Edinburgh World Heritage

June 2013

Mapping the World

Heritage Site

Community mapping as a

sustainable management tool

SCOPING REPORT

As part of the

Climate Challenge Fund,

this project is funded by:

2

Report prepared by: Chiara Ronchini

Annapaola Bornioli

3

Foreword

“Some places simply demand a story to be told of them…”

New Town born Robert Louis Stevenson”

When Edinburgh World Heritage first embarked on this Community

Mapping Project in January 2012, we realised that mapping was a really

effective tool to encourage walking, whilst carrying out participatory

planning and interpreting the World Heritage Site.

Following the idea of applying Patrick Geddes‟ and Kevin Lynch‟s theories

to create active travel and cognitive maps, our first experimental

workshops were both great fun and really valuable, as they portrayed a

very unique and personal image of Edinburgh‟s Old and New Towns.

Later on in 2013 we were able to run more community mapping

workshops, in order to incorporate more views of the city and involve

more „user groups‟ such as students, children, workers and senior citizens

into the project. The result has been extremely creative and positive, with

over 120 people participating in the workshops and as many maps been

produced over only a three-month period.

We are currently looking at putting together these 120 individual maps

into one collective map of Edinburgh, which we believe is going to be

very different from more „regular‟ Edinburgh maps. In line with UNESCO‟s

Historic Urban Landscapes Recommendation, thanks to participatory

mapping we were able to identify what tangible, intangible, cultural and

natural elements are seen as „valuable‟ by Edinburgh‟s users.

As this project demonstrates, heritage becomes very personal as people‟s

stories can be connected to any corner of our city. This project aims to

value these stories, and show a different Edinburgh, as perceived by its

people.

Chiara Ronchini, Energy Efficiency Manager with Edinburgh World Heritage

4

Executive summary

Introduction and goals

The purpose of this report is to develop an outline for the community

mapping project “Mapping the World Heritage Site (MWHS) – Community

Mapping as a sustainable management tool”1, as part of Edinburgh World

Heritage‟s Climate Challenge Fund activities.

The project aims to encourage the reduction of carbon emissions, whilst

promoting the value of urban heritage, as interpreted by the World

Heritage Site's local communities and users, following UNESCO

Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape.

Main references

The main reference for the project is Kevin Lynch‟s work The image of the

city, which explores the vision of the city as analysed and interpreted by

its inhabitants. Also, research for this report includes a review of the main

baseline projects taken as case studies:

1. Common Ground‟s Parish Maps, a methodology emerged in

England and then introduced in several English towns and in

Piedmont eco-museums in Italy.

2. The London-based social entrepreneurship Mapping for Change,

specialised in the development of community maps through IT

technologies.

3. Glasgow‟s Participatory Health Impact Assessment for the East End

Local Development Strategy through “creative consultations”

consisting of notes, sketches, photographs and scrapbooks

produced by inhabitants.

4. Magnaghi‟s Development Plan for Montespertoli Municipality (Italy),

developed through a participatory process of community mapping.

5. Australian Aboriginal Mapping, a study aimed to analyse the way in

which Aborigines view and experience the land through the

analysis of traditional songs, poems, dance.

6. IFAD Participatory Mapping, a project aimed to address conflict-

related issues and improve community ownership through

sustainable management of environmental and natural resources in

Specific Livelihoods Systems (Pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, Forest

Dwellers).

1 From now on, MWHS

5

Proposed methodology

The proposed methodology for MWHS is structured around a series of 10-

15- people workshops with several target groups within the Site – residents,

workers, tourists, students, children, elderly etc. – in which participants are

asked to draw a specific daily itinerary within the Site. The structure of the

workshops is going to be tailored to the different target groups.

The expected outputs are a final report containing the results of the

analysis, which is going to be used for a future publication, and a final

exhibition containing the material from the workshops.

Outputs and outcomes

The project is expected to produce positive outcomes in the several areas

involved:

1. Sustainability: saving 20 tonnes of CO2 through walking during daily

journeys – to work, to school, to go shopping, etc. - in a year period;

incentivising people to walk for their short journeys in their daily

activities.

2. Awareness/Interpretation: raising individual awareness during

workshops and getting insights on both tangible and intangible

elements of the urban heritage.

3. Management: contributing in defining the “genetic code” of the

city; contributing to the drafting and implementation of urban

planning/ urban development policies; involving the stakeholders in

managerial issues; creating a database.

Structure of the report

The report includes an introductory part illustrating the theoretical

background of the project, the main baseline case studies, contents,

goals and expected outputs. The second section contains the operational

plan, the proposed methodology and a preliminary analysis of the

expected outputs. The report concludes by identifying the expected

outcomes.

6

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

THEORIES

1. Background and motivations

1.1. The Historic Urban Landscape approach

Set within Edinburgh World Heritage's broader sustainability agenda,

MWHS aims to encourage the reduction of carbon emissions, whilst

promoting the value of urban heritage as interpreted by the World

Heritage Site's local communities and users. The definition of urban

heritage itself is now being reconsidered and expanded by policy makers,

whose focus is increasingly directed towards the central role played by

urban areas.

In particular, according to the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic

Urban Landscape,

“The historic urban landscape is the urban area understood as the

result of a historic layering of cultural and natural values and

attributes, extending beyond the notion of “historic centre” or

“ensemble” to include the broader urban context and its

geographical setting”2.

