The figures are known: more than 60 cities in the world, mayors and senior officials, experts with knowledge. The parallel program of events, which will affect the entire population, is also known, thanks to the interpretation in the Mosque-Cathedral from Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” to the drone show on the night of the 27th.
For the City Hall, the importance is such that it coincided with the publication of the Historic Center Management Plan with the quote, as a sign of your commitment to the goals.
The Congress of the Organization of Cities World Heritage It arrives this Tuesday after a long preparation of the City Hall and after the institutional speeches and with the parallel events, the program will address many of the issues that most concern the leaders of the monumental cities. They can be similar or different, but they will put them in common because there are problems that concern everyone.
The congress, which is celebrating its 17th edition, is expected to speak in general terms about the habitability historic centres. If a century or even half a century ago many of them were as populated as any neighbourhood outside the walls today and were indistinguishable from any other place, the arrival of the tourism and social changes have left them partly with a small population. Participants will talk about this, from the first hour.
Axles
The congress will have four strategic axes around habitability: requalifying housing, transforming mobility, refreshing the city and regenerating the urban environment. Inside Congress Palace will be put on the table this Tuesday morning, even if they will not begin to be examined in depth until tomorrow, when Prosper Wannersociologist and coordinator of the Europa Faro network on the right to cultural heritage.
From there the cities will meet domains worldwide: Southern Europe and Mediterranean, Asia-Pacific, Northwestern Europe and North America, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe.
The first strategic axis is called reclassification of housing and will be used to discuss the measures that must be taken so that places declared as world heritage sites have once again neighbors.
Several points are raised, among which it is more difficult to convert buildings into tourist apartments, but also for the Administration to buy properties, improve connectivity with residential areas and improve the services offered to residents of the area. Historic center.
Four axes will seek to restore the attractiveness of historic districts, from traffic to rehabilitation
The city’s cooling axis will provide measures against climate change and prevent it from making life more difficult in old neighborhoods. This goal will be achieved through the implementation of more vegetation and to take care of what already exists, but also with the involvement of the residents.
Another third axis will serve to transform mobility: it will involve replacing motorized traffic with other modes of transport. sustainable transport. Measures such as a “public and active, eco-responsible” transport network will be studied here, which offers real alternatives to those who wish to reach the territory.
A fourth pillar crosses the regeneration of the urban environment. This must be achieved by identifying the elements and values that contribute to collective identity.
Therefore, it is also necessary to study the use that some buildings should have when they do not have the original, in addition to identifying the original construction techniques. At the meeting, compliance with the roadmap of Quebecwhich was established at the 2022 meeting.
