Cities tell the story of humanity.
Today, more than half of humanity lives in urban areas, and the number is projected to rise to nearly 70% percent by 2050.
The combination of history, culture, nature and heritage makes cities a unique and integral part of the world’s diversity. This multi-layered ‘urban landscape’ is also a major. economic and social engines to create a liveable, viable, human-centred city.
As cities flourish, they face growing demands. Urbanization, population growth and globalization have prompted rapid development, often at odds with urban heritage conservation. The effects of climate change and natural disasters are tangibly felt by cities, threatening their way of life.
The UNESCO 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) proposes a new perspective on cities – urban development and heritage conservation as complementing elements towards sustainable urban futures, rather conflicting interests.
UNESCO invites all cities and towns to join the Call for Action to raise awareness about the Recommendation and to accelerate inclusive urban and heritage management through HUL. To join the call, cities should commit to at least one of the three key actions:
Action 1
Sensitize local and national actors about the HUL approach and encourage its implementation, based on the key principles of the HUL
Action 2
Promote a local consultation process to empower stakeholders including NGOs, public and private stakeholders to support a HUL-driven urban development by joining the UNESCO network and exchanging on good practices
Action 3
Develop local heritage management actions based on the HUL approach by joining the UNESCO network and exchanging on good practices.
