(DRAFT version, Work in progress (Not to be quoted) Heritage, neighbourhood communities and planning in the context of change: Identifying conditions to analyze the appreciation and assimilation of neighbourhoods with historical and cultural values within regions of change in Europe and China

Abstract

This paper presents initial results from the three-year research project Pumah (Planning, Urban Management and Heritage), which examines the roles, meanings, and functions of heritage sites, neighbourhoods, and cultural artefacts in regions with varying speeds of urban development, focusing on Europe and China. The study investigates two neighbourhood-level cases: the Jewish Quarter in Budapest and Nanluoguxiang Hutong in Beijing. Both areas connect past identities with contemporary cultural, physical, and social realities but face challenges such as gentrification, social exclusion, and heritage degradation. The Budapest case highlights governance issues, state capture, property speculation, and the tension between preservation and development, while the Beijing case examines heritage planning, community participation, and redevelopment pressures amid rapid urban transformation. By comparing conditions, perceptions, and causal relationships affecting community well-being and heritage conservation, the paper seeks to identify pathways for maintaining a valued past while enabling adaptive use and sustainable urban change.