Abstract
This chapter critically considers the concepts of development and sustainability in the context of heritage in order to explore the theoretical, practical, and ethical issues that are introduced when heritage‐related projects are undertaken with sustainable development as an objective. It begins with a close consideration of the notion of “development” – its origins, conflicting interpretations, and emerging conceptions of the term that are moving beyond merely economic considerations. The concept of “development” traces its roots to the Enlightenment and the idea of “progress,” which applauded technological changes, the rationalization of economic activity, and the abandonment of traditional culture and values. At the same time that heritage and culture have begun to be mentioned in official international discourses, practices in heritage preservation and in economic development have converged on the view that activity at the community level is central to successful sustainable development.