Urban communities facing the challenges of climate change adaptation and heritage preservation

The threat caused by climate change to cultural heritage have become more evident in urban environments also in Northern European areas. The increase of precipitation and the impact of the freeze-thaw effect are continuously causing a strain on the built environment, including both buildings and also other structures in the vicinity of these buildings. Several European countries have developed planning systems in the period after the second World War to support the preservation of cultural heritage, although currently the focus in climate change adaptation seems to lay more on stormwater management in cities. In our earlier research, targeted at urban planners and heritage experts, we inquired about the degree to which climate change impacts are currently taken into account in planning practices involving cultural heritage. Existing urban planning seems to concentrate more on methods for adaptation and disaster management, rather than on integration with cultural heritage as an essential element. Cooperation between local museum and antiquities experts and urban planners is essential, but not enough to cover the gaps between the integration of planning and the preservation of the historical built environment. The preservation of cultural heritage is closely linked to the knowledge and traditions of maintaining and restoring existing buildings and neighbourhoods, serving also circular economy principles in cities. The combination of climate change impact on traditional structures and surfaces together with the lack of suitable maintenance are causing complexed problems to the environment, which might be sometimes difficult to comprehend both by experts and local citizens. The cultural values of communities also have a major impact on the preservation policies for the future, and this is relevant to authorities, politicians, community members and other stakeholders.