The New Sciences and The Spirit of Place

Abstract

Today urban conservation theory is embracing intangible aspects -- notably the concept of the “spirit of place”. But this potentially vague idea must be understood in terms that allow effective management. The author argues that this can be done through the insights of complexity science – revealing the ways in which a complex wholeness can be maintained in a system of dynamic elements. Within historic environments we are conservators; we are users; we are enjoyers; and inevitably, we are changers. Our task is not to resist that complex mix, but to manage our way through it more skilfully, and to aim for a more holistic preservation. This entails moving beyond the dualist “spirit of the age” thinking of a previous generation, and embracing a more nuanced model of organic evolution.