CITIES AND ENHANCEMENT OF THEIR HISTORIC CENTRE AND HERITAGE: EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES’ AND VISITORS’ PERSPECTIVES

Isabel COSTA

UTAD/Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD), UTAD/Centre for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE)

isacosta@utad.pt

Veronika JOUKES

UTAD/Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD)

veronika@utad.pt

Francisco DINIZ

UTAD/Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD)

fdiniz@utad.pt

Ana C. CANTANTE

UTAD/Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD)

acordeiro@utad.pt

Abstract

Several movements conceptualise cities’ educational, cultural and urban/regional/transnational development aspects, such as Educating Cities, Children’s City, or URBACT’s. Cultural tourism/Edutourism, seen as a non-formal, lifelong education formula led by the individuals, has also played an important role, enhancing the value of cities in the broader sense. Monitoring people’s opinion about the city and getting them to actively participate also enlightens those movements.  This paper presents a research on the renewal of Chaves’s historic centre (HC), whose rationale considered educational communities as partners. Results showed that teachers value urban renewal processes, while being critical, though. They emphasize the need for information and training. The HC should be a space for families to live in and is referred to as a multiple use educational resource.

Keywords: Cities and learning, historic centre renewal, municipalities and development, cultural/heritage tourism, educational communities’ participation

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