Conservation Theory and the Urban Realpolitik

The book delves into the realpolitik(s) of conservation endeavours in complex urban settings. It highlights discrepancies between formal policies and pragmatic realities, revealing the factors contributing to this divide. Drawing on cases from Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and India, the volume explores the myriad factors that undermine the realisation of conservation ideals. Stories of conservation projects presented in the book illustrate how political, economic, and ideological dynamics mould on-the-ground outcomes, diverting them from academic principles and national or international policies. Authored by scholars intimately familiar with local dynamics, the chapters weave a tapestry of disciplinary, bureaucratic, and socio-political structures that shape urban heritage planning across diverse contexts.

Deals with the challenges encountered by international conservation doctrine in local contexts
Focuses on local complexities
Results of the DFG project titled “Assembling Iran’s Urban Heritage Conservation Policy and Practice: Problematised in Tehran”

Author Biography

Dr. Solmaz Yadollahi, a conservation architect, earned her doctorate in heritage studies. Her academic journey includes positions as a research fellow at the Chair of Urban Management and an affiliated post-doctoral fellow at the DFG Research Training Group 1913, both at Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. She is currently the Principal Investigator for the DFG-funded research project »Assembling Iran’s Urban Heritage Conservation Policy and Practice: Problematized in Tehran«.