New

life for
historic
cities
The historic urban landscape
approach explained

United Nations
Educational, Scientic and
Cultural Organization
Tangible and intangible heritage are sources of social
cohesion, factors of diversity and drivers of creativity,
innovation and urban regeneration we must do more to
harness this power.
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO at the World Urban Forum (Naples, 2012)
Plaza Grande, Quito (Ecuador). Photograph by Randal Sheppard
 Street life in Ping Yao (China). Photograph by Anne Roberts.

Urban heritage constitutes a key resource in enhancing the livability of

urban areas. It fosters economic development and social cohesion in a
changing global environment. This booklet calls to involve more people
in preservation efforts, raise levels of awareness, and seek innovative
schemes. By actively engaging public, private and civic sectors the city,
historic and contemporary, can be better preserved and celebrated.
Historic Urban Landscapes
Urban heritage is of vital UNESCOs approach to managing historic
importance for our cities urban landscapes is holistic; it integrates
nowand in the future. Tangible the goals of urban heritage conservation and
and intangible urban heritage those of social and economic development.
are sources of social cohesion, This method sees urban heritage as a
factors of diversity and drivers social, cultural and economic asset for the
ofcreativity, innovation and urban development of cities.
regeneration.
The recommendation on the Historic Urban
The key to understanding and managing any Landscape was adopted on 10 November 2011
historic urban environment is the recognition by UNESCOs General Conference.
that the city is not a static monument or group The historic urban landscape approach
of buildings, but subject to dynamic forces moves beyond the preservation of the
in the economic, social and cultural spheres physical environment, and focuses on the
that shaped it and keep shaping it. This entire human environment with all of its
booklet advocates that a historic context and tangible and intangible qualities. It seeks to
new development can interact and mutually increase the sustainability of planning and
reinforce their role and meaning. design interventions by taking into account
the existing built environment, intangible
heritage, cultural diversity, socio-economic
and environmental factors along with local
community values.

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 URBANISATION
CLIMATE CHANGE

6
The Akropolis in Athens. Photograph by Brkur Sigurbjrnsson
Historic cities under pressure

Demolition in China. Photograph by triplefivedrew Flooding in Pakistan. Photograph UN photo/WFP/Amjad Jamal

 MASS TOURISM
MARKET EXPLOITATION

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Flooding in Pakistan. Photograph UN photo/WFP/Amjad Jamal

The Akropolis in Athens. Photograph by Brkur Sigurbjrnsson Billboard near Piazza San Marco, Venice (Italy). Photography by Neil Willsey
Street life in Ping Yao (China). Photograph by Anne Roberts.
Tram in Istanbul (Turkey). Photograph by Scott Dexter.
Towards a new balance
The historic urban landscape In many cities this approach has had very
approach sees and interprets positive and encouraging results. For each
the city as a continuum in time local situation a balance is reached between
and space. Countless population preservation and protection of urban heritage,
groups have left their mark, and economic development, functionality and
continue to do so today. livability of a city. Thus the needs of current
inhabitants are responded to while sustainably
As an approach, it considers cultural diversity enhancing the citys natural and cultural
and creativity as key assets for human, resources for future generations.
social and economic development. It is an
alternative method to cutting the city up The different approaches heritage,
through zoning into separate conservation economic, environmental and sociocultural
areas, which thereby become ghettos of do not conflict; they are complementary and
historic preservation. To these ends, UNESCO their long-term success is dependent on them
works with cities to support the integration of being linked together.
environmental, social and cultural concerns
into the planning, design and implementation
of urban development.

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 The city of Lyon has invested in the re-enactment of historic
events using the urban atmosphere during the day (colours), and
at night (illuminations), with such special events as the annual
lights festival; and an urban recreation park of 10 hectares along
the 5 km vehicle-free embankments of the Rhne. Bruno Delas,
Project Director, Mission Historic site of Lyon

Lyon

Pho tograp h by Fanny

Amsterdam
k
Pho tograp h by Ret ina fun

The canals are the veins of the city, the veins through which all kinds of wealth enters Amsterdam. Swathes of
people, products, capital and ideas have all entered the city along its canals. Its understandable that people still
continue to come from all over the world: Amsterdam is now home to 178 nationalities. Its also understandable
that the strength of the Canal District is based on the dynamism of its residents. Boudewijn Oranje, Alderman of
the central borough of Amsterdam for Cultural Heritage and Economic Affairs

