Interpretive Planning: What It Is and Why It Matters

In today’s heritage management context, interpretation can no longer be seen as a mere communication add-on or a simple outreach tool. Now more than ever, interpretation is a key element in areas such as heritage conservation, cultural mediation, and, crucially, the creation of meaningful connections between people and places. However, for interpretation to truly realise its transformative potential, it must be the result of a strategic and deliberate process: what we call interpretive planning.

Definition and Foundations of Interpretive Planning

Interpretive planning is the strategic process of designing, organising and coordinating interpretive experiences that connect audiences with the meaning of cultural or natural heritage. This ensures that interpretation is not random or merely decorative but aligned with the purpose of the site.

According to Brochu (2013), “Interpretive planning is a management tool that helps make conscious decisions about what to say, to whom, how, and for what purpose.” From this viewpoint, planning interpretation means establishing a clear, participatory, and contextual path that guides the design of content, media, and communication strategies in line with institutional goals.

The Importance of Intentional Planning

Interpretation that is not based on sound planning risks being shallow, redundant or, worse, contradictory to the site's values. Key benefits of rigorous planning include:

• Alignment of messages with the site’s objectives (whether conservation, education, etc.)

• Efficient use of financial, technical, and human resources

• Narrative coherence across all visitor touchpoints

• Inclusion of diverse voices, especially those of communities linked to the heritage

• Possibility to set clear indicators for evaluation and continuous improvement

Studies such as those by Curthoys and Cuthbertson (2002) show that well-conceived planning not only improves visitor experience but also strengthens public environmental and social commitment.

The 5-M Model: A Methodological Framework for Interpretive Design

One of the most widely used international methodologies for structuring interpretive plans is the 5-M Model, developed by Brochu (2013). This model outlines five interrelated components that should be addressed integrally:

• Management: Includes site mission, institutional policies, legal constraints, and long-term objectives.

• Message: Refers to central themes and sub-themes guiding the interpretive narrative.

• Media: Covers the channels, formats, and tools used (panels, guides, apps, performances, etc.).

• Markets: Involves in-depth analysis of actual and potential visitors: interests, prior knowledge, socio-demographics.

• Mechanics: Operational aspects such as budget, timelines, staffing, maintenance, and evaluation.

This approach allows interpretive planning to adapt to various contexts—natural, cultural, urban or mixed—while maintaining a solid and flexible conceptual framework (Brochu, 2013).

Current Trends: Towards Participatory and Contextual Planning

In recent years, interpretive planning has embraced a collaborative vision, sensitive to social realities and rooted in respect for cultural and natural diversity. Good practices include:

• Participatory methodologies, such as at San Agustín Archaeological Park (Colombia), where local communities co-created interpretive messages based on oral traditions (ICANH, 2016) and community history circles to incorporate local narratives (Curthoys, Cuthbertson & Clark, 2012).

• The link between interpretation and memory, as at ESMA Memory Site (Argentina), where interpretive design was built alongside victims, relatives, and social organisations (Jelin, 2017).

• Intercultural integration, as at Rincón de Santa María Reserve (Argentina–Paraguay), where Indigenous communities helped design interpretive experiences in Guaraní, linking conservation and cultural revitalisation (Mereles & Yanosky, 2015).

• Integrating conservation and interpretation, as in Volubilis, Morocco, where interpretive planning was part of a mosaic conservation project (Palumbo, 2008).

• Applying interpretive processes in complex urban environments, such as Québec City, where public archaeology was combined with communication strategies to involve citizens (Moss, 2018).

These examples show that interpretive planning can (and must) respond to environmental and social complexity, adopting interdisciplinary and ethically grounded approaches.

Professional Challenges in Interpretive Planning

Despite progress, some obstacles continue to hinder the effective implementation of interpretive plans:

• Insufficient or poorly allocated budgets

• Lack of specific training for technical staff

• Weak coordination between interpretation and institutional management

• Symbolic or superficial community participation, with limited attention to intra-community differences

• Difficulty designing integrated evaluation systems

These challenges have been identified in various case studies and institutional reviews (Castilleja & Castilleja, n.d.; Ababneh, 2017). Addressing them requires a rigorous professional approach, supported by regulatory frameworks that recognise the strategic value of interpretation in heritage management.

Professionalisation and Specialised Training: I-PAL’s Commitment

Aware of this need, I-PAL is developing a specialised professional curriculum in interpretive planning, aimed at setting quality standards and preparing professionals for regulated certification.

This training is based on the premise that interpretive planning requires sound theoretical knowledge, technical skills, critical thinking, and ethical awareness.

Our goal is to help consolidate a strong professional profile capable of leading complex processes, generating social impact, and promoting responsible stewardship of natural and cultural heritage.

A Final Reflection

Interpretive planning is not an accessory phase or a bureaucratic formality. It is the core from which all meaningful site experiences are structured. It is also the strategy that strengthens the bond between people, environment, and memory.

As Brochu (2013) says:

“The interpretive plan you create will guide the visitor experience. If done thoughtfully, it will engage and inspire those working at the interpretive site and help achieve management goals. Ultimately, the person who plans interpretation can make a difference by fostering care for the resource.”

To plan is to acknowledge that interpretation holds power. And like all power, it must be exercised with intention, with ethics, and with vision.

References

Ababneh, A. (2017). Situational Analysis of Archaeological Site's Interpretation: Examples from Jordan. SpringerLink.

Bandarin, F. & Van Oers, R. (2012). The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Brochu, L. (2013). Interpretive Planning: The 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects. Fort Collins, CO: Heartfelt Publications.

Castilleja, M. S. & Castilleja, N. S. (s.f.). Beyond Sustainability: Incorporating Environmental Criteria in Planification, Implementation and Evaluation of Cultural Projects.

Curthoys, L. & Cuthbertson, B. (2002). Listening to the Landscape: Interpretive Planning for Ecological Literacy. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 7(2), pp. 223–235.

Curthoys, L., Cuthbertson, B. & Clark, J. (2012). Community Story Circles: Rethinking Epistemology in Heritage Interpretation. Heritage & Society, 5(1), pp. 83–102.

ICANH – Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (2016). Plan de manejo del Parque Arqueológico de San Agustín. Bogotá: ICANH.

Jelin, E. (2017). La lucha por el pasado: cómo construimos la memoria social. Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI Editores.

Mereles, F. & Yanosky, A. (2015). Conservación biocultural en el Chaco: experiencias con comunidades guaraníes en Rincón de Santa María. Asunción: Guyra Paraguay.

Moss, W. (2018). Archaeological Practice in Québec City: A UNESCO World Heritage City. Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage, 5(2), pp. 132–145.

Palumbo, G. (2008). Les mosaïques de Volubilis (Maroc): Planification de la conservation et de la gestion. ICOMOS.