Developing a comprehensive assessment model of social value with respect to heritage value for sustainable heritage management

By the end of the 20th century, the influence of economic globalization had impacted many aspects of society, including in particular cultural heritage. Additionally, economic globalization has brought a ‘compression’ of the cultures of different ethnic groups and regions around the world. Due to the loss of cultural confidence and economic benefits, many historical areas with cultural and social significance are no longer protected and valued. If this deficit is to be addressed, then the evaluation of heritage value is an important step in establishing effective conservation policies. China’s Grand Canal is a case in point. The loss of historical culture in the past 30 years, often due to the increasing numbers of both large and small developments, has given rise to the forfeit and distortion of many historically significant areas of China’s Grand Canal towns and cities. This research proposes a qualitative and quantitative methodology to develop a comprehensive assessment model of social value with respect to heritage value. The methodology selected conceptual framework, and questionnaire surveys as major approaches to the development of the research and is applied to the Grand Canal towns of Nanyang, Wuzhen, Tongli and Nanxun. The conceptual framework is used to establish the indicators and hypotheses for the evaluation of social value in order to develop a comprehensive assessment model for sustainable heritage management.