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 Urban renovation in Quito was speeded up thanks to the cooperation of the
municipality, the private sector and international aid: improvement of the
streets and squares, renovation of faades and churches, improvement of
lighting, etc. In addition, new modes of transportation have been introduced,
including a public bicycle plan. Ambassador Horacio Sevilla Borja

Quito

Pho tograp h by Alex Hor ack

Fez
es
A Pho tograp h by Ada m Jon

A study has been conducted on traditional building

methods and materials and jobs in the construction
industry and on the work of the ceramic manufacturers
of Fez; and a Training Institute for the Traditional
Building Trade (IFMTB) created. Students and
professionals from different countries continue to
cooperate with those responsible for the preservation
of the built heritage in the region. Xavier Casanovas,
RehabiMed network official

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Layers of the city
The historic urban landscape is the result of the layering and intertwining
of cultural and natural values over time. Beyond the notion of historic
centre, it includes the broader urban context and its geographical setting.

CULTURAL PRACTICES

BUILT ENVIRONMENT
infrastructures

diversity and identity

How can a city become a stable ecosystem?

How can future generations

be engaged in maintaining the geomorphology
continuation of urban life?

Can urban conservation

How can action and planning law serve the needs of local
work together in order to achieve communities, including the
climate-resilience for cities? poor and the marginalized?
 URBAN STRUCTURE
ECONOMIC PROCESSES

Topography

open spaces SOCIAL VALUES

Millenium Bridge London (United Kingdom). Photograph by Dunc(an).

Which new financial tools are needed

for the management of the historic
hydrology urban landscape?

How can urban conservation

promote new forms of
Can we sustain and enhance the identity
productivity and socio-
of cities as a way to brand them?
economic development?
Benefiting from the historic
urban landscape approach
If dealt with properly, urban The 250-plus historic cities that have been
heritage will act as a catalyst for included in the World Heritage List deliver
socio-economic development very significant socio-economic benefits at
through tourism, commercial the local and national levels - not only through
use, and higher land and property tourism and related goods and services, but
values thereby providing the also through other functions. For instance,
revenues out of which to pay for Salzburg (Austria) constitutes only 6 per cent
maintenance, restoration and of the countrys population, but contributes 25
rehabilitation. per cent of its net economic product.

Urban heritage areas generate much higher Urban heritage areas often demand enhanced
returns than areas devoid of any cultural- management, because of more and/or stricter
historic significance. Proximity to world-class regulations controlling and monitoring the
monuments and sites usually draws high-end built environment, which improves planning
service-sector businesses and residents, and design if properly executed. This, in turn,
who are willing to pay more for locations with increases certainty for investors as regards the
prestige and status. This is reflected in land safety of their investments in the long term.
and property values.

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MORE HIGH-END
STRENGTHENED
SERVICE-SECTOR
SENSE OF PLACE
BUSINESSES

HIGHER REVENUES
FOR MAINTENANCE,
HIGHER LAND AND
RESTORATION AND

Geisha in Kyoto (Japan), an unmistakable part of the citys identity. Photography Carles Toms Mart.
PROPERTY VALUES
REHABILITATION
EFFORTS

IMPROVED PLANNING
TOURISM
AND DESIGN
The historic urban landscape
approach in action
1. Undertake a full assessment of 4. Integrate urban heritage values
the citys natural, cultural and and their vulnerability status
human resources; into a wider framework of city
2. Use participatory planning and development;
stakeholder consultations to 5. Prioritize policies and actions for
decide on conservation aims and conservation and development,
actions; including good stewardship;
3. Assess the vulnerability of urban 6. Establish the appropriate
heritage to socio-economic (public-private) partnerships and
pressures and impacts of climate local management frameworks;
change; 7. Develop mechanisms for the
coordination of the various
activities between different
actors.

OLD + NEW CARS + BIKES

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KNOWLEDGE AND PLANNING TOOLS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS

FINANCIAL TOOLS REGULATORY SYSTEMS

$ AV AI L
TE MPOA BL E FO R
R AR Y
US E
MIX

TOURISTS + RESIDENTS GLOBAL BRANDS + LOCAL BUSINESS

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 BEST PRACTICE

Photograph by Paul Morell.

