New publication of the Consolidated Results on the Implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape

UNESCO has launched a new publication with the Consolidated Results of the Third Member States Consultation on the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL Recommendation).

From June to November 2022, UNESCO Member States were invited to report on implementing the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape for 2019-2022. One hundred and eighty-seven national and city-level reports from 69 Member States across all regions were received.

The Consolidated Results of the Third Member States Consultation on the Implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, including the national and city-level reports, confirm the importance of the HUL Recommendation and the urgency of mainstreaming this normative instrument as a tool for managing urban heritage in and around cities and settlements. This is all the more relevant at a time when cities and settlements are under pressure from uncontrolled urbanization and ill-conceived urban development projects, climate change and other global challenges at the local level. Implementation of the HUL Recommendation would enhance the resilience and sustainability of heritage and local communities in historic urban areas, address current global challenges, and foster inclusive and sustainable local development.

The Consultation as well as the national and local reports cover six thematic areas of implementation, which capture the key principles of the HUL Recommendation in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development framework. These areas include mapping and inventorying of heritage values and attributes, governance mechanisms, laws, regulations, and planning tools to protect these different attributes, inclusive and participatory decision-making, equitable economic development, the impacts of climate change, and the use of digital technologies for managing urban heritage, including capacity building.

The outcomes of the Third Member States Consultation were reviewed by a group of international experts who provided recommendations. Key recommendations include exchanging innovative practices and experiences at the international level and developing guidance, tools, capacity-building materials and initiatives on planning, civic engagement, regulatory frameworks and financial mechanisms and management to support the operationalization of the HUL Recommendation’s provisions by Member States.