Guidance On Urban Rehabilitation PDF

Urban rehabilitation today goes beyond simply carrying out
Guidance on urban rehabilitation

restoration work and encompasses ways of reviving and mod-
ernising historical areas to best advantage. Economic and social
factors have become inseparable from this process and the cultural
heritage has become an essential factor in ensuring quality of life,
social cohesion and economic development.
After analysing the Council of Europe’s reference texts on this sub-

ject and noting the way in which the concept has developed since
the 1960s, this publication goes on to propose a definition of what
urban rehabilitation means, taking into account the experience
acquired through the activities of the Technical Cooperation and
Consultancy Programme. It also sets out guidelines to assist local,
regional and national authorities in devising strategies for local devel-
opment and “action plans” for successful rehabilitation policies.
This book is part of a series, published within the Technical Co-

operation and Consultancy Programme aimed at supporting
European states in their rehabilitation projects.
Cultural
heritage
TECHNICAL
CO-OPERATION
AND
CONSULTANCY
COUNCIL CONSEIL
OF EUROPE DE L'EUROPE
PROGRAMME
The Council of Europe has forty-six member states, covering virtually
the entire continent of Europe. It seeks to develop common democratic
and legal principles based on the European Convention on Human
Guidance on
Editions du Conseil de l’Europe
Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Ever

since it was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of the Second World
urban rehabilitation
War, the Council of Europe has symbolised reconciliation.
ISBN 92-871-5528-3
9 789287 155283
http://book.coe.int Council of Europe Publishing
17 € / 26 $US Council of Europe Publishing Editions du Conseil de l’Europe
Guidance
on urban rehabilitation
Document prepared within the framework of

the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme.
Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage

Directorate General IV: Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport
Council of Europe publishing

French edition:
Orientations sur la réhabilitation urbaine
ISBN 92-871-5527-5
Editor: Catherine Roth

Coordination: Mikhaël de Thyse, Valérie-Sophie Bougerolle
Text: Myriam Goblet, Council of Europe Expert, with the contributions of Xavier
Benoist, Werner Desimpelaere, Felipe Lopes, Serge Viau, Bernard Bouzou, Jelka
Pirkovic
Copy Editors: Myriam Goblet, Jane Freshwater (English version)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means – whether electronic
(CD-ROM, Internet, etc.), mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – with-
out the prior permission of the Publishing Division, Directorate of Communication
and Research.
Design: Council of Europe Graphic Design Workshop

Cover images : Rostov Veliky, Tbilisi, Lisbon (Council of Europe)
Photos: Council of Europe
Council of Europe Publishing

F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
ISBN 92-871-5528-3
© Council of Europe, October 2004
Printed at the Council of Europe
Contents
Page
Foreword ............................................................................................. 7
Introduction ......................................................................................... 11
The urban rehabilitation debate .................................................... 11
The aim of this approach .............................................................. 14
How the book is organised ........................................................... 14
Target public.................................................................................. 15
Part 1. Council of Europe reference texts on urban rehabilitation ...... 17

1.0. Introduction ................................................................................. 19
1.1. The sixties and seventies: rehabilitation of old city centres and
the challenge of integrated conservation ...................................... 21
1.1.1. The sixties and seventies in context .................................... 21
1.1.2. The urban challenge ........................................................... 22
1.1.3. Legal References ................................................................ 22
1.2. The eighties: urban policy and the challenge of local
development ................................................................................ 30
1.2.1. The eighties in context ....................................................... 30
1.2.3. Reference texts .................................................................. 32
1.3. The nineties: spatial planning approaches and the challenge
of sustainable development .......................................................... 39
1.3.1. The nineties in context ....................................................... 39
1.3.3. Reference texts .................................................................. 41
1.4. Since the year 2000: urban culture and the importance
of recognising cultural diversity .................................................... 49
1.4.1. The context ........................................................................ 49
1.4.2. The urban challenge............................................................ 49
1.4.3. Reference texts .................................................................. 50
3
1.5. The last five decades: the right to housing and the challenge
of social cohesion .......................................................................... 56
1.5.1. The last five decades in context ......................................... 56
1.5.3. Reference texts .................................................................. 57
1.6. Summary: the changing concept of urban rehabilitation .............. 65
Part 2. Urban rehabilitation:

definition, current objectives and issues ........................... 71
2.0. Introduction ................................................................................. 73

