This paper examines the global threat to traditional markets amid urban renewal efforts focused on specific forms of economic development. These efforts often use design-led placemaking and built heritage policy as tools for local, regional, and national development, leading to the economic instrumentalisation of urban heritage. The paper presents an alternate conceptualisation through a case study of Moore Street market in Dublin, Ireland.
The study interprets heritage as a dynamic interplay of activity, place, and time, emphasizing traditional livelihood building through market trading as a form of ‘everyday heritage’ that merits protection and support. This perspective recognizes that heritage can be produced at multiple scales, often escaping the confines of formal ‘designation’. The paper contrasts this living heritage with the narrow definitions of heritage typically represented by elites and underscores the potential of inclusive heritage approaches that challenge authorised discourses shaped by particular assemblages at specific moments.
Furthermore, the paper critiques the homogenisation of working-class heritages in specific locales. By highlighting the significance of living heritage as critical urban infrastructure, the study suggests that such recognition could offer vulnerable urban communities a pathway from precarity to sustainability. This inclusive approach advocates for the protection and support of traditional markets, recognising their vital role in the socio-economic fabric of cities.
