The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve.
| Title | Sites | State Parties | Description | Category | Date updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNESCO Urban Heritage Atlas: Cultural mapping for historic cities and settlements | The Urban Heritage Atlas is an atlas and an archive that documents and explains, visually, narratively and with analytical maps, the diversity and uniqueness of the world’s historic cities and settlements. As such, ... | 2024-05-27 | |||
| UNESCO Urban Heritage Atlas: Cultural mapping of historic cities and settlements| Ancient ksour of Ouadane, ... | Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata | Mauritania | Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that ... | 2024-03-21 | |
| Accessible cultural tourism in the old city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) | City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications | Luxembourg | On the 25th Anniversary of the site's inscription on the World Heritage List, new tours aim to open the World Heritage site to everyone, including citizens with special needs. By partnering with relevant community ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2023-02-16 |
| Adapting the approach of the HUL Recommendation for Indonesian universities | Indonesia | The 2021 publication Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Quick Scan Method. Handbook for Indonesian University Lecturers aims to adapt the HUL Approach to the Indonesian context and promote interdisciplinary learning in ... | Knowledge & Skills | 2024-04-30 | |
| Atlas World Heritage: sharing knowledge and skills amongst European World Heritage cities | Bordeaux, Port of the Moon Historic Centre of Florence Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar Old and New Towns of Edinburgh Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) |
France · Italy · Portugal · Spain · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The initiative Atlas World Heritage brings together the cities of Florence, Santiago de Compostela, Edinburgh, Oporto, Bordeaux to share their experiences and strategies to safeguard the sites’ OUV. The project has ... | Knowledge & Skills | 2023-02-16 |
| Balancing development and conservation in Grand-Bassam (Côte d’Ivoire) | Historic Town of Grand-Bassam | Côte d'Ivoire | The inscription of the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam on the World Heritage List has provided new opportunities to promote sustainable development in the city. From the creation of a local World Heritage management ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-05-18 |
| Call for case studies “Historic Cities in Development: Keys for Understanding and Action”. A Compilation of Case ... | This project is headed by the OWHC - Organization of World Heritage Cities and it is coordinated by the General Secretariat of the OWHC and the City of Lyon (member of the OWHC) in collaboration with: UNESCO's ... | 2022-06-27 | |||
| Cash for work: promoting local employment through heritage conservation in historic cities (Yemen) | Historic Town of Zabid Old City of Sana'a Old Walled City of Shibam |
Yemen | In the context of long-standing conflict, a cash-for-work scheme provides young people with employment opportunities while contributing to the conservation of urban heritage in four historic cities. | Gender Equality Peace & Security Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Celebrating community and heritage through the George Town Heritage Celebrations (Malaysia) | Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca | Malaysia | The annual celebration features an interactive and educational programme that includes workshops and performances in the streets of the historic city of George Town. Through the Celebrations, the local communities ... | Gender Equality Inclusion & Participation |
2022-06-27 |
| Challenges and opportunities of historic urban centres: case study of the Medina of Tunis (Tunisia) | Medina of Tunis | Tunisia | To protect this historic site at the centre of a bustling metropolis and promote its sustainable development, several actions are addressing the preservation and promotion of its cultural heritage. | Environment & Resilience | 2022-06-27 |
| Community-centred revitalisation of Souq al-Silah in Cairo (Egypt) | Historic Cairo | Egypt | A long-standing project has been working to revitalise a commercial street in the historic district of Darb al-Ahmar and reconnect the local community with their cultural heritage. The project, developed with help ... | Gender Equality Inclusion & Participation Knowledge & Skills Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Community-led urban planning in Durham (United Kingdom) | Durham Castle and Cathedral | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The City of Durham Neighbourhood Plan was developed between 2014 and 2021 following a comprehensive community-centred approach, which included a Neighbourhood Forum, extensive consultations and a public referendum. ... | Environment & Resilience Inclusion & Participation |
2022-06-27 |
| Connecting young people with their cultural heritage in Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation) | Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments | Russian Federation | The community event encourages young people to deepen their knowledge about cultural heritage and propose ideas for its conservation through workshops, cultural visits, educational activities and an ideas ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2023-02-16 |
