Rapid tourism growth in small towns of unique cultural heritage often leads to sudden building renovation and infrastructure expansion, which can compromise their attractiveness. The typically under-resourced urban planning departments of the Global South face a complicated task in establishing planning regulations that can preserve a town's identity while accommodating these rapid transformations. This requires a delicate regulatory equilibrium – too restrictive an urban plan could hinder investment and local growth, while a less restricted approach risks destroying a town's heritage, identity, and touristic appeal. This study presents a randomised controlled trial in which residents and tourists rate a town's visual identity using photo simulations of 27 different planning regulation scenarios, drawing from a real-life conservation plan on the island of Chiloé (Chile). We test the effectiveness of this method for identifying which building regulations are relevant for preserving a town's identity. This low-cost and rapidly implemented method may complement the work of urban planners in setting the regulatory framework for conservation.
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