2.1. Current definition of urban rehabilitation ..................................... 73
2.2. Spatial Interests and objectives ..................................................... 76
2.2.1. Integrated heritage conservation ........................................ 76
2.2.2. Right to housing ................................................................ 79
2.2.3. Spatial cohesion ................................................................. 82
2.2.4. Sustainable development .................................................... 85
2.3. Human interest and objectives ..................................................... 88
2.3.1. Local development ............................................................. 89
2.3.2. Social cohesion ................................................................... 91
2.3.3. Respect for cultural diversity .............................................. 94
Part 3. Means of action for urban rehabilitation ........................... 99
3.0. Introduction: means of action in compliance with

democratic principles .................................................................... 101
3.1. The rehabilitation project as an integral part of urban policy.......... 103
3.1.1. Designing the project at neighbourhood level .................... 104
3.1.2. Integrating the project into the wider urban picture ........... 105
3.2. Public authorities as the driving force ........................................... 107
3.2.1. Clear and resolute political commitment both before
and after the project .......................................................... 107
3.2.2. Public authority involvement in the analysis stage .............. 108
3.2.3. Public intervention at strategic planning level...................... 108
3.2.4. Public intervention at the implementation stage.................. 109
4
Contents
3.2.5. Ongoing management for an integrated and

coordinated approach.......................................................... 109
3.3. Back-up provided by a technical multidisciplinary team ................ 110

3.3.1. The interdisciplinary nature of the technical intervention
teams ................................................................................. 110
3.3.2. Technical intervention in configuring the project ................. 111
3.3.3. Technical intervention at the project-mounting stage ......... 111
3.3.4. Technical intervention at works level .................................. 111
3.3.5. The project’s social support role ......................................... 112
3.4. Involving the population .............................................................. 112

3.4.1. Involving all the population ................................................ 114
3.4.2. Involving the population at the analysis stage ...................... 114
3.4.3. Involving the population at strategic planning level .............. 114
3.4.4. Involving the population at the works stage ......................... 115
3.4.5. Greater involvement of the community through
co-production ..................................................................... 115
3.4.6. Devising democratic participation mechanisms ................... 116
3.5. Appropriate legal instruments ....................................................... 116

3.5.1. Legal instruments for public land-use policy ............................ 117
3.5.2. Legal instruments regulating town-planning ...................... 118
3.5.3. Producing a rehabilitation or management plan .................... 119
3.6. Available financial resources ......................................................... 119

3.6.1. Effective partnerships between the public and
private sectors ..................................................................... 120
3.6.2. Financial support from regional, national and European
bodies ................................................................................ 120
3.6.3. The need to strike a balance between public and private ..... 121
3.6.4. Public funding of housing policy ........................................ 121
3.7. The time factor ............................................................................. 122

3.7.1. Taking the time factor into account throughout
the rehabilitation process..................................................... 122
3.7.2. A high-profile step by step approach................................... 123
5
Orientations sur la réhabilitation urbaine
Appendix: Bibliography of legislation and reference documents .......... 125

1. Urban rehabilitation in old city centres and integrated
conservation of the cultural heritage ............................................ 127
Legal References of the Council of Europe ......................... 127
Other international reference texts ..................................... 129
2. Urban policy and local development ............................................ 129
Council of Europe Legal Reference Texts ............................ 129
Reference texts of the Council of Europe ........................... 132
3. Territorial approach and sustainable development ........................ 136
Other international reference texts ..................................... 139
4. Urban culture and the challlenge of recognition of cultural
diversity ........................................................................................ 141
Council of Europe Legal References Texts .......................... 141
Other reference texts of the Council of Europe .................. 141
Reference documents of the other international institutions .. 142
5. Housing protection and social cohesion ........................................ 142
Reference texts of other international institutions .............. 146
6
Foreword
The Council of Europe has carried out over 80 field projects within the
farmework of the ‘Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme
related to the Integrated Conservation of the Cultural and Natural Heritage’
since it was set up in 1973. These projects have highlighted the expectations
of the Organisation’s member states concerning guidelines or advice. It was
therefore decided to launch a series of Guidance publications on heritage
policy matters.
The first volume in the series, prepared in 2000 by the Legislative Support
Task Force, offered Guidance on the development of legislation and admin-
istration systems in the field of cultural heritage. The second, produced in
2001 by the Ad Hoc Group on Inventory and Documentation, set out
Guidance on inventory and documentation of the cultural heritage.
This volume, entitled Guidance on urban rehabilitation, is based on Council

