Values

Values refer to the meanings, importance, and significance that people, whether individuals, communities, or institutions, associate with a heritage place. These values reflect "why" a site matters and what it represents, both tangibly and intangibly, to diverse groups. Values guide decisions about what should be protected and why, for present and future generations (de la Torre, 2002; Avrami et al., 2000).As outlined in the Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit, values are the qualities for which a heritage place is considered important to be protected (UNESCO, 2008). These may be cultural or natural, tangible or intangible, and are often multiple and overlapping. They can include, but are not limited to, historical, cultural, spiritual, aesthetic, scientific, recreational, ecological, educational, economic, philosophical, political, and health-related significance (UNESCO, 2008; Mason, 2002).While a site may hold many kinds of values, not all of them will necessarily contribute to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as defined by UNESCO.