The Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) became operational in 1992 to highlight best practice to governments and decision makers and to show that historic sites could become assets for economic development and not burdens on scarce resources. HCP implements conservation, urban regeneration and park and garden projects in historically significant sites of the Islamic world. It does so over long time-frames, by raising local standards and coupling monument and public open space conservation with environmental and community development. Through this integrated approach, HCP seeks to demonstrate that strengthening cultural identity can go hand in hand with socio-economic progress.