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World Heritage Cities ProgrammeUrban Notebooks
Historic Centre of Puebla (Mexico) |
Editorial |
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Dear Readers, 2021 promises to be a ‘super year’ in many respects. 2020 was to have been a ‘super year’ for biodiversity and nature however, due to the pandemic, many of those meetings were postponed to 2021. The Secretary General of the UN, Mr. António Guterres has urged that 2021 be used to address our planetary emergency including through the opportunities of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in May in Kunming, China. The IUCN World Conservation Congress in September in Marseille, and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in November in Glasgow are also scheduled for 2021. Of course, for us at the World Heritage Cities Programme, and for all urban heritage enthusiasts globally, 2021 is a ‘super year’ for urban heritage with the Xth Anniversary of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation). While it may seem that urban heritage is worlds apart from biodiversity and nature conservation, the on-going global pandemic and the unfolding climate change crisis have showed us how deeply interconnected the world is, and how responsible cities and urban areas are for planetary well-being. It is worth noting that people, planet, and prosperity, the pillars of sustainable development, are also the pillars of the HUL Recommendation. The geographical setting and natural environment, local communities and their knowledge and practices, as well as their socio-economic needs and well-being are at the heart of urban heritage conservation efforts from the perspective of the HUL Recommendation. Heritage itself, in this view, is multi-layered and multi-dimensional including over time. Hence, planetary considerations are most certainly of core interest to urban heritage conservation efforts. Central to the World Heritage Convention is the immense value of heritage to the global community far beyond the immediate local populations who live in and around heritage sites. The enormity of loss and damage to any heritage in general, and World Heritage properties in particular is a matter grief world-wide. The sudden collapse of a part of the Beit-al-Ajaib, the House of Wonders, an important icon in East Africa and a central component of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Stone Town of Zanzibar, was a cause of much sorrow. The generous support of the Sultanate of Oman for the restoration and safeguarding of this important edifice as well as the cooperation of the World Monuments Fund and the Global Heritage Fund is a remarkable demonstration of the spirit of international cooperation at the heart of the World Heritage Convention. That a first mission has already been conducted to carry out surveys and assessments – even in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, is evidence to the overwhelming importance of protecting all World Heritage properties. We plan a number of events globally to celebrate and mark 2021 as the year of urban heritage and to reinforce the messages of the HUL Recommendation. Watch this space for announcements. We hope that you will join us for the various events and activities. We also invite you to develop activities and events to help mobilize historic cities, those inscribed on the World Heritage List as well as others which are not, to protect their urban heritage - we will be happy share the news and to join you!
Jyoti Hosagrahar |
From UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
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© UNESCO/Christelle Alix |
The Sultanate of Oman supports capacity-building for nomination and promotion of World Heritage sites in five Eastern African countries
On 22 January 2021, the Sultanate of Oman signed an agreement with UNESCO to provide support for capacity-building of nomination projects and promotion of World Heritage sites in five Eastern African countries. The three-year capacity-building programme will support the updating of the Tentative Lists of these countries, assist in the preparation of robust nomination files, and strengthen national capacities to implement the 1972 World Heritage Convention concerning the Protection of the World Culture and Natural Heritage. |
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© UNESCO |
3D Data Collection underway for Safeguarding the House of Wonders in the Stone Town of Zanzibar World Heritage siteUNESCO has agreed that in partnership with the World Monuments Fund, and the Global Heritage Fund, it will send three technical missions to assess the extent of the damage toof the House of Wonders and establish a road map towards its rehabilitation. |
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© UNESCO |
Monitoring World Heritage site closures (28 January 2021)In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many governments have taken measures to restrict movements of people and access to certain areas. This includes the closure of natural and cultural World Heritage sites in the 167 countries they are located in. The map displaying the 167 States Parties with World Heritage properties show that 77 countries (= 46%) have kept their sites open, whereas 42 countries (= 25%) have closed sites totally. For 48 countries (29%) partial closure has been indicated, which includes countries that are re-opening World Heritage places slowly after the crisis. |
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UNESCO supports Ghana for Forts and Castles management planOn 19 January 2021, UNESCO and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) launched the development of the Conservation and Management Plan for the Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions of Ghana, during a hybrid (physical and online) four-day capacity-building workshop and marked a major step in the implementation of the International Assistance, under the World Heritage Fund. |
