions are created on the basis of heritage. Heritage is important in the modern view of local development management. Elements of cultural heritage are increasingly becoming a field of exploration for designers, whom they inspire to create innovative solutions both for individuals and communities. The broad impact of heritage on the development of the region indicates that it needs to be managed consciously and holistically, also with the use of creative working methods and tools. One of them is the design thinking method, which offers a holistic view on the societal needs in relation to the heritage.
The article presents results of the research conducted by the author in the field of application of the design thinking method to the management of intangible cultural heritage of the region in Poland. It presents the findings confirming that the use of design thinking in that field brings added value for the regions, as it influences the emergence of tangible and intangible solutions, equips heritage managers with tools to improve their work, brings solutions closer to the needs of the users, strengthens the belief in the importance of the occurrence of intangible cultural heritage for the region and strengthens the social ties of depositors. The research conducted by the author used a triangulation of methods, quantitative and qualitative research, including a scientific experiment in the form of a design thinking workshop. The adaptation of the method to the intangible cultural heritage and it’s impact on the regional development will be discussed, the optimal model of the process will be presented, as well as it’s barriers and limitations.

Ewa Boryczka (p)

Lubomira Trojan

Polish cities are undergoing constant change and, in an era of intense socio-economic, environmental and political transformation, they face many problems and challenges. In order to effectively solve the problems and challenges arising in cities, it is necessary to apply strategic management tools in local government units. Development processes (including revitalisation) can be steered using a range of tools. Local authorities responsible for development control in local government units, such as cities, have at their disposal a wide range of development policy instruments and can actively shape development processes. Revitalisation programmes are one of the key tools of integrated planning used in Polish cities to bring urban areas out of crisis. In revitalisation processes many cities make use of cultural heritage (tangible and intangible). Cultural values are a type of territorial capital and development resource to be experienced and enjoyed not only by local residents, but also by tourists. Culture and heritage are natural areas of human activity,and better embedding society in their values has the potential to equip society with the competences and skills for creative approaches and problem solving.
The participation and involvement of the local community,which is both a beneficiary of development processes and a co-decision maker, are nowadays crucial for the development of a local authority. Cultural heritage positively influences the quality of life by building social ties, strengthening the sense of local identity and pride in the place of residence. Local patriotism and a sense of belonging have a significant impact on satisfaction with the place of residence. Cultural heritage, especially intangible heritage, naturally involves the local community and strengthens revitalisation processes. The study attempts to:
-Identify the use of intangible heritage elements in stimulating development processes (revitalisation programme, heritage care programme);
- Identification of the types of intangible heritage and how they are used.
- Identification of actors involved in the protection and use of intangible heritage in revitalisation programmes.
- Identification of problems and challenges in the identification as well as the use of intangible heritage in revitalisation programmes.
The study used the following methods: literature studies, desk research and web research. The considerations were also supplemented by the author's expert experience resulting from cooperation with local government units at various levels in the preparation of revitalisation programmes and development strategies. For the analysis the cities of Łódzkie Voivodeship which implement integrated development policy on the basis of revitalisation programmes were selected.

Aleksandra Nowakowska (p), Mariusz Sokołowicz (p), Jakub Zasina

Ewa Boryczka

Recent years have brought the concept of territorial capital into regional studies. However, despite the growing attention paid to this issue and noticeable progress in its theoretical framing, the concept of territorial capital is, in fact, tricky to operationalise and remains empirically understudied. At the same time, there is a scholarly interest in understanding how former industrial cities – often ‘left behind’ – can successfully restructure themselves towards the rules of the new economy. In this context, scholars have for years emphasised the vital role of their endogenous potentials, placing the tangible and intangible post-industrial heritage among them and seeing such a heritage as a source of local identity and growth. It is thus crucial to understand whether post-industrial heritage plays a role in such cities as a ‘natural’ source of economic benefits among local entrepreneurs and, thus, whether it becomes a territorially embedded capital. Following this rationale, our paper presents the results of a case study of creative industries in Lodz – an archetypical Polish post-industrial city. Our focus is paid on the entrepreneurs from the local incubator of creative industries. We used surveys and focus group interviews among these entrepreneurs as research tools. Next, we supplemented this evidence with in-depth interviews with the local facilitators of creative industries. We conclude that, from the creative industries perspective, the territorial capital in Lodz consists of a combination of post-industrial built heritage, traditions and atmosphere related to the arts, and local governance supporting creativity. In addition, our conclusions include the methodological proposals towards operationalising territorial capital.

Silvia Cerisola (p), Elisa Panzera

Mariusz E. Sokolowicz

Cultural heritage represents a founding element for present and future generations and communities. Being a legacy from the past, heritage carries a set of values and symbols that are peculiar and unique for specific places and communities. These communities may recognize themselves in their heritage that represents their culture, traditions, ways of living and that raises civic proudness and sense of belonging to places and societies. In this sense, local identity and communities’ ties may be associated with heritage. More specifically, we can refer to social capital in terms of community engagement, creation of networks, personal connections, and civic participation. The two elements – cultural heritage and social capital – can coexist or be present in different combinations at the territorial level. In addition, both cultural heritage and social capital may play an important role in enhancing subjective feelings of satisfaction and psychological conditions. In fact, people living in places endowed with cultural heritage have the chance to participate in local cultural life, engage in creative activities, learn in alternative ways, and enjoy a pleasant and attractive environment, while a community characterized by social cohesion and greater participation and engagement might generate positive consequences on the subjective life-satisfaction within the area.
Moreover, when reasoning on cultural heritage its relationship with tourism cannot be overlooked. On the one hand, tourism may contribute to the valorization of cultural heritage, and therefore to life-satisfaction, while on the other hand it could hinder the development of positive feelings through undesired congestion effects.
The present work puts forward the idea that different territorial contexts in terms of cultural heritage and social capital may differently affect individual life-satisfaction and that this mechanism can be influenced by touristic flows. Proposing a territorial taxonomy of Italian NUTS2 regions and exploiting microdata collected by the Italian National Statistical Office (ISTAT), we perform a multilevel (nested) econometric analysis linking territorial socio-cultural categories to the level of individual life-satisfaction, also considering the role of tourism within this mechanism.
As by now widely recognized by the economic literature, cultural heritage, social capital, and subjective life-satisfaction generate consequences on local economic conditions and performances, their intangible nature notwithstanding. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand and empirically test the functioning of a mechanism that links cultural heritage, social capital, and life-satisfaction. As far as we know, a quantitative analysis of these connections is still missing in the literature.