The City of York has had 2000 years of unbroken urban development. The compact city centre defined by a complete medieval city wall contains the largest concentration of designated heritage assets in the country, a recognisable medieval street pattern and well-preserved archaeological features and deposits. This underpins the significance of the contemporary city. 

York’s most valuable asset is its outstanding heritage which is a key economic driver in the city drawing over seven million visitors a year. However, it is a modern working city centre and the historic environment is often a contested space. There are ongoing conflicts between the needs of residents, the expectations of tourists, the visual impact of new development, the streetscape quality, modern city accessibility and security requirements and the impact on the archaeological resource. All of these can affect the richness of the historic environment although some schemes or perceived threats can also come with opportunities to improve, enhance or better reveal the historic environment. 

The talk will focus mainly on the management of these complex tensions in the medieval streets, a distinct part of the city centre which is the principal magnet for tourists. Funding pressures on local authorities has caused a lack of capacity in planning, conservation and enforcement teams resulting in difficulties managing the historic environment in the city centre despite its importance. This has led in some parts to a progressive deterioration of aspects of the streetscape over the last few decades due to piecemeal repair, introduction of different materials and general spread of street clutter.