of Europe reference texts in the field of the integrated conservation of the
heritage, social cohesion and human rights. Above all, it is based on experi-
ence gained in the field, best practices within member states and in-depth
discussion conducted by two Council of Europe ad hoc expert groups: the
‘Lisbon Group’ on rehabilitation of housing in historic city centres and the
‘Rochefort Group’ on the values and principles derived from technical con-
sultancy.
The aim of this work is not to impose model forms of action, rules to be fol-
lowed or ready-made technical solutions, but rather to foster in-depth
debate, to offer advice and to aid the decision-making process for individu-
als or institutions involved in an urban rehabilitation project.
The guidance thus constitutes a cornerstone for future sustainable local

development strategies to be conducted by the various sectors concerned
with rehabilitation. Moreover, it lays the theoretical foundation for a number
of practical case studies which have been - or will be in the future - the sub-
ject of specific Programme works.
In bringing out this publication, the Programme’s intention is to fulfil its role
of establishing guidelines for the integrated conservation and sustainable use
of the heritage. In this respect, it is helping to devise new European stan-
dards and to uphold the democratic principles promoted by the Council of
Europe.
7
I really must thank the experts who have participated in the publication of
this work, in particular, Myriam Goblet, member of the Legislative Support
Task Force who analysed the Council of Europe reference texts and compiled
the contributions of the experts from the ‘Lisbon Debate’ (Xavier Benoist,
Werner Desimpelaere, Felipe Lopes and Serge Viau) and those of the
‘Rochefort Group’ (Bernard Bouzou, Bruno Coussy and Anne Pisot).
I also thank the experts who agreed to re-read the manuscript, offering their
comments, in particular, Jelka Pirkovic, Vice-Chair of the Council of Europe
Steering Committee for the Cultural Heritage, Serge Viau, Werner
Desimpelaere, Felipe Lopes and Bernard Bouzou.
Finally, I offer my thanks to all the experts, who, through their participation
in the thirty or so projects dealing with urban rehabilitation, have shared
their knowledge, offering a substantial background of experience that con-
firms the expertise and the know-how of the Council of Europe in this field.
Catherine Roth
Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage
8
Foreword
Projects on Urban rehabilitation carried out within the Technical Co-operation

and Consultancy Programme
Since its creation in 1975, the ‘Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme related to
the integrated conservation of the cultural and natural heritage’ has carried out more than 80 pro-
jects in the field, of which about thirty are directly concerned with the issue of urban rehabilita-
tion. The experience gained by the Programme through its 1100 assessments carried out by over
320 experts, is put at the service of Council of Europe member states
Brisach-am-Rhein, Oldenburg, Toledo, Evora, Guimaraes, Funchal, Ibiza, Alcala de Henares,

Tropea, Krakow – historic centre, Valencia, Banska Stiavnica, Urbino, Safranbolu, Segovia,
Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Tallinn, Telc, Osijek, Skofja Loka, Stanjel, Cadiz, Tbilisi, Lisbon,
Carcassonne, Riga, Rostov Veliky, Goris, Gyumri, Ashtarak
9
Introduction
Nowadays, with sustainable development high on the social agenda, urban
rehabilitation is a major and constant concern. It is a recurring theme virtually
everywhere in the world, and a burning issue in the countries of central and
eastern Europe which are in the throes of political and economic transition.
The approaches adopted by local government and the authorities responsi-
ble for the architectural heritage usually fail to take account, from the out-
set, of the complex nature of the rehabilitation process. It is in fact a matter
not only of rehabilitating the urban heritage, but of breathing new life into
neighbourhoods in decline, while keeping local people, whose housing con-
ditions are frequently a cause for concern, in their homes.
The economic and social aspects of the rehabilitation process cannot be dis-
sociated from its heritage dimension, or rather they incorporate it, showing
it in a new light. The cultural heritage thus becomes a key factor in improv-
ing living conditions, enhancing social cohesion and fostering sustainable
economic development.
The urban rehabilitation debate

