Entre conflit et transaction sociale, une approche simmelienne aux défis des villes patrimonialisées

les cas de Strasbourg et Valparaiso

Abstract

Following the sociology of Georg Simmel, our aim is to clarify the conflicts of patrimony in heritage cities. We will focus on two cities whose historical centres are listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage, Strasbourg in France and Valparaiso in Chile. In that way we will apply some conceptions of Simmel’s sociology in order to develop an approach which is interested in the functional structure of the human space of heritage and in the socio-emotional elements of “historical” neighbourhoods. We will point out the presence of conflicts, exchanges, and mediation of social and economic interests about the patrimonial possessions pursuing Simmel’s notion of conflict described in a positive way in order to illustrate her function as a producer of social cohesion. In heritage city's financial public and private interests encourage the development of cultural activities, such as the cultural tourism and the improvement of historical buildings. Therefore Simmel’s notion of conflict allows us to understand the effects of the politics of development and improvement of the so-called “patrimonial” urban space. Indeed, new forms of power and transactional processes impact the local territorial areas through the valorization and de-valorization of urban space.