Evaluation of the Economic Values of Urban Heritage in the Central Area of Ploieşti Municipality

Heritage buildings incorporate multiple values (architectural, historical, cultural, aesthetic, social, symbolic, authenticity value) to which the economic one (they can be used as commercial and residential spaces, or it can offer cultural experiences for tourists) is added. The cultural services generated by the heritage properties are also used by the local population. The aim of this paper is to analyse the economic values of use and non-use of heritage properties in the central area of Ploieşti Municipality. The authors used the contingent valuation method to identify the non-used economic value. The economic use value of heritage properties was estimated by using the hedonic price method (e.g. expressed in accessibility from homes to shops on foot). Moreover, the economic value was evaluated using the indicator types of use of the heritage buildings. The results obtained by using the non-market valuation highlight the economic potential of the heritage properties located in the central area of Ploieşti city.