Stadsherstel Paramaribo
www.sges.heritagesuriname.org / www.stadsherstel.nl

FINANCIAL TOOLS REGULATORY SYSTEMS

Stadsherstel Paramaribo was established heritage in Paramaribo, the capital city of the
asa foundation in 2011 by Stichting South American country. This public-private
Gebouwd Erfgoed Suriname (site manager partnership aims to re-establish the balance
of Historic Inner City of Paramaribo, a between living and working in the inner city
UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002) through sustainable and commercially viable
and De Surinaamsche Bank, the largest restoration and management. By giving out
private bank in Suriname. Stadsherstel shares, businesses and banks can invest, with
Amsterdam supports, advices and works a modest dividend. In 2013 the foundation will
intensively together with this Surinam change into a limited liability company, similar
initiative, to redevelop and protect built to Stadsherstel Amsterdam.

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Play the City Istanbul
www.playthecity.nl

KNOWLEDGE AND PLANNING TOOLS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS

The Play the City foundation introduces digital urbanism and create strategies for
serious gaming into city-making to test rules urban development through serious gaming.
and constraints of a given complex urban One of these games was played in Istanbul,
question and co-design with stakeholders. focusing on the question of how Istanbuls vast
In conditions where stakes are high and number of newcomers can be accomodated
conflicting, city games feed designers with in an already high-density metropolis under
information, which only can arise from the the threat of earthquakes. Participants could
real-time interaction of agents. Play the City play the role of the Mayor and use their RFID
has been designing city games for various transport cards to express how theyd tackle
urban questions internationally. Play the City urban issues.
helps build communities, develop tools for

Photograph by Gokhan Yorgo.

BEST PRACTICE

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 BEST PRACTICE

Photograph by Rafe Copeland.

Ushahidi
www.ushahidi.com

KNOWLEDGE AND PLANNING TOOLS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS

Ushahidi is a successful non-profit tech tools is the Inherity mobile app, an application
company founded in Kenya that specializes that aims to protect cultural heritage by
in developing free and open source software empowering local communities and visitors to
for information collection, visualization and lend a hand. Users can record, take a picture
interactive mapping. Ushahidi builds tools and locate on a map any tangible piece of
for democratizing information, increasing cultural heritage they think is worthwhile. This
transparency and lowering the barriers for can be as small as a piece of pottery or as
individuals to share their stories. One of these large as a castle.

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The High Line
www.thehighline.org

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FINANCIAL TOOLS

The High Line is a public park built on an In addition to overseeing maintenance,

historic freight rail line elevated above the operations, and public programming for the
streets on Manhattans West Side. It is owned park, Friends of the High Line works to raise
by the City of New York, and maintained and the essential private funds to support more
operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded than 90 percent of the parks annual operating
in 1999 by community residents, the Friends budget. The more than 3 million people who
fought for the structures preservation and visit the High Line annually have rejuvenated
transformation at a time when the historic this former brownfield site.
structure was under threat of demolition.

Photograph by John Dalton.

BEST PRACTICE

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Recommended reading Disclaimer
Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, The present document is distributed for information
UNESCO, 10 November 2011 purposes only and aims neither to interpret nor to
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=48857&URL_ complement the Recommendation on the Historic
DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Urban Landscape (2011).

Guide for city professionals Historic Districts for The designations employed and the presentation
all; a social and human approach for sustainable of material throughout this brochure do not imply
revitalisation, UN-HABITAT and UNESCO, 2008 the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/ part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any
docs/10362_1_594123.pdf country, territory, city or area or of its authorities,
or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or
Managing Historic Cities, World Heritage Papers boundaries.
No.27, UNESCO, Paris, 2010
http://whc.unesco.org/en/series/27/ Published in 2013 by the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Partnerships for World Heritage Cities Culture 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP

as a Vector for Sustainable Urban Development. France

Proceedings from the Urbino workshop, November

2002, World Heritage Papers No.9, UNESCO, UNESCO 2013

Paris, 2004. All rights reserved

http://whc.unesco.org/en/series/9/ CLT-2013/WS/11

United Nations
Educational, Scientic and
Cultural Organization

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The charm and the chaos of old Phnom Penh (Cambodja). Photograph by Jonas Hansel.
Cities are dynamic organisms. There is
notasingle historic city in the world
that hasretained its original character:
theconcept is a moving target, destined
to change with society itself. To preserve
the urban historic landscape, strategic
anddynamic alliances need to be built
between various actors in the urban scene,
foremost between public authorities
that manage the city and developers and
entrepreneurs that operate in the city.

The High Line, New York City. Photograph by Harvey Barrison