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Travel South over Cloud: China-Mexico South-South Experience Exchange: Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism Development in Cities, 7 am New York time, Friday, 15 JanThe UNOSSC South-South and Triangular Cooperation among Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities for Sustainable Development Project held the fourth webinar, under Cities Project’s “Travel South over Cloud” series: “China-Mexico South-South Experience Exchange: Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism Development in Cities” on Friday 15 January. In response to the common interest in capacity development and demands for partnership building from city partners in China and Mexico, this project aims to promote SSTC at the city level taking advantage of the strategic opportunities offered by the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNOSSC Cities Project organized this webinar to enable the China-Mexico South-South exchange on promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism as well as particular measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in coordination with the cities in China – Anyang, Dunhuang, Huai’an, and Luoyang – and 12 cities in Mexico – Campeche, México City, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelia, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, San Miguel de Allende, Xochimilco, and Zacatecas. A quick tour of the webinar is available through below two short videos. |
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Urban Notebooks in SpanishWe are delighted to announce that our monthly digital newsletter Urban Notebooks will also be available in Spanish. Spanish translations of previous issues will be available on the webpage of the World Heritage Cities Programme. We gratefully acknowledge the kind support of the Subdirección General de Gestión y Coordinación de los Bienes culturales (formerly Subdirección General de Protección del Patrimonio Histórico) of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Government of Spain for the translation of the newsletters into Spanish. |
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Street in Harar Jugol |
Final Regional Workshop in the Framework of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting in AfricaIn the framework of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, which started in the Africa region in September 2019, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in close collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund and UNESCO Field Offices, is organising a final regional online workshop for National Focal Points of the Africa region to present the outcomes of Periodic Reporting Exercise and to collect and develop recommendations to the preparation of the Regional Report and draft Action Plan (2022-2027) to be approved by World Heritage Committee during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee. The workshop will be held over three days from 17 to 19 February 2021 via Zoom, from 11:00 to 16:30 CET. |
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Upcoming Events |
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UNESCO International Forum of World Heritage Cities - May 2021As part of the 2021 celebrations, the first UNESCO International Forum of World Heritage Cities will take place on-line from 10 to 19 May this year. A call will be launched soon. Watch this space! Present your experience to our international community! |
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Historic Centre of Prague; Author: Ko Hon Chiu Vincent; Copyright: © Ko Hon Chiu Vincent |
Integrating Urban Heritage in Urban Planning Processes: World Heritage
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City Focus
City Focus is a corner for the World Heritage Cities and other historic cities to share their challenges and initiatives. |
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Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia (Brazil); |
BrazilOur colleagues from the UNESCO office in Brasilia two important initiatives regarding urban heritage in Brazil:
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An image from the architectural firm PCA-Stream showing the planned changes to the Champs-Élysées area. Photograph: PCA-Stream via The Guardian |
Paris, France:
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Situated 900 m above sea-level, Djémila, or Cuicul, with its forum, temples, basilicas, triumphal arches and houses, is an interesting example of Roman town planning adapted to a mountain location; |
Djémila, Algeria: Improving the connection between heritage and young people in archaeological sitesThe World Heritage site of Djémila comprises the remains of an ancient Roman colony founded during the reign of Nerva. The site bears exceptional testimony to the Ancient Roman civilization and is an outstanding example of a type of architectural ensemble illustrating a significant stage in Roman history of North Africa, from the 2nd to the 6th centuries. The World Heritage property is located in the outskirts of the modern-day settlement of Djémila. Since 2003, the Municipality of Djémila and the Museums of Djémila have developed a community programme to connect young people with the archaeological site. The program is connected with the community group “Association of Friends of Djémila”. As part of the program, young residents take part in training workshops and activities on the site. The program aims to increase awareness about the World Heritage site and its Outstanding Universal Value, while providing training and education opportunities to the youth. The training increases the participants’ professional opportunities and can contribute to generating local livelihoods. The programme is implemented thanks to the collaboration with local teachers, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Union and the African Union. (Information provided by Mr Attia Djamal, Museum of Djémila. The World Heritage site of Djémila is not part of the World Heritage Cities Programme) |
