Historic Centre of Puebla

• Urban pressure (issue resolved)
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
• Lack of monitoring system (issue resolved)
• Earthquake in 1999 (issue resolved)
• Ground transport infrastructure
• Management systems/management plan

On 20 December 2017, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/416/documents/. Complementary information concerning the seismic event of September 2017 was received on 7 March 2018. In these documents the State Party addresses the following:

• The cable car has been constructed and is in operation. The State Party submitted extensive documentation to the World Heritage Centre in September 2016, which confirmed the project’s modifications and approval by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The modifications introduced include the reduction of the towers’ number and location with very limited visual impact from the World Heritage property. The amended project’s structures could be disassembled, ensuring its reversibility. The 2017 state of conservation report confirms that two towers have been constructed in the historical zone of Los Fuertes and none in the historical centre. Casa del Torno is however one of the historic buildings damaged by the initial cable car proposal and for which the Community Participation Council requested its reconstruction. This reconstruction project was conducted within the INAH interventions’ criteria and consent. Today, the building has been integrated into the city as a public space for cultural events;
• It is noted that in 2016, from the 5,115 public transportation vehicles within 273 routes, 84% of these crossed the historic centre. To improve the efficiency and reduce the transit within the property, the State Party is introducing alternative rapid bus routes (RUTA);
• The Partial Programme for the Sustainable Development of the Historical Centre of Puebla was completed in 2015. This programme aims to define strategies, policies and regulations for the development of the historical centre, and to promote the participation of the public and private sectors in rehabilitation interventions, with an emphasis on areas in a poor state of conservation. A Management Plan for this programme was finalised in 2016 as an instrument to define strategies and concrete intervention projects. Based on an exhaustive diagnosis, the plan identifies 17 sub-areas and their short, medium and long-term priorities, giving much attention to the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage, to housing and community services, and to mobility.
• The State Party provided a global assessment of damages following the earthquake of 19 September 2017, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. The assessment was completed within 72 hours, followed by numerous emergency stabilization works. As of 5 December 2017, 1,071 buildings have been inspected, with 343 buildings (32%) reported to have suffered structural damage, and 198 buildings (19%) presenting damage to the facades. There is a high concentration of affected buildings in the areas surrounding the cathedral. Restoration and reconstruction actions will adhere to regulations issued by INAH and the municipality.

In accordance with the request expressed by the Committee in Decision 40 COM 7B.7, the State Party submitted extensive information concerning the cable car project. The information introduced the revised version of the project with an amended location in a parkland and the implementation of the proposed modifications by the Consejo de Monumentos Historicos Inmueble. Furthermore, the modified project was revised and approved by INAH. Therefore, in accordance with the modifications, especially those referring to decreasing the visual presence of the towers and ensuring the reversibility of the construction, ICOMOS’ technical review concluded that the cable car would not pose a risk to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.

The State Party should be commended for the preparation of the Management Plan for the Partial Programme for the Sustainable Development of the Historical Centre of Puebla, which defines strategies and objectives in an appropriate manner and clearly identifies priorities. ICOMOS will provide a separate technical review that will be transmitted to the State Party in due course with specific recommendations for the future revision of the Plan. In addition, it is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to secure the necessary human and financial resources and institutional arrangements in order to guarantee the successful implementation of this Plan.

The State Party should also be congratulated for the immediate response and emergency interventions in the structures that were most affected by the earthquake of September 2017. It is recognised that the response to the earthquake will require major human and financial resources. Moreover, an adequate Disaster Risk Management Plan could be used as a tool to assist in the identification of future preventive measures and recovery plans.

It would be opportune to request the State Party to submit, by 1 December 2019, a report on the measures taken to consolidate and restore the structures that were affected by the earthquake, as well as on the progress made in the implementation of the Management Plan.