C O N T E X T 1 3 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 39 previously. Placemaking, so critical to current heritage and political debate, had already been conceived and created in the 1960s, 70s and 80s as part of urban socialist agenda, which was successful in uniting Glenrothes in a shared local identity that is clearly associated with the architectural and artistic collaboration so important to this point in our history. What lies ahead for post-war urban and suburban townscapes? Glenrothes town art could be seen as a useful approach to assess other art collections in modern planned towns. East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, Irvine and Livingston all had town art programmes with artists employed in various guises around the same period as Glenrothes, but the approach could definitely reach beyond these five new towns.The value placed on buildings or sculptures that are not immediately viewed as historic has usefully been expanded. New conservation areas may yet recognise town art as integral to the historic built environment. It may be the next step in identifying the interest of modern urbanism and landscape more widely. It remains for national agencies to continue to be aware of the interest of these totally designed environments and to recognise key elements of our evolving heritage.This can best be achieved by engaging with local communities, asking them about their priorities while seeking partnerships to enable them to take the lead in matters that are most important to them. Listing is only one part of this story. David Harding’s Heritage of 1976 consists of 14 white concrete columns representing architectural styles of earlier cultures, including Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Inca and Aztec. This sculptural group was originally located in front of the County Buildings, which have recently been demolished.The group has been re-sited in Riverside Park in Glenrothes. Photos © Crown Copyright, reproduced courtesy of Historic Scotland www. historicscotlandimages.gov.uk. Dawn McDowell is deputy head of listing and designed landscapes at Historic Scotland The Birds (1980), by Malcolm Robertson, prominently sited in front of the County Offices, is significant in its context of the commercial town centre.
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