A broad consideration of values - the opportunity for a designable future

Abstract

In accordance with international declarations, VÁTI applied new methods and instruments in the investigation and protection of community values and in the defining of their characteristics. These new methods were introduced through the example of a Hungarian city, Debrecen. The survey, identifying the characteristics of the city (character analysis), was completed in 2000. VÁTI attached about 300 photographs, which were taken with the help of modern computing instruments for the character analysis, to a digital map. A 50-year-old photographic document of the city has also been attached to the same map, and all of these are documented on a CD, together with chapters on ``value´´ protection both cultural and architectural. Thus the present state of the city can be juxtaposed with that some 50 years ago, creating an invaluable document for the next generation. Along with the value surveys, VÁTI also participated in the introduction of a modern building registration system. The technical information system is based on the use of data sheets for individual surveys of each of the buildings. The Swiss method of ``RECENSEMENT´´ has been adapted and tested in Debrecen as ``Deb-RECENSEMENT´´.