City of Quito

• Urban development pressures affecting the authenticity of the property
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (works in the Tower of the Complex of the Compañía de Jesús) (issue resolved)
• Management system/plan (weaknesses in the decision-making mechanisms regarding conservation)
• Transportation infrastructure (construction of metro, including underground station)
• Housing

Total amount granted: USD 100,000 for the project “Risk Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Quito”, implemented from 2016-2018 (UNESCO/Spanish Funds-in-Trust)

On 25 November 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/2/documents/, which includes technical annexes on management and conservation issues, as well as on the monitoring and construction of the first Quito metro line and its station at San Francisco Square, as follows:

• The preparation of the Partial Plan for the Comprehensive Development of the Historical Centre of Quito has continued over the past years and the first two phases (diagnosis and proposal development) were concluded and reported to the Committee at its 42nd session. The third phase corresponds to the new legal framework that legalizes the Partial Plan and will allow its implementation. The corresponding draft revision of Ordinance 260 (in force since 2008) has been prepared. However, the new municipal administration that took office in May 2019 is in the process of drawing up the new Territorial Planning and Development Plan for the Metropolitan District of the City of Quito 2019-2023 with which the Partial Plan needs to be harmonized. Any changes that may occur to the Partial Plan during this process will be communicated to the World Heritage Centre;
• The Disaster Risk Management Plan for the Core Area of the Historical Centre of Quito has been developed. Risk management will now focus on an area of 60 blocks in the historical centre in which priority is given to monumental buildings of civil and religious architecture and public spaces. In a second stage, the whole area of the historical centre will be considered, with emphasis on housing and services in historical structures. A rental housing programme has been elaborated for municipal property premises in the Historic Centre;
• Regarding the construction of the metro line and the station at San Francisco Square, it is reported that construction was completed in January 2019. ICOMOS participated in the monitoring process through the provision of technical advice. Reports of vibration monitoring and surface settlements corroborated that there are no abnormalities or ground movement that could affect the stability of surrounding buildings, and that the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) has not been affected;
• The municipal authorities are studying the regulation of uses and functions in buildings and public spaces at each metro station, especially at San Francisco Square, in anticipation of the operation of the metro and its possible impact on pedestrian flows, uses and functions.

The report also includes a description of the damage caused by civil unrest in October 2019 that mainly affected the pavements of streets and public spaces and resulted in graffiti on the buildings’ walls. Immediately after the events, the local and national authorities, and the local population undertook the necessary cleaning and restoration works.

It is recalled that over the past five years, the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS have intensively accompanied developments in Quito, as is testified by two mission reports since 2013 and six technical reviews since January 2015. The main areas of attention were the preparation of a Management Plan for the historical centre, and the construction of a metro line through the historical centre and of a metro station at San Francisco Square.

It is regrettable that the Management Plan (referred to as the “Partial Plan for the Comprehensive Development of the Historical Centre of Quito”), which has been under preparation for many years, has not yet been formally approved. However, it is welcomed that a draft Partial Plan has been prepared. It is noted that the State Party submitted extensive legal advice on the revision of Ordinance 260 that will provide the legal framework for the implementation of the Partial Plan. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit the final draft of the revision of Ordinance 260 as soon as possible. ICOMOS will then be able to undertake an integrated technical review of the Partial Plan and the revision of Ordinance 260 for transmission to the State Party.

The Disaster Risk Management Plan and rental housing strategies are welcome. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue these lines of action and to consider the recommendations of the ICOMOS technical review.

Regarding the location of the metro station at San Francisco Square, no follow-up was given to the recommendation of the World Heritage Committee to further explore alternative locations. Its construction was concluded in December 2017. It is recommended that the Committee also request the State Party to submit the regulations of uses and functions in the buildings and public spaces at San Francisco Square to the World Heritage Centre as soon as they become available.

The construction of the metro tunnel was completed in January 2019. While it should be acknowledged that no incident took place during and after construction, and that the OUV of the property was not affected, it would have been recommendable to systematically implement the monitoring plan and ICOMOS’ recommendations regarding inclinometers that extend to approximately 2 times the depth of excavation to establish fixity, amongst others.

Regarding the incidents that occurred during the civil unrest in 2019, it is noted that the damage was quickly mitigated and repaired in a participatory manner with the local population and the national and local authorities.