Planning has often been perceived from a formal administrative viewpoint. However, knowledge communities working at local level in the conservation of heritage values and their physical manifestations at sites and landscapes have used their cumulative knowledge over generations to make choices and strategic approaches in managing various cultural and environmental resources. Local and indigenous peoples are now universally recognized for their systematic approach to decision-making both in preservation of their heritage and the transmission of heritage values to the next generation, as demonstrated by the five case studies in this chapter.

Indigenous peoples numbering over 35 million are the custodians of significant cultural and biological heritage. The 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples clearly calls on respecting the first voice and decision-making of indigenous people in addressing their well-being and caring for their unique but highly fragile knowledge systems. UNESCO is committed to prioritizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of indigenous peoples and respecting their valuable knowledge systems.

Sustainable development of the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests (Kenya) is establishing the important role of local communities in the Kayas (clearings), the control of access to sites and the safeguarding of their intangible heritage. Although they do face many challenges, the Kayas have demonstrated the power of traditional knowledge, practices and communal commitment in the protection of World Heritage.

In Canada's Jasper National Park, the Jasper Aboriginal Forum has enabled significant reconciliation and reconnection initiatives with the Aboriginal groups.