The places we keep: the heritage studies of Victoria and outcomes for urban planners

Abstract

The incentive for this thesis that resulted from an investigation into the history of my heritage house, developed from my professional interest in the planning controls on heritage places. This was further motivated by my desire to reinvent my career as an urban planner and to use my professional experience in management, marketing and information technology. As a result, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between the development of the heritage studies of Victoria and the outcome of those documents on planning decisions made by urban planners.

The methods used included a simulated experience that established a methodology for the thesis. In addition, interviews were conducted with experts in the field that provided a context for understanding the influencing factors of when, where, by whom, with what, why and how the studies were conducted. These interviews also contributed to the understanding of how the historical research had been undertaken and used to establish the significance of places and how this translated into outcomes for urban planners. Case studies in the form of Tribunal determinations have been used to illustrate key outcomes for urban planners.

A large amount of information including that relating to the historical background of the studies plus a collection of indicative content from over 400 heritage studies was traversed. In order to make sense of this volume of material an original framework was developed, the Heritage Studies Framework (HSF). This provided a means of organising and navigating the content of the studies and established a basis for interpreting outcomes.

The conclusion of the thesis is that this framework can be shown to establish a clear link between the phases of development of the studies and the use of the studies by urban planners in making their planning decisions. Recommendations for solutions to some of the issues raised throughout the thesis are made including how planners can be involved in future studies.