Visual Integrity of Historic Urban Landscapes: Normative Action and Implementation

Ref.: 275
Key theme: 03 Visual integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 29/10/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

VON SCHORLEMER, Sabine * (Germany) - Technical University of Dresden

ABSTRACT

I. Concept
It was suggested to define Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL) as complexes that are dominated by man-made components, whereas cultural landscapes are dominated by natural elements that are the result of human intervention. A new definition may be useful in order to include also the intangible dimension of the urban heritage and to take into consideration the relationship between the urban landscape and intangible heritage. The Vienna memorandum stated that the "historic urban landscape is embedded with current and past social expressions and developments that are place-based". From a legal point of view it would be possible to regard ´Historic Urban Landscapes´ as a subcategory of ´cultural landscapes´ (Para 47, WHC.08/01, January 2008).

II. Background of the Paper
Some of the "lessons learned" from the threats concerning the visual integrity of the Cologne Cathedral (skyscrapers) and of the Dresden Elbe Valley with its splendid view on the Baroque City and the Elbe (Waldschlösschen Bridge) may be useful in the context of HUL. The arduous controversies show that (1) urban and regional management policies (i.e. planning procedures; public referendum) in combination with (2) various judicial proceedings on the national level and (3) the fact that the national legislation of the States Party concerned does not know any special requirements for the treatment of UNESCO World Heritage sites (despite numerous national laws applicable to historic monuments), are crucial factors for a dysfunctional transformation process that risks to destroy the visual integrity of a site.

III. Outline of the Paper and underlying assumption
The Paper aims at analysing the question of normative action for conservation of the visual integrity of the cultural property, implementation of obligations by stakeholders, in particular on the local level, and participation of local communities /media in conservation efforts. One of the general assumptions of the Paper is that with insufficient policies to recognize and facilitate sustainable use of heritage assets, HUL will get increasingly under pressure by new economic and social developments. In order to harmoniously integrate contemporary architecture into HUL, a stronger focus should be put also on the necessary balancing of interests and the importance of non-binding dispute settlement procedures (i.e. Round Tables; fact-finding; mediation; conciliation).
It will be argued that the ´limits´ to contemporary architecture in a HUL should be specified more clearly in the normative context, requiring also a definition of "visual integrity".

IV. Cultural sustainability
Cultural sustainability´ may be considered as an overriding guiding principle in the context of HUL. As the UNESCO General Assembly has emphasized in its "Declaration on the Conservation of Historic Urban Landscapes" of 23 September 2005, the "central challenge of contemporary architecture in the historic urban landscape is to respond to development dynamics in order to facilitate socio-economic changes and growth on the one hand, while simultaneously respecting the inherited townscape and its landscape setting on the other" (Decision 29 COM 5D, Para. 2). Integrating the dimension of culture into sustainable development is still relatively new concept, the value of cultural diversity being part of it.

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