Following this Recommendation, the definition includes not only the

elements of the urban structure such as the site‟s topography, its built

environment and its open spaces, but also intangible elements such as

social and cultural practices and values, economic processes, diversity

and identity elements3. In this scenario, local authorities are

recommended to recognise the important role of historic areas in modern

societies through policies able to balance conservation and sustainability

in both the short and long terms4.

Community mapping can be considered as an effective tool to achieve

this, as it provides civic engagement, artistic interpretation and

participatory and planning knowledge. It empowers a diverse cross-

2 UNESCO 2011, p. 52

3 UNESCO 2011, p. 52

4 UNESCO 2011, p. 53

7

section of stakeholders to identify key values in their urban areas and

enables their visualisation. Such initiatives can contribute, in the short-

medium term, to monitoring and managing the urban space and, in the

long term, to safeguarding the heritage and promoting sustainable

development.

1.2. Community mapping theories

1.2.1. What is community mapping

Community maps are a way to create a comprehensive picture of an

area through the eyes of those who inhabit the space. The process of

community mapping aims to make the association between land and

local communities visible by using the direct and easy language of

cartography5.

What sets community mapping apart from a statistical survey or any other

scientific method is the ability of the community to decide what to

include and what to exclude from the maps. In this sense, there are no

right or wrong outcomes, nor any rules on scales, boundaries, symbols or

elements that the map should include. In fact, a community map

becomes an expression of the genius loci – the spirit of place – depicting

both tangible and intangible elements6.

The vision behind community mapping is that “places are human

creations”7, and we can fully understand the sense of place through its

stories, shared meanings and identities. At the same time, we are

ourselves part of it8, as also our existence is shaped by places: “nothing is

experienced by itself, but always in relation to its surroundings, the

sequences of events leading up to it, the memory of past experiences

[…]. Every citizen has had long associations with some part of his city, and

his image is soaked in memories and meanings”9.

In line with it, community mapping is a way to analyse the relationship

between the city and its inhabitants by answering to the following

questions: what are the most relevant elements of places and what are

their meanings? Why is that place unique? What are the values attached

to the image of the city?10

5 IFAD 2008

6 Clifford et al. 2006, p. 3

7 Ibid. p. 1

8 Lynch K. 1960, p. 2

9 Ibid. p. 1

10 Clifford et al. 2006, p. 2

8

Nowadays maps are in effect a second language, as we are supported

by numerous way-finding devices as street names, route signs, bus

placards11, GPS system on our mobiles, etc. However, observing a map as

drawn from the local viewpoint can become even more meaningful – an

Australian map drawn from Australians viewpoint becomes upside down,

as the North is on the bottom12 – as it contains the essence of the “local”,

which is the most real form of knowledge.

1.2.2. The image of the city

MWHS is based on the work, dated 1960, of Kevin Lynch, American

architect and urban planner, who explores the vision of the city as

analysed and interpreted by its inhabitants. Lynch worked on the

meaning that people give to their cities by using the concept of

imageability, or how easy is for people to understand the layout of a

place. The concept of imageability can be measure by analysing how

clear and well defined the shape of a city is by looking at its fundamental

elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks.

According to Lynch, the image of the city can be represented through

individual mind maps, which represent the personal perception of the city

through the individual‟s visual representation of daily life. Then, the sum of

individual maps can help discern the “public image” of the city, which is

“the common mental picture carried by a large number of a city‟s

inhabitants”13. This image can be analysed through three main

components: identity – the elements which make each city unique

amongst others; structure – the way in which the image is spatially formed;

and meaning – the values attached to the image.

To do so, Lynch developed several methods:

- Itineraries: asking for directions from a starting point to another

location.

- Drawing of a map: asking people to draw a sketch map of an area

and identifying the most distinctive elements.

- Verbal interviews: asking people to name as many places as

possible in a short period of time.

Lynch‟s research represents the starting point for MWHS.

11

Lynch K.1960, p. 2 12

Clifford et al. 2006, p. 3 13

Lynch 1960, p. 7

9

2. Idea and content

The main idea of MWHS is to organise a series of workshops with target

groups within the city of Edinburgh, in order to analyse the relationship

between the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its inhabitants. In particular,

the focus will be on how different categories of people –who differ among

themselves in demographic characters and, above all, in their use of the

city – interpret the UNESCO World Heritage of Edinburgh.

The results from these workshops will be then used as grassroots data for a

future publication on the definition of Historic Urban Landscape, and as

material for an exhibition.

10

3. Goals

Goal/Area Objective

SUSTAINABILITY Encourage people to walk in order to reduce carbon

emissions in the World Heritage Site14.

AWARENESS Promote the discovery of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

in people's daily lives.

INTERPRETATION Get insights on how the Site is viewed, felt and

interpreted in daily lives.

MANAGEMENT Identify constraints and potential improvements in the

UNESCO World Heritage Site from a pedestrian point of

view.

4. Expected outputs

a. (Initial report including the literature review, community mapping

theories and best practice case studies for reference; a proposed

methodology and plan of work).

b. Final written report including the results from the workshops, initial

conclusions on data and suggestions for an exhibition format. The

report will be a starting point for a future publication.

c. Art exhibition containing material from the workshops. An artist will

interpret and pull together the results from the workshops in a final

collective map.

