The rise in the interest of urban conservation over the past years has led to search for a more effective decision-making and appropriate assessment. Conservation of historic centers in England aims to achieve important goals with social benefits and increasingly the improving urban qualities. Despite this positive consciousness, some conservation initiatives do not deliver their goals at the right time while others do not maintain their success for longer periods. This striking phenomenon is often due to the lack of sustainable management. The aim of this study is to explore the concept of sustainable management with particular focus on the conservation of historic centers and to introduce an assessment tool to measure the degree of success in conserving historic centers. The study focuses on two English case studies: Bath and Cambridge City Centers; investigating their visions, policies and strategies with relevance to the feedback of local communities and responsible authorities. The study utilizes the assessment tool to clarify the crucial need for an effective management framework based on the relationships of the factors of ‘importance’ and ‘performance.'

Key words: urban conservation; assessment tool; sustainable management; built heritage