World Heritage Cities Programme – City Focus

Virtual visits to Bamberg World Heritage Visitor Centre, Germany

As movement restrictions difficult citizens’ access to World Heritage sites, the Bamberg World Heritage Visitor Centre is providing alternative means to access the centre and learn about Bamberg’s rich cultural heritage. The city recently launched a virtual replica of the visitor centre which allows e-visitors to browse through the exhibitions at their own pace and from the safety of their homes.

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Learn more about Bamberg`s World Heritage site “Town of Bamberg”

(Bamberg is part of the World Heritage Cities Programme)

New plans for urban agriculture in Utrecht, Netherlands

The Dutch city of Utrecht, home to the World Heritage site of “Rietveld Schröderhuis” (Rietveld Schröder House), has unveiled their plans to include a food forest in their new residential development, reports the European Portal for Cities and Citizens.

Green spaces can significantly enhance the quality of life of local residents. The WHO 2016 Report Urban green spaces and health -a review of evidence showed that green spaces “can promote mental and physical health, and reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents by providing psychological relaxation and stress alleviation, stimulating social cohesion, supporting physical activity, and reducing exposure to air pollutants, noise and excessive heat.”

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(Utrecht is not part of the World Heritage Cities Programme)

The future of the Porta Romana railway area in Milan

The project of the Fondazione Prada, a cultural centre located in a former 1910s industrial distillery in Milan (Italy), delivered a successful alliance between urban regeneration, heritage preservation and private development. Here, Domus interviews key stakeholders Carlo Mazzi and Manfredi Catella, on the future of what will become one of the major projects of re-development of inner-city industrial sites in Europe.

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Lear more about Milan`s World Heritage Site “Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci”

(Milan is part of the World Heritage Cities Programme)

Poetry for the People, in Public Spaces: bringing art to the residents of New York City

Since 2018, the poetry collective Queensbound has been bringing poetry to the everyday life of local residents, from public spaces to subway stations, “reframing the connective tissue of public space as something with a deeper emotional resonance”. In this new issue of Dispatch, the podcast of Urban Omnibus and the Architectural League of New York, founder KCs Trommer and board members Nadia Q. Ahmad and Jared Harél give an insight into this project and how their work contributes to the spirit of place.

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(New York is not part of the World Heritage Cities Programme)

2021 ICAHM Annual Meeting: Archaeological Heritage Management: Towards a People-centred Approach

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) will take place online between 21 and 23 June 2021. As archaeological sites can have a crucial role in historic cities, people-centred approaches to archaeological site management can affect the relationship between residents and their cultural heritage.

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ICCROM: Webinar New strategies and the social role of heritage

This webinar, organised by ICCROM in Spanish, took place on 14 January 2021. It showcased the strategies employed by cultural sites to creatively engage with their visitors they were closed during the pandemic. At the same time, the webinar included examples of strategies of adaptation to the new normal.

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IUCN: Launch of New Panorama thematic community Sustainable Urban Development and Resilience

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently launched a new PANORAMA thematic community, hosted by World Bank Group and IUCN Urban Alliance. The selected case studies showcase pragmatic solutions to pressing urban challenges, drawing on research and project experience from across the world. The selection includes case studies from World Heritage Cities such as Paris, Mexico City and Barcelona.

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Union for the Mediterranean: Building equal, safe and inclusive post-COVID societies for women and girls: how can Med regions and cities take the lead?

The recording of the webinar Building equal, safe and inclusive post-COVID societies for women and girls: how can Med regions and cities take the lead? is now available online. The webinar was initially broadcast a side event of the V UfM Women4Mediterranean Conference 2020, which took place online from 16-20 November 2020. The event included the participation of diverse stakeholders in gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

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Bordeaux: Boulevards from Here and Elsewhere is now available online

The recording and presentation material of the study day “Boulevards d’ici & d’ailleurs” (Boulevards from here and elsewhere) are now available online through the Organisation of World Heritage Cities. The event was part of the World Heritage Sites Week organised in September 2020 by the Bordeaux Métropole, in partnership with the city of Bordeaux, France, and in the context of the Atlas-WH network.

Access the videos and presentations

Save the date: Heritage and Our Sustainable Future Conference

The upcoming virtual conference Heritage and Our Sustainable Future: Research, Practice, Policy and Impact will take place from 22 February to 5 March 2021. The event is organised by the UK National Commission for UNESCO and Praxis at the University of Leeds. The event will bring together a diverse range of cultural heritage and sustainable development contributors for discussions on the role of cultural heritage to drive forward the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in ODA-eligible countries.

Expressions of interest are now open.

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