| Conservation and revitalisation programme of Ancient City of Ping Yao (China) | Ancient City of Ping Yao | China | Through innovative management and financing models and a combination of conservation actions aimed at both tangible and intangible heritage, the programme aims to make a contribution to the long-term sustainability ... | Environment & Resilience Inclusion & Participation |
2023-02-16 |
| Conservation as a driver for development: the case of Vigan (Philippines) | Historic City of Vigan | Philippines | Along with the nomination process of the Historic City of Vigan as a World Heritage site in 1999, the local government developed an ambitious conservation and management plan for the site. By implementing this ... | Prosperity & Livelihood | 2023-02-16 |
| Consulting with community to understand heritage values during the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne (Australia) | Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens | Australia | In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Heritage site “Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens” began a process to review its World Heritage Management Plan. The review process began with a community ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2023-02-16 |
| Creating a shared framework in the serial World Heritage property of Mantua and Sabbioneta (Italy) | Mantua and Sabbioneta | Italy | In order to improve the coordination between the two component cities of this serial property, the Municipalities of Mantua and Sabbioneta have created a central management office. This office is in charge of ... | Environment & Resilience | 2023-02-16 |
| Creative youth at Indonesian heritage sites | Borobudur Temple Compounds Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy Prambanan Temple Compounds |
Indonesia | A programme by UNESCO Jakarta and Citi Foundation aims to promote youth entrepreneurship and raise awareness about cultural and natural heritage by linking local communities’ livelihoods with the heritage sites. | Prosperity & Livelihood | 2022-06-27 |
| Cultural entrepreneurship in Cidade Velha, Ribeira Grande (Cabo Verde) | Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande | Cabo Verde | A wide-ranging programme aims to build capacity amongst local residents to understand the potentials offered by cultural heritage, by supporting and enhancing local cultural entrepreneurship. The initiative includes ... | Gender Equality Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Daily monitoring system of heritage sites in the Baekje Historic Areas (Republic of Korea) | Baekje Historic Areas | Republic of Korea | The daily monitoring of the conservation status of the heritage sites is carried out by local residents, who were trained as daily heritage inspectors by the managing authority. This monitoring system is a flexible, ... | Inclusion & Participation Knowledge & Skills Prosperity & Livelihood |
2022-06-27 |
| Developing a new methodology for urban regeneration: the ROCK project in Bologna (Italy) | The Porticoes of Bologna | Italy | A pilot project to enhance public spaces using participatory processes helped to identify key lessons which can be later applied to other areas and cities. | Knowledge & Skills | 2023-02-16 |
| Developing a participatory approach to World Heritage management in Mtskheta (Georgia) | Historical Monuments of Mtskheta | Georgia | National and local stakeholders are brought together in the Georgian World Heritage Protection Council. The Council reviews all proposals within the World Heritage properties and buffer zones and ensures adequate ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2022-06-27 |
| Establishing a dialogue between site management and residents in the Historic Centre of Salzburg (Austria) | Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg | Austria | A community engagement programme has provided key data and inputs for the sustainable development of the World Heritage site. | Inclusion & Participation | 2023-02-16 |
| From port city to World Heritage site: case study of George Town (Malaysia) | Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca | Malaysia | The multi-cultural historic city of George Town developed a strategy to build on its rich and diverse cultural heritage as a resource for local development and livelihoods after its free trade port status was ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2024-03-18 |
| Guidebook for urban and architectural regulation of Cidade Velha (Cabo Verde) | Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande | Cabo Verde | The Guidebook aims to make the urban legislation of the city of Cidade Velha more accessible and understandable to the public. This document constitutes an exemplary tool for awareness raising of local communities ... | Environment & Resilience | 2022-06-27 |
| Heritage Education Programme in Puebla (Mexico) | Historic Centre of Puebla | Mexico | The local government of Puebla has developed a comprehensive Heritage Education Programme to raise awareness about the city’s cultural heritage and aid its conservation. The programme includes educational events, ... | Inclusion & Participation Knowledge & Skills |
2022-06-27 |
