Historicentres_Net Networking for Sustainability of Historical Centres URBACT II Thematic Network Baseline Study Giorgio Risicaris Lead Expert [email protected] May 2010 Historicentres_Net Baseline Study May 2010 PAG. 1 INDEX 1. Preface 2. Objective and method of the Historicentres_Net Baseline Study 3. State of the Art at European level 3.1 Key reference background for sustainability of historical centres 3.2 Relevant EU projects and historical cities practices 4. Analysis of the state of play in the participating cities 4.1 Description of the Historicentres_Net historic urban landscapes 4.2 Problems and challenges in each city partner 4.3 Experiences and useful local practices in partner cities 4.4 Local Action Plan perspectives of partners 5. Synthesis Annexes Annex 1 “Description of Thematic Areas” Annex 2 “Coherent steps of an action plan for sustainable future in historical centres” Annex 3 “Operational framework for exchange and learning, building the Local Action Plans” Annex 4 “Sustainability in 10 steps for Historical Urban Landscapes” Annex 5 “Time schedule of milestones” The Questionnaires used for the BLS Historicentres_Net Baseline Study May 2010 PAG. 2 1. Preface Large parts of European cities include life quality for residents, higher important heritage values, defined by the management and maintenance costs for Venice Charter firstly as “historical local governments, higher risk and centres”, and actually better defined as consumption of the heritage. “Historic Urban Landscapes”, usually placed in the very inner urban areas, but Both conditions of insufficient and of not only, and these are real living excessive use should be fighted by monuments, where numerous people live, appropriate sustainable planning based work, study, where important on lessons learnt. administrative, economic and social activities and services are located and The reasons of the delay to include in a where exist the physical and cultural sustainable perspective also the historical references of the sense of belonging of inner urban areas of European cities, each city. should be investigated into the specificity of individual cases, but some overall and Urban sustainability is a well integrated common constraints can be stressed: issue in EU urban policies and the related practice is strongly developed, extended • The heritage values of the and performed. historical centres are subjected to But an important link is missing for such protection rules - making quite policies and practices: promote and challenging the application of develop their adaptation and application existing techniques and in the historical parts of our cities, technologies. producing focused approaches that tackle the specific characters, peculiarities, • Social and economic structures of constraints and challenges for historic neighbourhoods are under sustainability of the historical urban severe pressure as a consequence landscape. of their rapid evolution and change - needing dedicated approach Many EU historical cities face problems methods of strategic visions and related to inner-city decay, resulting by a integrated plans. development that made economic activities and many original inhabitants • Land values arise usually over the moving to outer-lying areas and the city averages - making public historical heart of the city gradually policies less efficient and incisive. loosing traditional role. This trend has led to urban sprawl, also caused by weak • High costs for restoration and urban-planning tools and to deterioration maintenance of historic buildings of the built heritage. often produce abandon and deterioration – dramatically Other EU historical cities face opposite contributing to segregation, problems related to inner city excessive marginalization and social alterations. use, mainly by a non sustainable tourist • A generalized trend for a exploitation. This trend has led to lower monopolistic tourist exploitation Historicentres_Net Baseline Study May 2010 PAG. 3 constitute a risky simplification, This Baseline Study is intended to less integrated approach and contribute in building and programming lowering of a sustainable the Historicentres_Net Thematic Network perspective. implementation, by assessing the state of play condition in Europe and in partner • Decision makers and planners do cities, and supporting the aim to go a step not have appropriate tools to ahead (net)working, exchanging and increase quality of life and learning for developing planning environmental sustainability inside innovative methods, practices and tools, the historical centre. action oriented, aiming to exemplify, obtain and guarantee highly sustainable • Historical centres still keep loosing standards tailored for historical urban important urban features and landscapes management, public policies activities, transferred in new urban coordination and investments. areas. Such project perspective is actually • Old public transport policies and turning into a much more challenging means are applied in historical task, facing the need for answers centres. corresponding to a rapid radicalization of the framework conditions: climate Such common challenging conditions can change, demographic risks, financial and turn into the vertebral of a collaborative economic crises. effort between historical cities, to exchange what we already know, to The partnership composed for the define what we should/can improve and Historicentres_Net Thematic Network, to deepen how we can concretely do it. include ten medium and little sized historical cities that face similar problems Several papers, charters and and challenges for a sustainable recommendations at EU level, repetitively perspective of the historical centres, pointed out and strongly suggested the complementing each other and principle to conjugate development with corresponding to a large range of similar preservation for the historical urban areas conditions in European cities: sustainability. But this is strongly depending from the availability of specific, matured on the ground knowledge Tirgu Mures (RO) (technologies and planning), best Plovdiv (BG) practices and solutions, that can be taken Gotland-Visby (SE) at the basis of an exchange-learn- Kedainiai (LT) improve collaborative platform, essential Utrecht (NL) for an expected efficient policy, defining Schwaebisch Gmuend (DE) not only what should be done but how Pézenas (FR) can be done on the field of action, the Corfu (GR) historical centres. Faenza (IT) Melissa (IT) Historicentres_Net Baseline Study May 2010 PAG. 4 VISBY KEDAINIAI SCHWAEBIS CH UTRECHT GM UEND TIRGU MURES PEZENAS PLOVDIV FAENZA CORFU MELISSA Historicentres_Net partner cities. Historicentres_Net Baseline Study May 2010 PAG. 5 2. Objective and method of the Historicentres_Net Baseline Study This Baseline Study is aiming to be both, the - Involvement of the correct key stakeholders starting step as well as an insight in the - Integration of key stakeholders interests following steps of the project, putting together a knowledge based clear starting position, anticipating an efficient activity and integrated disseminated, compared and shared by approach of Local Action Plan, first targeting project partners and a well corresponding and reasons to then resolve the problems. focused local framework perspective for 3. Assessments and contribution to elaborate action at project level and in each site. a well focused, feasible and effective work The Baseline Study is looking forward to program. contribute to investigate the needs and the interests that partner cities are looking forward to place at the basement of an The tools used for the Baseline Study exchanging experiences process, in order to performances are: better focus a common objective, integrated 1. Questionnaires, used to prepare the City in concrete and efficient Work Program and visits, obtaining information: collegial deliverables. - A limited quantity of significant data about The Baseline Study is also conceived to the historical centres and their governance clarify the level and the extend of the already existing knowledge and experience in Europe - An overview of local existing knowledge, and by the partners, on the project’s issue experiences and skills and transmit it to project partners prior - Self evaluation of local practices, constraints definition of the objectives and project outputs and needs and deliverables. - A key stakeholders analysis - Local Support Groups building procedure The objectives of the Baseline Study have been aimed through the following - Local Action Plan perspectives. performances: The questionnaires have been completed by 1. A recognition of the state of the art and partners and then discussed separately with play conditions in each city: the lead expert and lead partner, before the City visits. - Constraints and challenges 2. City visits, to take direct contact with the - Available local experiences combined to city and the Local Action Plan areas: challenges - Talk with the Local Support Group and key - Potential for local integration of the project stakeholders exploring the level and the capacity for - Obtain physical contact with the places and exchanges (who owns knowledge, who the city life environment needs knowledge, witch kind of knowledge), recognizing the unifying elements (common - Improve the knowledge level beyond the challenges, difficulties), the diversities and questionnaire also trying to discover the existence of - Debate and assess local experiences, solution potentialities. needs, challenges