5. Main baseline projects

5.1. Common Ground’s Parish Maps

During the 1980s, the UK charity Common Ground, founded by Susan

Clifford and Angela King with the aim to promote local distinctiveness,

elaborated a model of community mapping called Parish maps. Taking

inspiration from the Scottish Parish Maps, Common Ground has utilised the

word parish in the sense of a self-defined small territory, including people

and places, to keep us grounded. The word Parish itself refers to the

14

According to the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) in 2010 76% per cent of people traveled to work by

car, 15% took a bus/train and 13% per cent walked and 2 per cent cycled. Also, according to

Sustrans.org.uk a very high proportion of short trips are made by car, 23% under a mile, 33% 1 – 2 miles,

and 79% 2 – 5 miles (69% of all car journeys were less than 5 miles long in 2005)

11

former use of old parishes as units of measurement of the Anglo Saxon

territory15.

5.1.1. West Sussex Parish Maps

Common Ground‟s West Sussex Parish Maps project was initiated in the

1980s with the challenge to local people to chart what they value in their

place as a first step to engaging in its care.

After an eight year long community project involving some two thousand

people, the book “A sense of place” was published:

“The commentary tries to capture the spirit or sense of each place,

about what it is that gives a place its distinct atmosphere. And, as

with the maps, these are highly personal statements. In the end this

approach is about understanding the distinction between „looking

and seeing‟ – in „reading‟ a place at its many different levels…

What has been remarkable has been the way the project has

touched so many lives. It has been the process of making these

maps as much the maps themselves, that has been significant both

in personal and community terms"16.

Also, the exhibition „Mapping the Millennium‟, made up of 66 maps, was

displayed in Worthing Museum & Art Gallery from 2001 – 2002, attracting

thousands of visitors from near and far.

5.1.2. Piedmont eco-museums Parish Maps

One of the main applications of Common Ground‟s Parish Maps is the

Italian case of Piedmont eco-museums, during which several museums

launched a community mapping project within their communities. The

project started with a regional workshop involving local museums of

Piedmont and guided by Donatella Murtas, who had previously

collaborated with Sue Clifford and Common Ground.

Every territory developed its own community mapping project. The final

output was a community map developed through the involvement of a

whole community. Each project followed a general structure, summarised

as follows:

15

http://www.england-in-particular.info/ 16

http://www.england-in-particular.info/parishmaps/m-wsusx3.html

12

- An entire community group involved, split into groups of 20-40

people each.

- A facilitator who guided the workshops.

- A period of around 9-18 months.

- Monthly internal meetings plus external meetings with rest of the

community or external stakeholders.

- A budget ranging from 1,500 to 11,000 euro.

The key features are:

Small size of community and rural dimension. For instance, the

municipality of Raggiolo, who built the map for the Ecomuseo del

Casentino, consists of around 800 inhabitants and comprises an

area of around 36 square kilometres.

Cohesive and enthusiastic group. The role of the facilitator was

crucial, and meetings were frequent in order to create a cohesive

and enthusiastic group. This allowed for a spontaneous process of

democratic decision -making process amongst communities, with a

very high level of participation and individual contribution to the

final map.

Tool for interpretation/awareness/cohesion. The goal was the

participatory process itself, in terms of the awareness raised and

community cohesion. The process was also a good tool for policy

makers to understand how the area is interpreted by the

community.

5.2. Mapping for change17

Mapping for Change is a social enterprise founded in 2008 by “Mapping

Change for Sustainable Communities” in partnership with University

College London (UCL). It is a project by London 21, founded within the

Agenda 21 with the intention of creating a „greener‟, „healthier‟ and

„more sustainable city‟.

Mapping for change promotes the use of maps as a tool to support local

communities in achieving social change.

The key features are:

The role of IT in the production of maps – often online maps

Mapping for Change charges a fee for its contribution

Some of the projects are listed below.

17

http://www.mappingforchange.org.uk/services/community-maps/

13

5.2.1. Active Citizenship and Social Housing through IT

technologies

Where: Thamesmead, London.

Who: a whole community (around 50,000 inhabitants).

What: online map to share experiences, put forward ideas for local

improvements to shared spaces, identify key resources and valued

spaces, and places within the community:

- Map the organisations, groups and centres.

- Map local events, activities, training and volunteering opportunities.

- Record perceptions of surroundings – including photos, films and

descriptions of where they are, their feelings and responses.

-

Why: Create a database.

5.2.2. Local schools for local children

Where: East Finchley, London.

Who: A group of parents.

What: GIS map of Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data and the home

postcode of students, separated by grade level.

Why: Display through a map the level of deprivation, and to build a new

secondary school due to the lack of secondary schools.

5.2.3. Hackney Wick Community Map

Where: Hackney, London.

Who: Local community.

What: Online community map developed through workshops with schools,

senior citizens, local organizations and residents.

Why: Create an archive displaying the elements of local history that have

influenced both the physical and social structure within the community

over the past fifty years.

14

5.3. Participatory Health Impact Assessment (Glasgow)18 East End Local Development Strategy “Changing Places, Changing Lives”

It consisted in “Creative consultations” (scrapbooks, notebooks and

visioning), used as a key means for consultation with local people through

photographs, drawings and comments about health, transport, access to

leisure facilities, and employment opportunities.

The scrapbooks give a really good indication about what it is like to live in

the East End, indicating issues, constraints, and problems.

As conclusion, a model was developed by one of the East End planning

team, reflecting the interaction between many elements, which have to

be included within a successful place. The HSN Model is an interpretation

of the „Social Model of Health‟ developed by Dahlgren and Whitehead in

1991.

