• Vidhi Jobanputra

The significance of a heritage site is shaped by both ‘tangible’ values, held by experts such as art historians, archaeologists, and architects, and ‘intangible’ values brought by 'new' stakeholders, including local communities and citizens. These citizens often offer socio-cultural perspectives that 'differ' from those of heritage specialists Decisions about heritage sites typically rest with experts, who, operating within governmental frameworks, prioritize historic or archaeological significance, focusing on the 'past'. Consequently, the 'present' socio-cultural value and 'future potential' of these sites are often overlooked. This approach is driven by two main factors: the difficulty of measuring 'intangible' values in a diverse country like India, and the complexity of understanding the 'influence of underlying parameters', such as regulations and existing significance. This paper explores methods for evaluating 'intangible' values from the perspective of 'citizens as primary stakeholders' and aims to integrate these with current parameters for a more holistic conservation strategy. The case study of Vasai Fort in the suburbs of Mumbai is used to illustrate these methods of significance evaluation.

Keywords: Intangible Values, Stakeholders, Socio-Cultural Perspectives, value assessment methods

"Measuring intangible values: A Case of Vasai fort A user-centric approach to analyzing significance of heritage precincts", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 5, page no.c942-c952, May-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2505327.pdf

"Measuring intangible values: A Case of Vasai fort A user-centric approach to analyzing significance of heritage precincts", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 5, page no. ppc942-c952, May-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2505327.pdf