Place identity, heritage and expertise in urban neighbourhoods: towards an integrated framework

Urban neighbourhoods are key sites where heritage values and place identities are lived, contested and negotiated. Yet, research on heritage, place attachment and expertise has often developed in parallel rather than in conversation. This conceptual article brings these strands together to develop a framework for understanding how heritage and place identity are shaped in interactions between professional and “everyday” experts in urban contexts. Drawing on Critical Heritage Studies, sociological work on expertise and professions, and place identity research, we revisit the role of heritage experts in democratic societies and situate them within broader divisions of labour and knowledge. The article synthesises debates on authorised heritage discourse, citizen participation and neighbourhood-based place attachment to identify three key dimensions of expert – lay relations: types of expertise, arenas of interaction and forms of value. The proposed framework highlights how heritage and place identity emerge as collaborative, contested and ongoing processes rather than fixed attributes of sites or groups. We conclude by outlining implications for urban research and for planning and heritage practices seeking to engage residents as knowledge holders without abandoning the need for professional expertise.