5.4. Alberto Magnaghi and Territorialist School19:

Management plan of Montespertoli Municipality

The Territorialist School conceives heritage holistically, including its people

and places, environment, landscape, urban features, local knowledge,

culture and crafts as a living entity with its unique character.

The School has focused on the increasingly important role of local

qualitative development and developed the concept of “local self-

sustainable development”. This concept emphasized the balance

between: directing development towards fundamental human

requirements (which cannot be reduced to material needs alone); self-

reliance and the development of self-government by local society; and

enhancing environmental quality.

According to Magnaghi, the strategic key for a sustainable development

is the "place-consciousness", i.e. a reflexive relation with local identity and

heritage. In his work “The urban village” Magnaghi identifies alternative

criteria of social progress, such as quality of life, social solidarity, and the

development of non-commercial caring relations. Only when local

communities value their local heritages, he argues, and build themselves

on a basis of local economic self-government, they will be able to resist

the colonisation and marginalisation that globalisation so often inflicts on

them.

18

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=7343&p=0 19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorialist_School

15

Magnaghi participated in the development of the Management plan of

Montespertoli Municipality (Piano Strutturale del Comune di

Montespertoli). The plan included a participatory process consisting of

several activities such as meetings and workshops, and integrated by

information tools – a website anda forum. The whole process mainly

focused on the relationship between urban development and rural

sustainability. Community mapping produced a series of concrete

proposals for planning improvements in the town: new cycling lanes, new

pedestrian paths, development of new parks and open spaces etc.

5.5. Australian Aboriginal mapping20

“Nourishing terrains” by Deborah Birds Rose is one example of Australian

Aboriginal mapping, a study aimed to analyse the way in which

Aborigines view and experience the land.

In particular, “Nourishing terrains” is part of a broader project of the

Australian Heritage Commission aimed to identify heritage places which

are part of Australia‟s National Estate. The Commission recognises that

Indigenous values and knowledge are important in the management of

heritage places, and encourages understanding between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous peoples. Within this context, the Commission asked

Deborah Bird Rose to write this book to explore Indigenous views of

landscape and their relationships with the land.

The work explores the significance of Aboriginal connections with country.

It provides an overview of Indigenous perspectives, and captures the

spiritual and emotional significance of the land to Aboriginal people.

Traditional songs, stories, dance and painting described in the book are

related to Songlines – Dreaming tracks –, paths across the land which

mark the route followed by localised 'creator-beings' during the

Dreaming.

5.6. IFAD Participatory Mapping

IFAD – the International Fund for Agricultural Development – implemented

in 2006 the project “Development of Decision Tools for Participatory

Mapping in Specific Livelihoods Systems (Pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples

and Forest Dwellers)”, aimed to contribute to addressing conflict-related

20

Rose 1996

16

issues and improving community ownership in sustainable environmental

and natural resources management.

The main goals/applications are:

- To help communities articulate and communicate spatial

knowledge to external agencies.

- To allow communities to record and archive local knowledge.

- To enable communities to advocate for change.

- To increase the capacity within communities.

- To address resource-related conflicts.

-

The main tools are:

- Hands-on mapping, either ground mapping or sketch mapping.

- Participatory mapping with scale maps and images.

- Participatory 3D-models.

- Participatory Geographic Information Systems.

- Multimedia and internet based mapping.

17

5.7. Comparative table

Project/org Who How Why Key elements

Inspiration (what

the case is

teaching us)

Piedmont eco-

museums

Museums in

Piedmont:

communities

of 800

inhabitants.

Series of

workshops

guided by

facilitator.

Interpretation

of area;

Awareness and

community

cohesion.

Small

community;

Facilitator in

workshops;

Enthusiastic

and cohesive

group.

Importance of

motivation/

involvement of

participants.

Mapping for

change

Big/small

communities;

Guided by

Mapping for

change.

Workshops/

independent

contribution of

participants.

Creating a

database;

Research.

Role of IT;

Mapping for

change as

enterprise.

Concrete use

of obtained

data/results.

Glasgow

Participatory

HIA

Large

community in

East Glasgow.

Creative

consultations

(scrapbooks,

notebooks

pictures).

Raising issues

on city;

Managerial tool

for urban

development

project.

Innovative

type of HIA.

Pictures +

scrapbooks +

drawings.

Magnaghi’s

Management

plan of

Montespertoli

Municipality

Municipality of

Montespertoli.

Participatory

process –

meetings,

workshops,

information

tools.

Developing the

management/

landscape

plan.

Concrete

involvement of

whole

community.

Concrete

proposals from

community.

Aboriginal

Mapping

Aboriginal

territory.

Study of

traditional

songs, stories,

dance and

painting.

Analysing the

way in which

Aborigines view

and

experience the

land.

Very complex

mapping.

Not just

tangible

elements but

also intangible.

IFAD

Participatory

Mapping

Specific

Livelihoods

Systems

(Pastoralists,

Indigenous

Peoples, Forest

Dwellers).

Hands-on

mapping;

Mapping with

scale maps

and images;

Participatory

3D-models;

Participatory

Geographic

Information

Systems;

Multimedia

and internet

based

mapping.

Articulating

and

communicatin

g spatial

knowledge;

Recording local

knowledge;

Giving voice to

community;

Increasing

capacity within

community;

Addressing

resource-

related

conflicts.

