Brasilia

• Urban pressure that may affect the original city plan (Plano Piloto) that warranted inscription in the World Heritage List 
• Lack of a Master Plan

In February 2014, in response to Decision 37 COM 7B.93, the State Party submitted reports on the progress in the preparation of the Preservation Plan of Brasilia’s Urban Area (PPCUB), and infrastructure development around the Stadium and its surroundings/Public Transportation Strategy. The reports included detailed information on infrastructure projects in three sectors of the urban area: the Monumental Axis (introducing bicycle lanes), the surroundings of the Stadium (organizing the vehicular and pedestrian access and parking spaces respecting the Pilot Plan) and those of the Television Tower (recovering the landscape design by Roberto Burle Marx), as well as projects linked to the public transportation strategies improving the connections of the Pilot Plan with the surrounding areas. Regarding the preparation of the PPCUB by a Technical Working group (GTT), the State Party reported that there had been significant improvements mainly regarding the definitions on the characteristics of the Urban Scales, and on the classification of each sector according to its preservation values.

However, on 29 January 2015, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is accessible at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/445/documents/. The report informs that the PPCUB process was interrupted due to institutional and legal matters and the election process that took place in 2014. The newly elected Government of the Federal District (GDF) that took office in January 2015 decided to withdraw the latest version of the PPCUB and to reintroduce it for discussion.

The State Party furthermore informs that contacts have been established between the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN) and the new GDF and that it was agreed that:

• Earlier agreed elements of the PPCUB will be introduced in the discussions;
• A common agenda will be established for the shared management of issued related to the protected areas;
• An agreement of technical support will be signed between the IPHAN and GDF by mid-February 2015 in order to formally establish the shared management arrangements;
• The work on IPHAN’s Ordinance No 314 (regarding the non-aedificandi spaces) will be continued and improved by the end of June 2015.

Regarding the infrastructure development, an ICOMOS Technical Review of June 2014 concluded that the projects do not introduce modifications or create impacts on the layout of the Pilot Plan, the use or other factors of occupancy of the areas (scales) foreseen by Lucio Costa, which are the core attributes of the property. The proposals address problems and issues that have been underscored previously and incorporated improvements related to parking, circulation and pedestrian and vehicle access in the specific sectors where they will be implemented. They also contribute to the recovery of relevant landscaping designs around the Television Tower. The review concludes that these projects will not negatively impact the attributes that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.

As to the preparation of the PPCUB, it should be noted with regret that no significant progress has been made in addressing the recommendations made by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session. The finalization and adoption of the PPCUB remains a matter of extreme urgency to adequately include the conservation and protection of the attributes of the World Heritage property in urban planning mechanisms. The intention to sign a formal agreement between GDF and IPHAN for the shared management and technical support for issues related to the protected area is welcomed. However, a consolidated Management Structure remains of the utmost urgency.

As to the regulations for open spaces in the Pilot Plan, the joint effort is welcomed between IPHAN and GDF to continue and improve the work on complementing and detailing IPHAN Ordinance No 314 regarding the non-aedificandi spaces.

It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit a timetable for the finalization and approval of the PPCUB, a report on the further definition of Ordinance No 314 regarding the open spaces in the Pilot Plan, and to provide the documents that establish the formal cooperation and shared management between GDF and IPHAN as well as the operational arrangements for its implementation.