Erasure and appearance

Heritage development often involves erasures that reciprocally link to new appearances, shaping urban landscapes. This study introduces the Erasure–Appearance Dyad (EAD) framework to analyze how heritage management practices—descriptions, prescriptions, and proscriptions—influence urban heritage in Asia-Pacific sites. By examining UNESCO-listed towns Luang Prabang and Hoi An, alongside tentative-list sites Zhouzhuang and Chiang Mai, the research reveals explicit and implicit dimensions of these processes. The findings suggest that recognizing EAD can foster multiple heritage narratives, enriching 'heritage-scapes' for both residents and visitors. This approach offers a lens to balance development with cultural preservation in urban contexts.

Stallmeyer, J. C., & Dearborn, L. M. (2019). Erasure and appearance. The Routledge Handbook on Historic Urban Landscapes in the Asia-Pacific, 346–362. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429486470-20