CHERPLAN

Cultural Heritage sites located in both rural and urban areas are often facing the dilemma between loss of cultural values and hence loss of identity, due to non-sustainable growth, and economic decline and emigration, due to inappropriate infrastructure and high cost of living (especially, buildings maintenance). CHERPLAN aims to provide a strong basis for ensuring compatibility and synergy between cultural heritage conservation and socio-economic growth by fostering the adoption of a modern environmental planning approach throughout South East Europe. The aim of environmental planning is to integrate traditional urban/spatial planning with the concerns of environmentalism to ensure sustainable development. An environmental planning model will be developed as a strategic tool for lasting transferability of project results, supported by a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed by the Ministries of Culture. The process is expected to lead to conflict reduction (cultural heritage is often perceived as a hindrance to development), durable jobs creation (to be linked to durable assets such as cultural heritage sites) and integration of minorities and their cultural backgrounds into the participatory scheme. The project goes hand in hand with the newest Innovative strategy for sustainable development of project partner Municipality of Idrija, which strives to be the main strategic document of the municipality, closely connected to sustainable growth.