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Kids swimming in well
Prayer before starting to dig
Recharge well
Well-digger lowering concrete ring into well |
Bengaluru, India: Improving water availability and sustainability by reviving traditional water systemsThe historical city of Bengaluru (Bangalore), India, was once a landscape characterised by its numerous lakes, ponds, and wells, which have gradually disappeared due to rapid urbanization. Rainwater harvesting is now essential to urban Bengaluru, and required by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The board, gave impulse to the campaign the Million wells for Bengaluru, an ongoing initiative to build one million shallow wells using traditional well-digging techniques in Bengaluru. The project was conceptualised and developed in 2015 by a local engineering and architectural studio. For its implementation, the initiative counts on multiple partnerships. Stakeholders involve the studio itself, industries that provide funds, governmental agencies that provide different types of support, and local communities, who are actively engaged in construction and management of wells, among many others. The intervention aims to improve the water availability and management in the city by traditional solutions using shallow wells as rainwater catchers that increase the groundwater table while providing livelihoods to the community of traditional well-diggers. At the same time, the project aims at building a water culture in the city, where people value water availability and management and take responsibility for managing groundwater collectively, not just as a resource to be extracted but also conserved and managed with community participation. The project is composed of four key areas of action:
This initiative for the revival of traditional water systems integrates traditional practices and historical elements of the city with ecological sustainability and water management. At the same time, the campaign aims at showing the potential for private initiatives to contribute to sustainable urban development and enhanced environmental sustainability. Five years into the project, the project team has noted an increase in the groundwater table in places where groundwater recharge wells have been implemented, and a growth in the activity of traditional well-digging communities. The project is expected to be completed in 2025. (Information, evaluation and images shared by Vishwanath Srikantaiah,BIOME Environmental Solutions. Bengaluru is not inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.) |
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Reflections of an ExpertProf. ZHOU Jian
Urban Conservation and Development in ChinaThe 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation (HUL Recommendation) approach is a major theme for the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP) Shanghai, China. The Institute, as a UNESCO Category II Centre, has been actively involved in advocating for and applying the HUL Recommendation through expert meetings, seminars, training sessions, city pilot programmes and publications. The relevance of the HUL Recommendation is particularly strong in the Asian context, where massive urbanization was unleashed 40 years ago. Its relevance is not for discussing the pros and cons of urbanisation, but rather how to curb chaotic development. In this regard a key idea of the HUL Recommendation builds on retaining heritage values and improving urban liveability in fast-growing cities by intertwining urban heritage conservation and urban development processes. Over the last four decades, in the wake of its Reform and Opening-Up Policy, China has also endeavoured to protect its urban heritage. Fast growing urban development and renewal led to the destruction of a considerable amount of cultural heritage, however, there was also concern for heritage. For example, in 1982, the National Historical and Cultural Cities system (历史文化名城体系) was established and today there are more than 900 cities, towns and villages identified as historical and cultural properties. In the 80s and 90s, scholars such as Prof. Ruan Yisan of Tongji University were instrumental in raising awareness and interest in historic cities in China such as Pingyao, Suzhoun, Tongli, and fostering conservation policies, by undertaking detailed surveys of the cities and developing conservation plans focusing on the city’s fabric and not single buildings, discussing with decision makers at the highest level, as well as training new generations of heritage focused urban planers. The focus at the time was on “preservation”, as it was urgent to safeguard heritage from destruction. Now the approach has shifted to the role and function of urban heritage in relation to today’s lifestyles and the socio-economic development of contemporary China, which at the same time involves the redefinition of heritage values and the expansion of the current heritage conservation system. These different approaches to heritage, which developed gradually over the years, are now reflected at the national policy level and will be enforced in the forthcoming National 14th Five Year Plan, which will be implemented