Role of

environment;

Role of

development

intermediaries;

Awareness on

mapping

impacts;

Importance of

process.

Community

mapping as

managerial

tool – natural

resources

management,

sustainable use

of land,

documentatio

n of resources.

18

PART TWO

METHODOLOGY AND OPERATIONAL PLAN

6. Operational plan (schedule)

Phase 0: research From January, 21st to beginning of February

Initial research on background theories and benchmarking;

elaboration of methodology and plan of work.

Phase 1: workshops From around February 10th to end of March

Implementation of workshops.

Phase 2: data analysis From second half of February to beginning of April

Analysis of results from workshops (maps, pictures…); production of

final report.

Phase 3: exhibition From April

Planning and organisation of exhibition.

19

7. Operational plan (timeline) January February

2

1

2

2

2

3

2

4

2

5

2

8

2

9

3

0

3

1 1 4 5 6 7 8

1

1

1

2

1

3

1

4

1

5

1

8

1

9

2

0 21 22

2

5

2

6 27 28 1

initial research

individuate

groups

contact

audiences

initial report

deadline

amendments

workshops x

x

x

x

x

data analysis

March April

1 4 5 6 7 8

1

1

1

2

1

3

1

4

1

5

1

8

1

9

2

0

2

1

2

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2

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6

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7

2

8 2 3 4 5 8 9

1

0 11 12

1

5

1

6

1

7

1

8

1

9

workshops x

data analysis

preliminar ideation

of exhibition

final report

20

8. Methodology and structure of workshops

8.1. Introduction

The idea is to carry out around 10-20 workshops with different categories

of participants, who can be defined “frequent users” of the World

Heritage Site – workers in the Site, residents etc. Workshops will involve

around 15 people each and last around 30 minutes.

8.2. General structure of workshop

The structure of the workshops is going to be tailored to the different

target groups. The general structure is here described.

The workshop‟s structure is based on two studies: first, Lynch‟s survey on

the image of the city; second, the methodology elaborated by Common

Ground, Sue Clifford and Donatella Murtas used by Piedmont

Ecomuseums.

As found in Lynch‟s studies, the objective is to understand how each

target group interprets the Site in terms of:

- Identity: what makes the city unique amongst other cities.

- Meaning: what values are attached to the image through which

people can identify themselves.

- Structure: how the image is spatially formed.

Phase 1: introduction

As seen in Clifford et al. and Lynch, the workshop starts with a short

introduction on the relationship between the city and the individual. The

introduction includes the following questions:

- Think about your city: what are the main landmarks in the city and

what first comes to your mind when you think of Edinburgh?

- What are the most relevant elements of your city and what are their

meanings?

- Why is Edinburgh unique?

- What are the values linked to the image of the city?

Phase 2: drawings

After this brief introduction, participants will be asked to think about their

daily itinerary from home to work – or, depending on participants, home-

21

school, etc. – and to draw a map of it, thinking about the most relevant

elements along the path / paths. Verbal instructions will be supported by

some written directions.

Think about your daily path home-work and draw a map of it.

Think about paths, areas and landmarks that catch your

attention (either positively or negatively). They could be:

- Artificial elements (buildings, signs, shops…)

- Natural elements

- Smells and noises

- Intangible elements (memories, habits, stories, legends…)

You can represent the map as you prefer, by drawing, writing,

etc. You are completely free; there is no a “right” or “wrong”

map!

The goal is to identify:

- The shape of the city, as viewed by its inhabitants, made up

of paths, nodes, edges, districts, landmarks, intangible

aspects, etc.

- The distinctive elements of the World Heritage Site

Phase 3: follow up

Also, participants will be asked (before or after the workshop) to take

some pictures of the elements that most attracted their attention, and to

send them to us by email, Facebook or Twitter. This will help fulfil several

objectives, by producing additional material for the exhibition,

encouraging people to actually walk, and promoting the project through

the use of social networks.

8.3. Participants involved

The choice of categories is pivotal for the whole project. As found in

Lynch, to obtain significant results for the public interpretation of a city,

the sample should be random and large enough. In the case of Lynch‟s

study, the total sample for each city included 15 people. In the project, a

satisfying result would be the involvement of 15 participants for each

target group, in order to obtain a total sample of at least 100 individuals.

On one hand, we aim to get many viewpoints on the World Heritage Site

and to obtain contrasting results; on the other, categories should be

relevant to the management of the Site. The list of categories is as follows:

1. Residents

22

2. Workers

3. Shoppers

4. Foreigners

5. Children

6. Tourists

7. University students

8. Elderly/mobility impaired

9. What happens next: report and exhibition

9.1. Analysis of results

The maps and the additional material raised will be then analysed

according to each target group. In particular, the analysis will look at the

three components as found by Lynch:

- Identity

- Meaning

- Structure

It follows a table which summarises the analysis.

Component Definition Variables to look at

Identity What makes Edinburgh

unique compared to other

cities (oneness).

Analyse for every target group the

presence of recurring elements –

landmarks, paths, districts, etc.

Meaning What values are attached to

the image through which

one can identify himself.

Personal contribution/

interpretation (e.g. the clocks in

the case of workers).

Structure How the image is spatially

formed.

Size, scale and overall shape of

map: shape of city in terms of

Lynch‟s elements – paths, districts,

nodes, landmarks and edges.

