Intangible cultural heritage as a tool for urban and social regeneration in neighbourhoods. Participatory process to identify and safeguard ICH in the city of Malaga, Spain

Not only the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but also researchers have called for the involvement of local communities in the management of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the last decade. Despite awareness of this need for local involvement, there is no consensus regarding common criteria and implementation methods, especially in the case of small urban neighbourhoods. This research seeks to fill that gap by exploring different participatory actions with local communities in the neighbourhoods to identify and inventory their ICH. A participatory process was conducted in the Fontanalla neighbourhood of the city of Malaga and included expert opinions and local knowledge. Informal interviews, observational works and participatory actions were used to collect extensive data, which was then categorised and analysed. The results allowed the singularities and traditions to be recognised as part of their ICH. An ICH inventory is proposed with the involvement of the local community. The results from collected data and the suggested methodology to activate ICH participatory processes are expected to be useful for researchers and practitioners working on Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as Urban Regeneration in cities.