2017 Theses Master's

Evaluating the Success of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Reddan, Sarah

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention was signed in 1972 with the purpose of protecting cultural and natural heritage on a global level for all the peoples of the world. Since the signing of the Convention, there have been hundreds of books, articles, and media reports written about the effects of World Heritage designation. A large number of these critiques focus on the negative impacts on the local communities at the heritage sites. While the World Heritage system has helped protect hundreds of heritage sites, these criticisms related to the local communities suggest that there is a disconnect between local communities and the global stakeholders.
The primary aim of this thesis is to examine how the success of World Heritage Sites is currently evaluated, and how the measures used for evaluation may need to evolve. Now that the World Heritage system has been in place for nearly 50 years, an improved understanding of global-local dynamics and the effects of designation on communities can inform new indicators of success that better respond to today's societal conditions.