Participatory approaches in the adaptive reuse of two Dutch private-led cultural heritage projects: role of the local communities

There is increasing debate concerning citizen participation in the reuse and transformation of heritage sites. However, the question of why and how participatory approaches are explored in private-led heritage adaptive reuse receives limited attention. The paper shows why the communities should play an essential role in the adaptive reuse of heritage sites in the two Dutch cases. The article is theoretically based on debates on social sustainability and community participation in the adaptive reuse of heritage sites. The qualitative investigation consisted of interviews with different actors. The study shows that the adaptive reuse ambitions of the two Dutch heritage sites face difficulty in receiving the support of the local communities. The findings show interest, expectations, and needs gaps between the private heritage and local communities. The investigation indicates that the participation of the local community is lacking, and the mutual understanding between the two is problematic, which has led to the stagnation of the adaptive reuse process of the heritage sites. The paper suggests that the multi-stakeholder processes can identify the key stakeholders and address how to activate key stakeholders to collaborate with available means on shared goals and interests.