Maximising and measuring the value of heritage in place

Heritage (tangible, natural, and cultural) and Place have a mutually symbiotic relationship, and much intangible heritage has a strong place-based association and origin. Both heritage and place are multi-layered and change over time, physically and through people’s perceptions and values. All heritage is not, however, treated equally, and engagement and participation in heritage activity is uneven across social groups. We argue that greater focus is needed on hidden and everyday heritage, and also on the experience and interpretation of designated heritage assets in order to better reflect and represent contemporary society. UK Cities of Culture provide a valuable opportunity to drive placeshaping efforts and improve impacts from local heritage engagement through the involvement of host communities and the development of participatory co-produced research that employs socially engaged practices and spatial and visualisation approaches