from 2021. In the past decade, the understanding and definition of different types of heritage values have shifted from, scientific, historical and artistic values alone to a much broader approach that encompasses culture at large and socio-economic values related to politics, economy, society, technology, multi-culture histories, ethnography and geography, urban forms, reflecting China’s cultural diversity in time and space. This change in defining values has influenced conservation and protection objectives. Not only overall protection methods need to be strengthened but also the idea of what is protected needs to be expanded to further consider, historical urban patterns and textures, the setting, the environment, the surrounding natural landscapes, the environment and the ecological systems of cities, towns and villages. This will be essential to recognise and emphasize the inter relations of historical contexts, morphology, cultural specificity and larger territorial scales. Another key shift is in changing the understanding of the roles and functions of heritage and traditional culture by turning heritage into a driving force for urban development. As previously underlined, 40 years ago, the financial resources needed to maintain urban heritage in a fast-developing economy were lacking. Today, heritage must become an active component of sustainability. Otherwise, even if it is preserved, heritage in isolation will decline and not escape destruction. Heritage and traditional culture should be further integrated into people’s daily lives, contributing to their well-being and fostering high-quality development of cities and their surrounding territories by promoting its values. Finally, the integration of historical and heritage features in urban and large-scale territorial development is a key issue. How can historical urban patterns and the traditional urban fabric, architectural styles, traditional building construction know-how, landscapes and so on, be maintained? Furthermore, how can they be enhanced as well as influence the renewal processes in urban and rural areas ? One of the challenges for the coming years is to respect the local, social and historical significance of each place whatever its scale. This particularly applies to rural areas, which are most subject to change. The past forty years have seen a tremendous paradigm shift in conservation; the next decades should witness a shift in the practice of managing change. Prof ZHOU Jian Photograph provided by WHITRAP |
Our Partners |
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New European Bauhaus |
European Commission: Launch of the Design phase of the New European BauhausOn Monday 18 January, the Commission launched the design phase of the New European Bauhaus initiative. The New European Bauhaus is “an environmental, economic and cultural project, aiming to combine design, sustainability, accessibility, affordability and investment in order to help deliver the European Green Deal.” This event also coincides with the launch of the New European Bauhaus website, which will be the key tool of the co-design phase. |
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Doñana National Park (Spain) |
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Online Panel Discussion Wetlands: Securing Freshwater For AllOn the occasion of World Wetlands Day on 1 February 2021, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands organised an online discussion panel on the topic “Wetlands and Water”. The event highlighted the important role of wetlands for freshwater security and to achieving SDG 6 on ensuring availability of water. The high-level event was moderated by the Secretary General of the Convention and featured diverse speakers from academia and the private and public sectors. The speakers provided insights on why we need to upscale and accelerate initiatives that conserve wetlands and all freshwater ecosystems to ensure freshwater for all. In recognition of the importance of wetlands for sustainable urban futures, Ramsar has launched a new initiative called Ramsar City Accreditation. The program aims to “encourage cities in close proximity to and dependent on wetlands, especially Wetlands of International Importance, to highlight and strengthen a positive relationship with these valuable ecosystems”. |
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Climate change explained - what is it and why should we be concerned? Source: ICLEI Africa Youtube channel, 2020 |
Video series: Adapting to climate change and enhancing resilienceICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. This series of five short videos aims to help city officials understand the basic principles and concepts of climate change, climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, the Paris Agreement and adaptation planning. |
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Publications of interest |
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Cultural Heritage Essentials: Policy findings for city makers, urban practitioners, and cultural heritage loversCecile Houpert, Gamze Z. Dane, Sylvia Amann, Francesco Cappellano, Lucy Latham, Luis Moreno, Miguel Rivas (2020) Eurocities “How can we convert historic cities into resilient, sustainable, and creative cities?” This is the central question at the core of the new Eurocities publication, gathering insights, lessons and experiences from the ROCK project. The book is directed to policy makers, urban practitioners and cultural heritage lovers alike. It contains nine papers covering a wide range of topics, including governance models, sustainable reuse, participatory approaches and resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication is available both as an e-book and in hard copy. |
