PROMOTING INTEGRATED HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION APPLICABILITY OF VALUES-BASED APPROACH; THE CASE STUDY OF AKRE AND AMEDY CITY IN DUHOK PROVINCE Dissertation submitted By: Shireen Y. Ismael To the Faculty of Spatial Planning of Technical University of Dortmund (TU Dortmund) in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) January, 2015 I PROMOTING INTEGRATED HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION APPLICABILITY OF VALUES-BASED APPROACH; THE CASE STUDY OF AKRE AND AMEDY CITY IN DUHOK PROVINCE Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree “Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.)” of the Faculty of Spatial Planning at the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany By Shireen Y. Ismael Doctoral Committee Head of Committee and Principle Supervisor: Prof. in Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher, TU Dortmund Principle Supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietwald Gruehn, TU Dortmund External Examiner: Dr.-Ing. Asmat Khalid, University of Duhok Date of Disputation: December 19, 2014 I Declaration I, hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all materials and results that are original to this work. Dortmund, Germany September, 2014 Shireen Y. Ismael II Dedication ........... To My Lovely Family III Acknowledgements I am grateful to my supervisors: Prof. Christa Reicher and Prof. Dietwald Gruehn. Also, I am indebted to Dr. Asmat Khalid, my external examiner from Kurdistan Region. This work would never have been accomplished without their help and supervision. I was privileged to participate in the project of ‘Spatial Planning through Intercultural Dialogue’ funded by the DAAD and coordinated by the Faculty of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University. I am thankful for this opportunity that motivated me to pursue my doctoral research. I was lucky to interact and develop networks of knowledge exchange with many colleagues from German and Middle East-based Universities. I would like to acknowledge the colleagues and mentors at Duhok University, especially Prof. Nizar, Dr. Khalil, Dr. Zebari, Dr. Aboush, and Dr. Heja for their continuous support to fulfil my doctoral research. I was fortunate to cooperate with engaged participants from governmental and non- governmental organisations in the context of my research, especially in Akre and Amedy cities. I would like to thank all my PhD fellows at the Faculty of Spatial Planning, including: Genet, Ismael, Aqeel, and Ahmad. Also, I would like to thank my friends who supported me technically and emotionally, especially: Farsat, Viktoria, Jambali, and Saman. Finally, a special acknowledgment is due to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region for their financial support to carry out my doctoral research. IV Abstract Nowadays, heritage is perceived as an invaluable asset that can preserve peoples’ identity and generate wealth. The role of heritage conservation in promoting sustainable development has been widely acknowledged. Yet, it is a cross-disciplinary issue, which should be integrated into urban and regional planning and related policies. To facilitate the integration process, it is necessary to understand and consider all the values that are attributed to heritage sites along with an active involvement of all relevant stakeholders as a first step in the conservation process. These are the basic principles of what is known as “values-based approach” to heritage conservation and management. This approach is fundamentally supported in theoretical discussions as a recent robust mode of integrated approaches, while its effectiveness in practice is constantly debated, a problem this study is dealing with. Historically, Iraq was pioneer in setting laws and regulations and adopting international guidelines and conventions regarding heritage including specific standards for sites that possess a unique value. Nonetheless, the rich urban heritage that represents different ethnics and religions in Iraqi Kurdistan Region has long been suffering from deterioration due to various processes. This thesis describes the current condition of heritage sites and the extent to which it has been treated in an integrated manner. In addition, it identifies the relationship among the involved stakeholders and analyses the perceptions of local residents toward the interventions and performance of the government in relation to conservation of heritage. At the end, the study explores the applicability of values-based approach in the context of Kurdistan Region. The methodological approach adopted in this thesis follows a case study design. Based on a series of criteria, the study has selected the cities Akre and Amedy in Kurdistan Region. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative research techniques, including: document and archive analysis, observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. It also uses workshops to investigate the applicability of values-based approach in real contextual condition. Based on these two cities, i.e. Akre and Amedy, the research finds out that heritage in Kurdistan Region is threatened due to the rapid changes of heritage sites, which are caused by on-going private and governmental projects in the absence of clear conservation plans and adequate legal instruments. Moreover, land use planning and tourism related activities are taking place without integration of conservation plans especially those related to cultural heritage sites, and adequate coordination, cooperation and communication among relevant stakeholders. At the same time, local residents perceive heritage conservation as an important task and demand active involvement in the conservation process. The research findings confirm that one of the main factors in applying values-based approach is stakeholders’ willingness to participate in the process. Moreover, the practice of selecting sites and identifying their values represents an appropriate procedure to enhance stakeholders understanding of the conservation needs and their different perspectives. It also encourages stakeholders to think more holistically of the site’s potentials, facilitates evolvement of many ideas for the site management, and builds trust especially between residents and government staff. Further, the process opens an opportunity for diverse groups to reinforce their identity. In conclusion, values-based approach is convenient for the current context of Kurdistan as this region is in the process of making political changes and identity-building phase. However, the extent of success is situational depending on the characteristics of stakeholders, institutional arrangements and other changes which might develop in the future. Keywords: urban heritage, sustainable development, values-based approach, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, stakeholders, identity building. V Kurzfassung In heutiger Zeit wird das ‚Urbane Erbe‘ als ein immenser Wert eingeschätzt, der nicht nur die Identität eines Volkes bewahren hilft, sondern auch zum nationalen Wohlstand beitragen kann. Ebenso ist der Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung, der mit der Erhaltung dieses Erbes einhergeht, weitgehend anerkannt. Außerdem ist unbestritten, dass es sich bei der Erhaltung des Urbanen Erbes um ein Disziplin übergreifendes Thema handelt, das unbedingt in die Stadt- und Regionalplanung sowie in entsprechende Politikfelder integriert werden muss. Um diesen Integrationsprozess zu erleichtern ist es vor allem notwendig, die Werte der Standorte des Urbanen Erbes zu verstehen und als solche zu berücksichtigen und gleichzeitig und vom ersten Schritt des Erhaltungsprozesses an alle Schlüsselpersonen aktiv einzubeziehen. Dies sind die grundlegenden Prinzipien der sogenannten wertebasierenden Herangehensweise bei Erhaltung und Management des Urbanen Erbes. Dieses Vorgehen wird auch in der grundlegenden theoretischen Auseinandersetzung gestützt und nach jüngstem Verständnis als eine gute Methode eines integrierten Ansatzes angesehen, während der praktische Erfolg noch zur Diskussion steht, ein Problem, das durch diese Untersuchung erstmals aufgegriffen wird. Historisch gesehen hat der Irak Pionierleistungen bei der Formulierung von Gesetzen und Regelungen, sowie bei der Übernahme von internationalen Leitlinien und Konventionen zum Urbanen Erbe erbracht, was darüber hinaus die Formulierung besonderer Standards für Standorte von einzigartigem Wert einschloss. Nichtsdestoweniger hat das reiche Urbane Erbe in der Irakischen Region Kurdistan, das verschiedene Ethnien und Religionen widerspiegelt, wegen verschiedener Umstände stark unter Verfall und Werteverlust gelitten. Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit beschreibt die gegenwärtigen Umstände und Bedingungen der Stätten des Urbanen Erbes und untersucht, bis zu welchem Grad diese in einer integrierten Art und Weise behandelt worden sind. Außerdem wird die Beziehung zwischen den beteiligten Akteuren herausgearbeitet sowie aufgezeigt, wie die örtlichen Bewohner Eingriffe und Darstellungen der Regierung bezüglich der Erhaltung des Urbanen Erbes wahrnehmen. Abschließend wird in der Untersuchung die Anwendbarkeit des werteorientierten Ansatzes unter realen Bedingungen der Irakischen Region Kurdistan überprüft. Die methodische Herangehensweise dieser Arbeit folgt dem Ansatz der Fallstudie. Nach verschiedensten Kriterien wurden