9.2. Ideas for the exhibition

All maps produced the workshops will be displayed in an exhibition, and

results will be pulled together by an artist. Suggestions for artists are as

follows:

- One artist – who has already worked for EWH

- A group of art students

-

The options about how many maps and who will produce them are

displayed below:

23

Who What Total maps Pros Cons

Artist One

comprehensive

map of the WHS

obtained by

pulling together

the results from all

maps.

1 map. Comprehensive

map.

Exhibition is poor

– should be

integrated by

additional

material;

No comparison

among

interpretation

of different

target groups.

One map for

each target

group.

1 map x 8

categories=

8 total

maps/works.

Quality final

output;

Continuity with

existing

image/brand

.

Expensive;

No

comprehensiv

e map.

Group

of

students

4-5 maps for

each target

group (every

artist interprets

each target

group‟s

viewpoint).

4-5 maps x

4-5

categories=

20-25 total

maps/works.

Cheap;

Many pieces to

be displayed.

Final output

could be of

medium

quality.

Group works as

whole: one map

for each target

group.

1 map x 8

categories=

8 total

maps/works.

Cheap.

Final output

could be of

medium

quality;

Who What Total maps Pros Cons

One

Artist

One

comprehensive

map of the WHS

obtained by

pulling together

the results from all

maps.

1 map. Comprehensive

map.

Exhibition is poor

– should be

integrated by

additional

material.

One map for

each target

group.

1 map x 8

categories=

8 total

maps/works.

Quality final

output;

Continuity with

existing

image/brand

.

Expensive

Only 8 pieces to

display.

Group

of

students

4-5 maps for

each target

group (every

artist interprets

each target

4-5 maps x

4-5

categories=

20-25 total

maps/works.

Cheap;

Many pieces to

be displayed.

Final output

could be of

medium

quality.

24

group‟s

viewpoint).

Group works as

whole: one map

for each target

group.

1 map x 8

categories=

8 total

maps/works.

Cheap.

Final output

could be of

medium

quality;

Only 8 pieces to

display.

Besides the artistic pieces, the final exhibition could contain also some of

the material from the workshops, such as pictures, drawn maps, drawings

by children. For example, a collage map could be built by collating the

pictures taken by each target group.

A more precise proposal about the exhibition format will be presented

around March, when preliminary results from workshops will come up.

25

10. Conclusions and expected outcomes

The project wishes to positively contribute to four major areas of the

management of the Edinburgh WHS. The final expected outcomes for

each area are listed below.

10.1. Sustainability National and international statistics on transport and travel show that

around 70% of car journeys are less than 5 miles long21, and that around

70% of people travel to work by car22. Also, according to national data

people who “walk for pleasure” are less and less 23.

In this scenario, the expected final outcome is to save 20 tonnes of CO2

through walking during daily journeys – to work, to school, to go shopping,

etc.- in a year period, which will continue to increase in future years on an

ongoing basis.

10.2. Awareness/Interpretation The expected outcomes are several:

- Obtaining a good personal insight from the participants at

the workshops.

- Identifying both the tangible and intangible elements, which

form the urban heritage of Edinburgh WHS: buildings, artificial

and natural elements, as well as intangible elements such as

views/landmarks, social and cultural practices, economic

processes, diversity and identity components.

- Identifying the elements of everyday life of each target group

– if any – to analyse how the Site is experienced everyday by

its users.

- The study could represent the baseline for a comparative

analysis on the perceived image of the cities –shape

topography, etc. – at national/international level according

to the concept of imageability.

10.3. Management

The process of community mapping can be an effective management

tool in several ways:

21

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/connect2/guidelines%2016.pdf 22

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Transport-Travel/TrendTraveltoWork 23

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Transport-Travel/TrendWalkingCycling

26

Contribute in defining the city’s”genetic code”24

The process of community mapping can contribute to raising awareness

of the city‟s DNA, which will be then communicated to external actors. In

the case of Piedmont eco-museums, for instance, the community

mapping gave the opportunity to make unique local features and

patterns emerge.

In the case of Edinburgh, local features are already well known to the

external world; however, community mapping gives a further viewpoint

on the city, focusing on how the Site is seen by its locals – residents,

workers, students etc – and discovering its distinctiveness as seen from

their perspective. This could represent a starting point for a new branding

in terms of marketing/tourism competitiveness.

Urban development/urban landscape

Most of the baseline projects were conducted within a small community –

either a small territory or focus groups. Therefore, community mapping

gave interesting insights on the urban management of the area. In the

case of Magnaghi‟s Participatory Plan to Montespertoli, for instance,

community mapping contributed to identify precise needs and/or issues

felt by the community, such as the lack of a pedestrian/cycle path in a

given area. Also, in the case of IFAD Participatory Mapping, the process

was useful to improve the management of natural resources and the

sustainable use of land.

In the case of a much more complex metropolis such as Edinburgh, there

is the risk of not obtaining an integrated viewpoint on the city, but rather a

much more fragmented picture of needs, issues and suggestions from its

users. In particular, according to Murtas, community maps can assist

traditional planning effectively; however, the sine qua non is the

connection between the bottom-up involvement of community and the

commitment of public actors involved in the urban development25.

In particular, community mapping can give precise indications on several

aspects concerning the Site‟s management, such as:

- Information on transportation and pedestrian routes (most

and least preferred walking/cycle paths; issues on

pavements, lights, pedestrian crossing, etc. as perceived by

pedestrians)

24

Di Federico Bilò 2006 25

Clifford et al. 2006

27

- Information on the general perception of the city (unsafe

areas to be regenerated; most preferred areas, landscapes,

etc.)