| Heritage-based city branding in Trogir (Croatia) | Historic City of Trogir | Croatia | A new city branding strategy based on cultural values and community participation aims to enhance Trogir’s attractiveness as a destination for cultural tourism. | Prosperity & Livelihood | 2023-12-28 |
| Heritage-based urban planning for Sustainable Development in Gwalior and Orchha (India) | India | A new initiative aims to implement the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in the Indian cities of Gwalior and Orchha. The project is born out of a collaboration between the ... | Environment & Resilience Knowledge & Skills |
2022-06-27 | |
| Improving the environmental, cultural and social sustainability of the Historic Centre of Urbino (Italy) | Historic Centre of Urbino | Italy | Through a series of strategic actions, Urbino has sought to improve its environmental sustainability and promote climate change mitigation and adaptation. An update of the management plan is currently under way in ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Improving water availability and sustainability by reviving traditional water systems in Bengaluru (India) | India | The Million wells for Bengaluru campaign is an initiative to build one million shallow wells using traditional well-digging techniques. The initiative for the revival of traditional water systems integrates ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Knowledge & Skills Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 | |
| Integrating cultural and natural heritage values in urban development processes in Lyon (France) | Historic Site of Lyon | France | The 2019 urban plan aims to protect cultural and natural heritage values and their attributes through specific planning tools, such as green and blue infrastructure planning and the development of heritage ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience |
2023-07-12 |
| Literary tourism in the university town of Coimbra (Portugal) | University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia | Portugal | A project to create a digital map of places associated with literature aims to promote sustainable cultural tourism, relieving tourism pressures in the historic areas and encouraging visitors to explore other parts ... | Prosperity & Livelihood | 2023-02-16 |
| Local management system of the Historic Town of Guanajuato (Mexico) | Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines | Mexico | The system includes a new local coordination office dedicated to the conservation and sustainable development of the historic centre. | Environment & Resilience | 2023-02-16 |
| Monitoring the implementation of the World Heritage Management and Action Plan in the Historic Centre of Florence ... | Historic Centre of Florence | Italy | An innovative initiative employs the Sustainable Development Goals as monitoring tools to track the contribution of heritage-related initiatives towards sustainable development. | Environment & Resilience Knowledge & Skills |
2023-02-16 |
| Participatory budgeting in Trogir (Croatia) | Historic City of Trogir | Croatia | The participatory budgeting and decision-making model enables local residents to decide on the application of part of the city’s budget and the practical initiatives to be carried out in their city. | Inclusion & Participation | 2022-06-27 |
| Pedestrianisation of historic streets and public spaces in Graz (Austria) | City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg | Austria | As part of a wider effort to create a pedestrian-only zone in the historic centre, the city of Graz carried an ambitious programme to re-design its historic streets and public spaces through high-quality design ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience |
2023-02-16 |
| Polo del '900: an inclusive, multi-functional cultural centre in downtown Turin (Italy) | Residences of the Royal House of Savoy | Italy | The model of the Polo del 900 proposes collaboration as a solution for institutional and cultural fragmentation which forms the core of a new ecology of creative cultural systems and puts community at the core of ... | Environment & Resilience Gender Equality Inclusion & Participation Knowledge & Skills |
2023-02-16 |
| Preserving traditional farming through cooperative systems in Røros (Norway) | Røros Mining Town and the Circumference | Norway | A farming cooperative system conserves the agricultural landscape around the historic town of Røros and promotes sustainable tourism. | Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation in Lamu Old Town (Kenya) | Lamu Old Town | Kenya | Lamu Old Town faces multiple threats from climate change, energy needs and rapid social and economic transformation. The Lamu Old town management plan and the Lamu Municipality Waste Management Policy focused on ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2024-04-17 |
| Promoting field-based heritage education in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) | Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena | Colombia | In early 2020, the University of Pennsylvania carried out a field research seminar in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The educational exercise was used as an opportunity to study the city’s cultural heritage in more ... | Knowledge & Skills | 2022-06-27 |
