| Summary: | The work of identifying and protecting areas of national interest in physical planning, which began in the 1960s, included singling out valuable cultural environments. The aim was that these should be protected, preserved, managed, and brought to life. Since then, there has been strong pressure for change on many of the environments, so the question is – how well have these cultural environments of national interest been protected and what factors have affected their conservation? The article highlights how four urban environments in Norrbotten have been valued and managed over time and what status the designation has in the context of the present-day pressure for change. The definition of areas of national interest have depended on the available knowledge base. The designation established stereotypes of the cultural environments which have subsequently been carried on down to the present. They have helped in conservation, but they have also meant that other perspectives have been overlooked. The result is that what is consciously preserved tends to reflect only certain stages in the history of the towns, often the oldest buildings, which also tend to be perceived as beautiful and appealing.
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