- Viewpoints on general waste management: the drawn maps

could make emerge opinions about garbage bins – either as

positive or negative elements for the urban landscape –,

perceived tidy/dirty areas and resulting need for further bins,

etc.

-

Stakeholders involvement/Give a voice to residents

According to the “Landscape Character Assessment: Guidance for

England and Scotland”26, stakeholders play a vital role in Landscape

Character Assessment. The term stakeholder describes the whole

constituency of individuals and groups who have an interest in a subject

or place; in the case of Edinburgh WHS, the term also includes city users

participating in the project.

MWHS could represent an innovative tool of participatory planning of

cities in which the role played by locals is pivotal. In particular, MWHS

could represent an interesting pilot/trial of stakeholders‟ involvement and

become a baseline for further community projects. Such a participatory

planning can contribute to:

- Obtaining valuable information through the stakeholders, this would

not otherwise come to light.

- Gaining more commitment and more consensuses in the

preservation of the Site.

- Delivering operational strategies (such as management plans which

need a variety of people and organizations to be implemented).

-

Database/archive

Many of the analysed projects show that results from community mapping

can be used to create a form of archive/database for the community

itself.

In the case of EWH Community Mapping, it will give precise insights on the

daily routine of each target group involved, and results could be used to

display, in an interactive database/archive/online map/guide form,

information on how the city is experienced by its users. As in many projects

led by Mapping for Change, an online map could catalogue and display

26

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/lcatopicpaper3_tcm6-8173.pdf

28

organisations, shops and associations; local events and activities;

perceptions of surroundings, etc. Also, results could be

catalogued/itemised in an archive containing elements of local history,

elements social and cultural nature, customs, habits and other intangible

aspects of urban heritage.

In this sense, an interesting baseline is Belfast Sound Map27, a community

map of Belfast which wishes to characterize the soundscape of the city. In

particular, it engages local communities in capturing everyday, sound but

also other forms of experiencing and registering sound, such as text or

image.

The result is an online map which can be explored by users/listeners in

various ways, including an autoplay mode which creates a sequence

composed of different recordings. Also, the map serves as a platform for a

series of local workshops, aimed to explore the rich relationship between

sound, place and everyday life.

10.4. Goals/Objectives/Outcomes Table

Goal/Area Objective Outcome

SUSTAINABILITY

Encourage people to walk in

order to reduce carbon

emissions in the World

Heritage Site.

Save 20 tonnes of CO2

through walking during

daily journeys – to work, to

school, to go shopping,

etc. - in a year period.

Incentivise people to walk

for their short journeys in

their daily activities.

AWARENESS /

INTERPRETATION

Promote the discovery of the

UNESCO World Heritage Site in

people's daily lives.

Get insights on how the Site is

viewed, felt and interpreted in

daily lives.

Obtaining a good personal

insight from the

participants at the

workshops.

Identifying both the

tangible and intangible

elements, which form the

urban heritage of

Edinburgh WHS.

MANAGEMENT

Identify constraints and

potential improvements in the

UNESCO World Heritage Site

from a pedestrian point of

view.

Definition of the “genetic

code” of the city.

Urban planning/

development.

Creation of a database.

Stakeholder involvement.

27

http://www.belfastsoundmap.org/

29

Follow-up to the workshops delivered

1. Operational plan/List of workshops and target groups

The workshop phase of MWHS was implemented between January 2013

and June 2013. The final list of target groups involved includes:

- Residents (Old Town; New Town; West End)

- Workers (Edinburgh City Council; University of Edinburgh; City

Chambers; Edinburgh World Heritage)

- Students (University of Edinburgh)

- Children (Tollcross Primary School)

- Senior citizens (A city for all ages)

- Women (Damn Rebel Bitches)

- International residents (Istituto Italiano di Cultura: Scottish Polish

Cultural Association)

- Shoppers (cross section)

- Tourists (cross section)

2. Methodology

a. Changes: already formed groups; discussion;

During the course of the project, there have been a few changes in the

workshops‟ structure and methodology. In particular, it has been decided

to conclude the workshop with a discussion. Indeed, whilst the drawing

element gave the chance to the participants to freely and creatively

express themselves, the discussion at the end has been very valuable in

order to share ideas and viewpoints. In this way, the discussion contributed

to strengthen the community approach to the process.

In addition to the maps drawn by the participants, a brief report

containing quotes, ideas and stories was produced after each workshop.

b. Issues/potential improvements

The main difficulty that emerged during this phase was linked to the initial

contact. As community mapping is not a well-known practice, it has not

been an easy task at times to convey the project‟s goals and strengths to

the public.

30

As far as potential improvements are concerned, the ideal number of

participants taking part in the workshops ranges from 5 to 15 – a medium

level of attendance allows a good exchange of information and, at the

same time, a less intimidating atmosphere.

Also, it was found that working with homogeneous groups – not only

people belonging to the same target group, but also people who know

each other, or have the same socio-demographic features – gave better

results. Indeed, the atmosphere was friendlier and the discussion was

somehow more natural during these workshops.

3. Main results

Carbon Savings

Within the framework of MWHS Project, we ran 13 workshops, involved

over 120 individuals, and obtained as many maps.

