How does decentralised cooperation help Asian cities adopt and Essay

How does decentralised cooperation help Asian cities adopt and implement the integrated approaches to urban heritage conservation by setting up the appropriate - Essay Example cooperation strategy precede the actual live case study of a successful development cooperation between the cities of Chinon and Luang Prabang.The case study exemplifies that the ten year old development cooperation was a success owing to active funding, lively and positive political will, international and domestic partnering, involvement and empowering of local population, creation of a regulatory framework, creation of an accountable and audited nation wide system of organizations entrusted with the task of urban regeneration integrated with harmonious protection of cultural heritage and proper system of regeneration and conservation skills transfer and training. Further discussions reveal that many Asian cities can benefit by replicating the Chinon and Luang Prabang model. The paper suggests that future research can continuously probe the need to apply this model to various regions in Asia which will not only result in harmonious urbanization of these areas without damaging their culture but also work to broaden the horizons of international partners who would also gain from the Asian context. Asia-Pacific region is privileged to possess a vast and ancient cultural heritage. For such a long time, this heritage has shaped much of the lives and value systems of the regions’ peoples. However, heritage is more than a mere historical record of the past; on the contrary, it is an integral part of the identity, and a symbol of the cultural identity of the citizens and the communities of the region. Notwithstanding this, Asia is under pressure from various influences. For one, there is globalisation and the need to modernize, two, from unabated increase in population of the region, and, three, from the burgeoning demands of tourism. As a consequence, many cities have come to recognise that their time-preserved cultural heritages are facing the danger of being destroyed in the name of economic development and modernisation. Rapid and large-scale industrialisation and