By Valentina Rodríguez Tamayo.
Industrial heritage, according to the International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, is understood as the set of remains of industrial culture that have historical, technological, social, architectural or scientific value and is currently very vulnerable; government entities do not allow it. They provide the value that is required and this can help increase sustainable economic activity and perpetuate humanity's heritage, which would allow cities to grow in a more inclusive and sustainable way.
Industrial Heritage is made up of different types of Heritage: material, intangible, movable and immovable and is extremely misunderstood. If we begin to understand it better, we see that these assets are a historical resource that is available to everyone, providing opportunities for change and regeneration. and reinforces cultural identity in the sense that it allows establishing a link with sustainable development. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has released a document that predicts that 68% of the population will live in urban areas by 2050. (UN, 2018) Population growth is increasingly accelerated and With this, traditions, roots and respect for culture are being lost and the same growth of cities is affecting industrial heritage, this is the reminder of the world as it once was, the pulse of entire communities of hundreds of people enjoying in the same place full of art, nurturing its people and its traditions.
The collective feeling of unity transcends at the social level and tells the lives of men and women who have transformed society with their hard daily work and tried to leave their mark. Unfortunately, in most countries, industrial heritage and this division are not taken very seriously. makes it difficult to understand the importance of this group of assets that support the socioeconomic, technological and cultural development of countries, however, the general vision of this heritage lacks value and prevents it from exploiting all its potential and advantages that it would bring to the countries.
Industrial heritage requires that all assets can by themselves express the identity and memory of a country, since the fragmentation of this individual ideal has led to the heritage being vulnerable and, with global changes, ending up becoming ruins, as today. There are many places, it is a matter of time before they end up disappearing. When this issue is given importance, it will be possible to reconstruct the memory of each place, giving it the recognition it deserves for being part of the identity that belongs to these places. History and Culture must be respected without disparaging the present.
Sources:
https://patrimoniointeligente.com/exite-el-patrimonio-industrial/
https://www.un.org/development/desa/es/news/population/2018-world-urbanization-prospects.html
https://www.redalyc.org/journal/3768/376858947006/html/
ONU Patrimonio industrial- Cultural