UNESCO’S Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) has published a new paper aiming to promote discussion on the management of WHS cities in Northwest Europe, addressing issues of integrated urban development and challenges in balancing cultural planning with economic development.
Selected points within the paper include:
- WHS must embrace and manage change and view preservation in the sense of conservation and restoration
- The preservation and conservation of a town’s historic building heritage can only be effectively carries out if there is clear understanding of the protected structures
- that towns be participatory with their partners in anchoring and developing the WHS concept, and in protecting sites over the long term. In particular they should reach all generations.
- the marketing and branding of UNESCO World Heritage Cities is in itself contributing to the unique marketing activities of individual towns.
- UNESCO World Heritage Cities require a high-quality, current, building culture, which respects the ‘old’ while at the same time introducing a new layer of quality to over-lay the old
- Solutions that meet heritage standards and current tourist demands must be seriously discussed.
- Only when various and different interests are successfully integrated into urban society, can UNESCO WHS and other monumental buildings be sustainably safeguarded over the long term.
UNESCO news: LINK