Participants pledged to walk for their short journeys (less than two miles),

instead of using the car, at least twice a week for a year. The carbon

savings will be monitored throughout this year and the next. The total

amount of CO2 that could be saved is around 4,000 kg*, equivalent to

1,800 aluminium cans. The more active groups are the international

community (an average of 90 kg of CO2 saved per person) and students

(an average of 88 kg of CO2 saved per person).

This exercise showed that locals love Edinburgh‟s more scenic routes,

which are a good incentive to walk to work and to school. At the same

time, inhabitants prefer to avoid busy and traffic congested roads.

*Kg of CO2 saved by participants in comparison with the same car

journeys.

Personal Edinburgh

The most striking feature that emerged from the workshops is that

Edinburgh is full of people‟s personal places, memories, stories. People put

“my home”, “workplace”, “my school” on the map, sometimes even

including themselves on the map. The Community Map highlighted daily

routines and favourite locations of Edinburgh‟s local community.

Participants represented many individuals on the map, such as the “man

with the dog”, the Big Issue seller, and so on. Also, the map includes many

sensory memories, such as the smell of food and the sound of bagpipe

31

music. In addition, the map contains many memories and stories: the smell

of pubs which recalls childhood memories; a wedding dress shop and its

colourful window, and so on.

Perception of the city

In accordance with the World Heritage Site‟s Outstanding Universal Value,

the maps also revealed the striking contrast between Old and New Town.

Whilst the Old Town is perceived as vertical, steep, dark, mysterious, the

New Town is seen as majestic, beautiful, bright and elegant. In general,

people appreciate the beauty of both medieval architecture, and

Georgian and Victorian style.

Another interesting feature is that green and natural spaces are amongst

the most appreciated elements. People love relaxing in the Meadows,

walking along the Water of Leith, climb Arthur‟s Seat and have a walk

around Calton Hill. Additionally, people are fond of Edinburgh‟s scenic

views, which also contribute to make the city a World Heritage Site.

Also, what emerged as one of the best strengths of Edinburgh are its

scenic views. The most popular routes are usually more “scenic” and

quieter, as people really enjoy looking at the scenery on their way to work.

The most popular landmarks are Arthur‟s Seat, St. Giles, the view either

side from North Bridge; the views from the Mound; the views towards the

sea from the Royal Mile; the view of Edinburgh skyline and the Castle from

the New Town. In particular, locals love the fact that they can see the

Castle from many different streets, and the sea view to Fife from many

locations in the city.

However, inhabitants pointed out traffic congestion, car fumes and noise

amongst the least favourite elements in the city. Additionally, participants

would appreciate more cycle paths in the city and more green spaces.

OLD TOWN

The Old Town is perceived as vertical, mysterious and full of history. People

love the Royal Mile, its Closes, and the Castle, but are less fond of its tourist

shops. The Grassmarket is seen as lovely and lively, and together with the

Cowgate is the favourite location for students‟ nightlife. North Bridge is

one of the most loved panoramic locations in the city and is seen as the

“connection between the Old and the New Town”. Waverley station is the

“entrance” to the city, and inhabitants recall many memories, stories and

routines about it. The path from Jeffrey Street to Market Street and the

Mound is one of the participants‟ favourite routes.

32

NEW TOWN

The New Town is seen as an elegant and majestic grid. People love its

gardens, its crescents and curves, its pavements and lamps. Inhabitants

do not like the traffic congestion in Princes Street; however, they love the

view on the Old Town and the Castle from Princes Gardens.

DEAN VILLAGE AND STOCKBRIDGE

People love the village-like atmosphere of Stockbridge and the Dean

Village. Stockbridge is seen as a typical Sunday location because of its

market, its charity shops, and its cafes. The Water of Leith is one of the

most appreciated natural locations in the city, as well as the main

location for galleries.

WEST (TOLLCROSS; LOTHIAN ROAD; WEST END)

Moving to the West End, people love its peculiar topography, consisting of

parallel streets, crescents and gardens. The area is quiet and peaceful,

and St Mary‟s Cathedral is one of the favourite churches in the city.

People love theatres and cinemas in Tollcross. However, Lothian Road is

seen as one of the most congested and unpleasant areas to walk in the

city. Kids love sweets shops and bakeries in Fountainbridge, and the

Canal‟s ducks and fresh air.

THE MEADOWS AND GEORGE SQUARE

Edinburgh‟s South side is the student area of the city. University students

represented Edinburgh as George Sq.-centred, and the library is a

reference point for student‟s life. The Meadows is the favourite park in the

city; people go there to relax, play sports, and have BBQs. Students also

love pubs in the Grassmarket and Cowgate, and the National Museum of

Scotland.

4. Outputs

We are currently working with the illustrator Hannah Rye in the production

of the final Edinburgh community map. The map will be displayed at

Edinburgh World Heritage at the end of August.

We are also developing an A3 brochure containing the final map itself,

and more detailed results emerged from the workshops.

33

Workshop with A City for All Ages

34

Mapping with Old and New Town residents and workers

35

Workshop at the City of Edinburgh Council

36

Mapping with Tollcross Primary children

37

A selection of maps produced at the workshops

Two maps of Edinburgh and

Leith

38

Two portraits of Lothian

Road and the Castle by a

child and a resident

39

Workers workshops

40

Tollcross Primary workshop

41

The West End, as seen by its

Residents

42

Workers workshops

43

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Territoriale della Regione Puglia,

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44

Websites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorialist_School

http://www.belfastsoundmap.org/

http://www.england-in-particular.info/

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=7343&p=0

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