Non-obvious source of expertise on UNESCO World Heritage issues

This study hypothesizes that in polycentric governance systems the structures of World Heritage local expertise are becoming less hierarchical. Increasing numbers of participants are being included in expert reviews, influencing this process, and determining the content of recommendations. The study proves that people who are not experts in terms of their social and professional status, as they do not have specialised training in conservation or restoration, have started to play an important role in decision-making in World Heritage. Thus the role of local experts who are well known locally and have a high degree of trust from citizens and/or local authorities has become an important part of shaping UNESCO World Heritage. 

Using the example of the World Heritage Cities, dr. Eremenko claims that the harmonization of the interests of the participants of urban policies requires an unusual approach from the public administration, taking into account not only formal procedures and regulations but also ensuring greater involvement of citizens in the decision-making process. As the research shows, in some situations recommendations of local experts were more authoritative and earned a higher degree of trust from the citizens than recommendations from people with formal expert status. The participation of the local experts in the decision making process leads to more open and democratic expertise.

As an example dr. Eremenko has analysed the role of diverse actors participating in decision-making processes concerning closing operating tramlines in Toruń’s Old Town prior to its designation as a World Heritage Area. In the late 1960s and 1970s, when the decision to close the tramlines was made, not only key actors, including representatives from the transportation company, city administration, and decision-makers were involved, but also journalists and the general public had an opportunity to present their point of view on trams in the press. As dr. Eremenko and Tymoteusz Kraski argue in their paper, ‘Heritage Expertise and Tram Closures in the World Heritage City of Toruń, Poland’, published in the August 2024 Issue of the “Journal of Transport History”, The aim of the narratives was to foster public support for the proposed closures in alignment with the opinions of heritage experts. The “heritage preservation” rationale was not a direct narrative on its own, but rather a part of a theme within the narratives partly connected with the development of tourism.

This tendency is coherent with larger changes in public administration, which is becoming more adaptive, complex, polycentric, and oriented towards effective cooperation of different stakeholders. The most important findings of the study show that inclusion of a group of “non-formal” experts is one of the most important factors influencing the successful coordination of public interests.