In 1997 the city of Lisbon requested the Council of Europe’s technical co-
operation. The objective was to review the specific experience acquired in
Lisbon over the previous five years. On their arrival in that city the experts
from the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme discovered an
original, highly effective approach, giving priority to the social dimension
and with a strong element of participation.
It was clear that there was an essential need for a substantive debate, so that
the experience gained in Lisbon could serve other cities and towns already
engaged in a rehabilitation process or not yet aware of the prospects which
rehabilitation opened up.
It was also important that other good practices elsewhere in Europe should
be taken into consideration, so that the end result would be a number of
guidelines laying the foundations of an urban rehabilitation strategy in tune
with the real situation on the ground in Europe.
In 1998 the Programme accordingly set up an ad hoc group of experts on
the rehabilitation of housing in historic city centres as a factor of economic
development and social cohesion. This group’s discussions were referred to
11
as the ‘Lisbon debate’. Its members were Xavier Benoist (France), Werner
Desimpelaer (Belgium), Felipe Lopes (Portugal), and Serge Viau (Canada).
The group held a number of workshops from June 1999 to February 2000.
These resulted in a summary document setting out seventeen recommenda-
tions on the rehabilitation of Europe’s urban heritage (document AT99 267ter).
In addition to the work done through the Lisbon debate, Felipe Lopes was
asked to study the Programme’s activities in the field of urban rehabilitation.
Of the over 80 projects implemented since the Programme’s launch, he
selected 27 for their contribution to the debate on rehabilitation (see the
map of projects implemented under the Programme). The 27 project reports
were analysed on the basis of a common set of criteria, and the results of this
analysis were summarised in a working document (unpublished) that came
out of the Lisbon Debate entitled L’apport des missions de coopération et
d’assistance technique du Service du Patrimoine Culturel du Conseil de
l’Europe, synthèse de l’évaluation.
The rehabilitation debate should moreover be seen in a dual context:

• The European campaign on global interdependence and solidarity: Europe
against Poverty and Social Exclusion, conducted by Directorate General
III of the Council of Europe in 1998;
• The European campaign on the cultural and natural heritage: Europe, a
common heritage, conducted by Directorate General IV of the Council of
Europe in 1999-2000.
A second group of experts gave further consideration to the Programme
objectives, collating the professional experience and values inherent in the
pilot projects implemented in the field since 1997. This group was named the
‘Rochefort Group’. It was made up of three French experts responsible for
managing projects under the Programme: Bernard Bouzou, Bruno Coussy
and Anne Pisot.
A number of workshops were held from May to December 2001 and led to
the establishment of a ‘Technical Support Task Force’ with the aim of
strengthening the Programme’s management processes and the publication
of Elements for analysis of the role and impact of the Technical Co-opera-
tion Programme, CDPAT (2002) 44 / AT(02) 081 rev.3.
Above all, these workshops identified the principles which would serve as a
basis for drafting a Reference Framework for the Technical Co-operation
Programme: Sustainable Development Strategy 2003-2005 (CDPAT -
(2003) 016 / AT03 054) approved by the Steering Committee for Cultural
Heritage (CDPAT) in May 2003.
12
Introduction
Lastly, the desire to bring rehabilitation projects more in line with the Council
of Europe’s social objectives led the Programme to commission Myriam
Goblet, an expert from the Legislative Support Task Force, to undertake a
complete study of the Organisation’s reference texts in the fields of social
cohesion and human rights. The main reference texts of the European Union
and the United Nations (in particular UNESCO) were also included in this
study.
The study, which was carried out in 2002-2003, confirmed that the pol-
icy options supported in the field by the Programme were consistent with
the Council of Europe’s human rights approach and strategy for social
cohesion.
Part one of this publication gives an overview of the results of this study. A
bibliography of the reference texts is also appended.
Lisbon (Portugal): urban rehabilitation in progress
In 1997, the Council of Europe’s Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme discov-
ered, in Lisbon, an original and efficient policy of urban rehabilitation, that put the social
dimension first with a strong participatory element. It thus seemed profitable to launch an in-
depth debate on this issue.
So between 1998 and 2000, an ad hoc group of experts (known as the ’Lisbon Debate’)
analysed both the Lisbon experience and other good practices carried out in Europe, in
order to bring a number of guiding principles to light, thus laying down the basis of a new
European urban rehabilitation strategy, aimed at towns wishing to undertake the rehabili-
tation process.
13
The aim of this approach