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Practical Lessons for Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Principles for RecoveryInternational Recovery Platform (2020) UNESCO is part of the International Recovery Platform, an inter-agency platform to share the experience and lessons on “building back better” from natural hazards. The publication offers a set of guiding, action-oriented principles and practical cases to support recovering communities as they plan and implement recovery. The principles focus on key cross-cutting issues for recovery such as building back better and greener, inclusive and people-centered recovery. It offers a roadmap of options to guide recovery efforts, based on applied disaster recovery experience, and established methods and evidence. |
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World Heritage, Place Making and Sustainable TourismTowards Integrative Approaches in Heritage Management The book, published in paper by StudienVerlag addresses the nowadays very relevant topic of how World Heritage can be managed while making tourism more sustainable. “The management of World Heritage Cities and sites is a challenging task. Getting visitor flows and the enormous traffic under control and implementing urban development projects in ways that preserve the integrity and authenticity of cultural heritage requires a high level of expertise, backed by the support of civil society and politics… An updated chapter offers perspectives on sustainable tourism also after the COVID-19 pandemic.” |
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Opportunities |
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2021 Call for nominations UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural LandscapesThis Prize rewards outstanding actions to safeguard and enhance the world’s outstanding cultural landscapes which contribute directly and significantly to the goals set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Prize may be awarded to an individual, an institution or a non-governmental organization, and will receive an award of 30,000 USD. The nomination process takes place online through the UNESCO website. Online nominations in English or French should be sent to UNESCO by 30 April 2021 at the latest (midnight Paris time, UTC+1). Deadline: 12 March 2021. |
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5th edition of the European Award for Architectural Heritage InterventionThe registration of the 5th edition of the European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention is open until March 12th, 2021. The biennial contest is organized with the support of the COAC (Architects' Association of Catalonia) and AADIPA (Association of Architects for the Defence and Intervention in Architectural Heritage), and aims to distinguish good practices in heritage interventions and contribute to their dissemination. The contest presents 4 different categories: Built Heritage, Exterior Spaces, Urban Planning and Disclosure, with an additional Special Restoration Mention. Deadline: 12 March 2021. |
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Call for submissions:
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Call for Papers:
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World Heritage site of Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons), Mali. Dogon Village; |
Call for papers: African Journal of Landscape Architecture
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Call for Applications-Professional Immersion Fellowship: African World Heritage Fund
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Note: The practices shared in Urban Notebooks are not assessed in any way by the World Heritage Centre or presented here as model practices nor do they represent complete solutions to heritage management problems. The views expressed by experts and Site Managers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Heritage Centre. The practices and views shared here are included in Urban Notebooks as a way to provide insights and expand the dialogue on urban heritage with a view to further urban heritage management practice in general. The cases shared in Urban Notebooks address heritage protection practices in World Heritage sites and beyond. Practices and examples showcased in the newsletter do not entail any recognition of inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List or any of its thematic programmes. |
Guidelines for ContributionsUrban Notebooks is a way for World Heritage Cities to share up-to-date information, practices and opportunities around the world. Please share with us your challenges and projects. Share with us the initiatives and activities related to culture in your city in response to the COVID-19. Please share opportunities as well. Your contributions will make the Urban Notebooks better. Keep us updated!
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Share on Social Media Send us your current contact details and stay updated on our latest initiatives Find the form for submissions here (English/French) and Grant of Rights document (English/French) |
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The Team of the World Heritage Cities Programme We gratefully acknowledge the support of the City of Nanjing We gratefully acknowledge the Subdirección General de Gestión y Coordinación de los Bienes culturales (formerly Subdirección General de Protección del Patrimonio Histórico) of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Government of Spain for the translation of this bulletin into Spanish Published in 2021 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France under CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO license 
© UNESCO 2021 |