Managing Sociocultural Sustainability in Public Heritage Spaces

The preservation of built and living culture is one of the essential goals when implementing a management plan for a heritage site or a cultural tourist attraction. Tangible culture is often the main attractant for tourists, and creates the image of said destination. This is especially true with heritage sites and public spaces in urban areas, as urban areas are more dependent on their cultural monuments to attract tourists and generate income. Park Güell has become a fundamental part of the Barcelona image. The current arrival of a huge number of annual visitors in Barcelona has brought with it the need to better manage the city's resources from a sustainability standpoint. The access to Park Güell was regulated in October 2013 to help alleviate some of the pressure the surrounding area was receiving. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to assess how Park Güell manages its sociocultural sustainability.