Through this publication the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy
Programme wishes to make a contribution to the definition of a new sus-
tainable urban policy for Europe.
Nowadays, old architecture is not confined to monuments alone. It can in
principle no longer be regarded as of lesser value than new buildings. In the
Europe of the third millennium recovering and reusing old buildings must be
considered a wise, prudent and socially coherent strategy. Rehabilitation is
far more than mere restoration, since it encompasses the dynamic processes
involved in modernising and enhancing older neighbourhoods in a spirit of
integrated conservation of the heritage.
It is this attitude, this specific heritage-oriented view of a Europe ’enriched
by its diversity’, that the Programme will continue to represent and defend
in the European political arena.
The original conclusions drawn from the Lisbon Debate concern the direct
participation of rehabilitation in the Council of Europe’s efforts to combat
poverty and social exclusion. They reflect the role played by cultural heritage
in promoting European democratic values and in implementing the project
for society supported by the Organisation. They also give greater visibility to
human rights by focusing on the day-to-day lives of the individuals and
communities that make up Europe.
On account of the complex nature of the questions it raises and the number
of operators it involves, urban rehabilitation is first and foremost a policy ini-
tiative pursued through an economic process with consequences for social
cohesion and the cultural identities of the population groups concerned.
Accordingly the approach necessarily has policy implications, which the
Council of Europe intends to develop further in future in the member states,
notably through the new ‘Regional Programme on Rehabilitation Policy in
Historic Towns’.
How the book is organised

The guidance on urban rehabilitation is organised into three sections:
Part 1. Council of Europe reference texts on urban rehabilitation;
Part 2. Urban rehabilitation: definition, current objectives and issues
Part 3. Means of action for urban rehabilitation
These three parts are linked to one another like the paintings of a triptych.
14
Introduction
Part 1 offers, as background, a historic panorama of the development of the

concept of urban rehabilitation from the 60’s up to the present day. A
similar three-point structure is used for each past decade: setting out the
context and the problems presented, identifying the main issues in order to
solve these problems and putting some 200 Council of Europe and other
international organisations’ reference texts into perspective. A summary of
the main stages of this development concludes the first part.
Part two follows the logic of part one, in so far as it sets out the current
definition of the concept of urban rehabilitation resulting from the develop-
ments underlined above. It then goes into more depth on the main challenges
that are at the basis of the new urban rehabilitation policy, as the Council of
Europe would like it to be. Each territorial and human interest has a number
of real objectives to be implemented in the context of the rehabilitation
programmes. Part two therefore comprises the essential thinking needed to
draw up rehabilitation strategies.
Part three completes part two, in a pragmatic vein this time. Seven ’means
of action’ are clearly identified in it as factors for the success of any rehabil-
itation policy. These are: including the rehabilitation project in urban policy,
the driving role of public power, the support of a multidisciplinary technical
team, public participation, available appropriate legal instruments and suffi-
cient financial means as well as consideration of time as a factor in carrying
out operations.
An appendix containing the exhaustive bibliography of reference texts
quoted in part one completes the document.
Target public
Guidance on urban rehabilitation is above all a practical tool, aimed at
responding to the expectations of various public groups. As we have seen in
the previous point, above, the three parts of the work follow a logical path,
going from the past to the present, from the general to the specific and from
the theoretical to the practical. Nevertherless, the work was designed to
enable the readers to go straight to the parts which concern them personally
and answer their specific questions.
Thus the first part of the work is mainly aimed at rehabilitation technical
operators, researchers and players, wishing to deepen their legal and philo-
sophical knowledge in this area. The summaries dealing with the contexts
and challenges of the last five decades help understand the main landmarks
of progress in rehabilitation as well as the problems presented and the solu-
tions found to put them right. The latter aspect proves particularly interest-
ing for those involved in rehabilitation in towns in eastern Europe which is
15
going through similar problems today that could be seen in most western
European towns in the 60’s. Readers who would like a quick overview of the
devlopment of the concept of rehabilitation can go straight to the summary
and tables at the end of part one.
The second part of the work is targeted directly at local political players as
well as helping technical teams responsible for steering rehabilitation pro-
grammes. It develops a series of concrete challenges and objectives to be
taken into account when drawing up rehabilitation strategy (or development
plans / urban projects).
The reader will find more ample information on each issue presented in part
two by referring to the issues analysed in part one.
Finally, the third part is more specifically directed at public and private play-
ers who wish to invest in specific projects. It highlights the various means to
implement in order to guarantee the success of these types of operations.
The resulting recommendations are also aimed at the local authorities and
town administrators responsible for sorting out the prior conditions neces-
sary to the feasibility of such projects. In addition, the seven means of action
set out in this part may be useful as a basis for analysis in the context of a
feasibility study of a rehabilitation project.
Throughout the book the reader will find tables and illustrations aimed at
summarising or illustrating the essential elements of the separate parts.
When all is said and done, the publication of a book like this one is aimed at
reaching a readership as wide as it is varied, those in European towns and
those on other continents. This readership also includes inhabitants affected
by an urban rehabilitation project as well as social cohesion and human rights
players. Their strategies and means of action come increasingly in line with
those of players in cultural heritage and sustainable development.
16
PART 1. Council of Europe Reference texts on
1.0. Introduction
The reference framework of the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy
Programme in the sphere of urban rehabilitation is based on the ethical and
standard-setting principles laid down by the Council of Europe in its many
conventions, charters, recommendations and resolutions.
This publication gives a critical overview of some 200 reference texts on the
cultural heritage, spatial development, environment, culture and social poli-
cies, analysed from an urban rehabilitation angle (the exhaustive bibliogra-
phy of references quoted in this part can be found in appendix 1).
This exercise of putting these reference texts into perspective underlines the
close links between their adoption and the changing circumstances, objec-
tives and primary concerns of our fellow Europeans. Four eras can be iden-
tified, covering the period from the foundation of the Council of Europe to
the present:
• The sixties and seventies, when the concept of urban rehabilitation was
first defined by those concerned with protection of the cultural heritage,
whose aim was to ensure the integrated conservation of sites and groups
of buildings of historical or artistic interest located in old city centres.
• The eighties, when the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe (which later became the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities of Europe) continued the work of the protectors of
the heritage, treating urban rehabilitation as a fundamental component of
urban and local development policies.
• The nineties, when the planning specialists and environmentalists in turn
drew the public’s attention to the urgent need to apply the principles of
sustainable development in the context of spatial planning strategies.
• The period since 2000, when the far-reaching changes engendered by
globalisation are making recognition of cultural diversity and improve-
ment of people’s well-being – essential conditions for a balanced, sustain-
able, non-divisive form of urban development.
Over the past five decades the social players have been devising their human
rights philosophy (encompassing civil, political, economic and social rights)
and their strategy for social cohesion. They stress the importance of safe-
guarding the right to housing, while pointing out that objectives linked to
improving the social fabric, on one hand, and the urban fabric, on the other,
are inseparable.
19
European Architectural Heritage Year poster (1975)
In 1975, the Council of Europe organised the European Architectural Heritage Year with the slo-
gan ‘A Future for our Past’. Illustrated by the Belgian watercolour artist Michel Folon, this cam-
paign’s aim was to make all Europeans aware of the threats to their architectural heritage and
the need for urgent measures to protect it and integrate it into the modern-day environment
20
Council of Europe reference texts on urban rehabilitation
1.1. The sixties and seventies: rehabilitation of old city centres

