03140nas a2200445   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002653002200043653001200065653003000077653001000107653001000117653002100127653002800148653003200176653003400208653001300242653002800255653002200283653001100305653002600316653001800342653002800360653001500388653002200403653001900425653001700444100001700461700001900478700001600497700002000513700001300533700001900546700001400565245008300579856014300662490000700805520186200812022002002674                                       d10acultural heritage10aGujarat10aHistoric urban landscapes10aIndia10aSurat10aSurat s heritage10aSustainable development10aUrban heritage conservation10aUrban planning and management10abuilding10aconservation management10acultural heritage10agrowth10aheritage conservation10aPolicy making10aSustainable development10aurban area10aUrban development10aUrban planning10aurbanization1 aChika Udeaja1 aClaudia Trillo1 aKwasi Awuah1 aBusisiwe Makore1 aD. Patel1 aLukman Mansuri1 aKumar Jha00aUrban Heritage Conservation and Rapid Urbanization: Insights from Surat, India  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85082945204&doi=10.3390%2fsu12062172&partnerID=40&md5=88e2a5d4774c404a4d861327f76dca210 v123 aCurrently, heritage is challenged in the Indian city of Surat due to diverse pressures, including rapid urbanization, increasing housing demand, and socio-cultural and climate changes. Where rapid demographic growth of urban areas is happening, heritage is disappearing at an alarming rate. Despite some efforts from the local government, urban cultural heritage is being neglected and historic buildings keep being replaced by ordinary concrete buildings at a worryingly rapid pace. Discussions of challenges and issues of Surat s urban area is supported by a qualitative dataset, including in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups with local policy makers, planners, and heritage experts, triangulated by observation and a photo-survey of two historic areas. Findings from this study reveal a myriad of challenges such as: inadequacy of urban conservation management policies and processes focused on heritage, absence of skills, training, and resources amongst decision makers and persistent conflict and competition between heritage conservation needs and developers  interests. Furthermore, the values and significance of Surat s tangible and intangible heritage is not fully recognized by its citizens and heritage stakeholders. A crucial opportunity exists for Surat to maximize the potential of heritage and reinforce urban identity for its present and future generations. Surat s context is representative of general trends and conservation challenges and therefore recommendations developed in this study hold the potential to offer interesting insights to the wider planners and conservationists  international community. This paper recommends thoughtful integration of sustainable heritage urban conservation into local urban development frameworks and the establishment of approaches that recognize the plurality of heritage values.  a20711050 (ISSN)