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The purpose of this paper is to describe the consequences on conservation theory and practice resulting from contemporary global trends, including the increasing involvement in the field by the general public and the broader social, economic and political roles that cultural heritage is being called upon to play in contemporary society.

Based on observations and discussions in various international fora, it is argued that alongside traditional heritage places, a new paradigm for heritage sites has emerged whose values no longer rest entirely on material culture, but on intangible concepts for which traditional conservation practice often is neither effective nor applicable.

Besides evidencing the evolution of the cultural conservation field as a continuous attempt to reconcile the conservation of cultural heritage and development, this paper reflects upon the role of the World Heritage Convention. It also puts forward several innovative ideas and potential research topics to bridge cultural heritage management and sustainable development.

The paper suggests how conservation of heritage sites fitting the characteristics of this new paradigm will require a re‐examination and expansion of the field's theoretical foundations, as well as the development of a new set of tools for their adequate protection.

The paper aims to provide an introduction to the new journal, its scope and papers in the inaugural issue.

The paper introduces the new journal by exploring the normative foundations of cultural heritage management and how this can be used to construct a bridge to processes of sustainable development. In doing so, the rationale is explained for a journal with this specialism, like JCHMSD, including potential areas for research. All this then is linked to the theme and respective papers especially selected for the inaugural issue.

Increasingly the role of cultural heritage in processes of regeneration and sustainable development of cities and regions is being explored, while at the same time the international debate is intensifying as regards a re‐orientation of the concept of sustainability and to re‐emphasize its meaning in clear and unambiguous terms. In the build‐up to the review of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, the international community by way of UNESCO is promoting the inclusion of culture in the development paradigm.

In providing an overview of the state of debate in the fields of cultural heritage management and sustainable development, the paper is useful to the readers of the journal who are interested but have limited knowledge in these fields. It clarifies the focus to those who wish to submit articles to the journal, as well as highlights some potential areas for research.