Cultural Landscapes of Post-industrial Heritage as a Drive for Placemaking: Eleusina Case Study

Abstract

Rapid urban growth leads to a shortage of vacant land for development and results in its fragmentation into plots of commercial value (Gzell, Urbanistyka XXI wieku. PWN, Warszawa, 2020 [1]). Consequently, areas for creating and enlarging public spaces in cities shrink. Such conditions do not favour the challenges and aims of a resilient city/neighbourhood, such as social pluralism and universal participation in culture. One way to solve this problem is a comprehensive reorganization of inefficient industrial zones. Involving local communities in shaping and improving the quality of a living space can be gratifying for the community, and takes an intersectional approach which values the lived experience and a diversity of perspectives. Culture is increasingly recognized as a driving force for urban development. Many former industrial buildings are considered as significant historical monuments that impose certain restrictions for private developers and public authorities (Bandarin and van Oers, The historic Urban landscape. Managing heritage in an Urban century. Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, 2012 [2]). However, preservation of heritage values produces various environmental and socio-economic benefits as strength of place identity, boosting tourism and attracting the creative sector (Graham et al., A geography of heritage: power, culture. Routledge, 2016 [3]). This paper aims to explore the role of industrial heritage in urban regeneration and placemaking processes in the complex and challenging environment of a city with a rich ancient and post-industrial cultural landscape, Eleusina [4], Greece.