Matthias Ripp, a senior heritage manager with a background in historical geography, is coordinating the “Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof” site. He is active in numerous networks. The title of his Ph.D. thesis is Heritage-led Urban Development. The objective of this thesis is to develop a generic adaptive governance model which can be used to valorize urban heritage for sustainable development – understood in multiple dimensions, not just economic – and for the benefit of local communities.