Renovation and transformation of heritage sites has many benefits, including strengthening local traditions and culture, offering unique tourist experience, contributing to urban regeneration and citizen involvement. Reuse of old buildings also has a positive environmental impact, as the consumption of new materials is reduced.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cultural, creative and heritage sectors makes the topic even more relevant and provides an opportunity to revise regional policies. Inspiration can be found, for example, in best practices coming from the Interreg Europe project KEEP ON, which focused on long-term sustainability of cultural heritage projects or the Local Flavours project, exploring cultural heritage in less-advantaged locations.

For more inspiration and information on cultural heritage and adaptive use of religious buildings, some examples studied within the project KEEP ON were highlighted.

Marieke Muilwijk, advisor at the Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch, partner of the project KEEP ON, was also interviewed for this article. Please, follow this link for complete reading:

https://www.interregeurope.eu/find-policy-solutions/stories/adaptive-reuse-of-religious-heritage