The Croatian section of ECOVAST (European Council for the Village and Small Town) participates with its activities in the international project ASSET (Action to Strenghten Small European Towns), dealing with problems of local communities development as well as with heritage preservation in Croatian small towns. While contents connected with identity on the local level are conditioned by historical and socio-psychological issues, they are expressed through traditional patterns of behaviour and

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... fe style. Most visible expression of the local community identity can be found in the external, built aspect, namely in elements of cultural heritage. How much are traditional characteristics still present in the present day life of the people of Lovran and Volosko, and how much past conducts in economy, living conditions, common laws, have influenced the life of old settlers and newcomers in these coastal small towns – are questions that make the theme of this paper.