| Promoting local businesses in Mexican World Heritage Cities | Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco Historic Centre of Morelia Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán Historic Centre of Puebla Historic Centre of Zacatecas Historic Fortified Town of Campeche Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco |
Mexico | An online platform connects and supports small- and medium-sized enterprises located in World Heritage Cities in Mexico, promoting national tourism and increasing local businesses' digital presence. | Prosperity & Livelihood | 2023-02-16 |
| Promoting local development through heritage conservation and enhancement and tourism in the Island of Saint-Louis ... | Island of Saint-Louis | Senegal | After the World Heritage Committee warned in 2016 that the poor state of conservation of the property could lead to its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a number of local, national and ... | Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Promoting traditional environmental knowledge in the M’Zab Valley (Algeria) | M'Zab Valley | Algeria | The traditional settlements of the M’Zab valley were adapted to their environment and climate. Floodable areas were occupied only by temporary structures and not by dwellings. Water infrastructure was a core ... | Climate Change Knowledge & Skills |
2023-02-16 |
| Reconstruction of the destroyed mausoleums of Timbuktu (Mali) | Timbuktu | Mali | After armed conflict resulted in the destruction of several historical mausoleums, these were reconstructed using traditional knowledge systems as part of an international cooperation campaign. The reconstruction of ... | Peace & Security | 2023-07-12 |
| Reintroduction of hydropower in the mills district of the Town of Bamberg (Germany) | Town of Bamberg | Germany | The installation of a new water turbine at the site of the former water mills in the Town of Bamberg follows traditional water practices while respecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. The new ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-07-12 |
| Rubem Braga Elevator Complex: connecting the favelas with the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea | Brazil | An urban intervention becomes a major gateway linking the favelas and the lower city via two elevators, stairs and a pedestrian bridge. The complex was built on the premise of fostering inclusivity for the urban ... | Environment & Resilience | 2023-02-16 |
| Setting up a World Heritage management framework in Kyiv (Ukraine) | Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra | Ukraine | A new, unified buffer zone and a management plan aim to preserve the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage site “Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” and ... | Environment & Resilience | 2023-02-16 |
| Strengthening residents’ connection with their gardening heritage in Bamberg (Germany) | Town of Bamberg | Germany | In the city of Bamberg, traditional gardening practices are part of the city’s strategy to promote urban sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic helped to strengthen the local community’s connection with its gardening ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience Prosperity & Livelihood |
2023-02-16 |
| Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of the historic city of L’Aquila (Italy) | Italy | The long-term plan aims to promote sustainable urban transportation, reduce emissions and pollution, and enhance liveability in the historic city by enhancing cycling networks and infrastructure, improving existing ... | Climate Change Environment & Resilience |
2023-02-16 | |
| Taking nature into account in the World Heritage Management plan of Strasbourg (France) | Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt | France | An update of the World Heritage management plan and urban planning tools seeks to integrate cultural and natural heritage values and their attributes in order to improve the city’s liveability and micro-climate. | Climate Change Environment & Resilience |
2023-02-16 |
| Testing the role of digital technologies in recording values of human settlements in Asia and the Pacific | Australia · China · India | A research project tests tools such as photogrammetry, laser scanning and community mapping, to record the interaction between tangible and intangible layers of traditional settlements in China and India. | Inclusion & Participation Knowledge & Skills |
2023-07-12 | |
| Update of the Management Plan of the Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro (Mexico) | Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro | Mexico | The revised Management Plan includes several strategic actions, such as urban rehabilitation and renovation programmes, regularisation of informal settlement and enhancement of public spaces. | Environment & Resilience | 2023-02-16 |
| Urban Notebooks | Urban Notebooks The e-magazine of the World Heritage Cities Programme features diverse voices on urban heritage, practices, and opinion pieces. February 2022 Issue 20 Dr. Patricia E. ... | Cities Other materials Publications Urban Context |
2022-10-17 | ||
| Washing of the Valongo Wharf, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site | Brazil | The symbolic ritual of cleaning and purification pays tribute to the spirits of the African ancestors who reached this entry port in captivity. The ritual started shortly after the discovery of the remains in 2011, ... | Inclusion & Participation | 2023-02-16 |