What’s past is prologue
Think tank: Localis
Author(s): Sandy Forsyth; Callin McLinden
July 29, 2026
This report from UK think tank Localis explores unlocking the value of heritage for local economies.
Heritage connects the past, present and future of place. Historic buildings, landscapes, collections, skills, stories and traditions shape local identity while supporting employment, visitor economies, wellbeing and community life.
Yet heritage remains too often confined to conservation or tourism policy, rather than treated as part of the civic and economic infrastructure through which places grow and adapt. What’s Past is Prologue uses the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stratford-upon-Avon as a case study to show how heritage organisations can act as anchor institutions, generating demand, supporting local supply chains and helping communities shape the places in which they live.
Post-pandemic visitor patterns, rising operating costs, fragmented funding and reduced local government capacity have exposed the fragility of existing heritage models. Unlocking heritage’s full value will require long-term stewardship, stronger institutional coordination and clearer place for heritage within national, regional and local growth policy.