and the challenge of integrated conservation
1.1.1. The sixties and seventies in context

From the end of the Second World War, in particular starting in the sixties, a
process of decline took hold in most old city centres.
The characteristics of this decline can be summed up as follows:
• A worsening of housing conditions (physical deterioration, insalubrity,
insecurity and lack of comfort, overcrowding);
• Impoverishment and ageing of the population and a general exodus (the
old city centres were transformed into what amounted to socially assisted
neighbourhoods, but without any deliberate welfare policy);
• A growing number of abandoned, empty properties (which became
eyesores, having a negative impact on the neighbourhood’s image and
reputation);
• Acculturation and loss of social values (loss of the neighbourhood’s cultural
identity and of local people’s sense of belonging, solidarity, integration and
social control);
• An upsurge in anti-social behaviour and social tensions, a less secure envi-
ronment for local people (physical and verbal violence, ghettoisation);
• Decay of the urban fabric and destruction of the architectural heritage
(the disappearance of the old urban topography and the demolition of
historic buildings);
• Aggravation of traffic and parking problems (air and noise pollution detri-
mental to local people’s health and to the upkeep of historic buildings and
green spaces).
Among the many reasons for this decline, mention can be made of the
growing pressure exerted by certain factors such as technological progress,
the preference for all things modern, economic and industrial development
and population growth (the baby boom of the fifties and sixties).
Ignorance, negligence, the emergence of eyesores and the concentration of
disadvantaged population groups in old inner city neighbourhoods also pro-
vided a pretext for ill-judged demolition.
Town planning itself was also sometimes a driving force for destruction, where
the authorities paid excessive heed to economic and traffic pressures. Lastly,
property speculation took advantage of this situation and would sometimes
wreck the best of intentions or the best-laid plans.
21
1.1.2. The urban challenge

The urban challenge entailed stemming the process of physical, social and
economic decline in old inner cities by adopting a large-scale rehabilitation
policy in accordance with the integrated conservation principle.
The protectors of the heritage were the first to take a leading role in urban
rehabilitation. To attain their objectives they utilised their customary means
of action, i.e.:
Preservation of the cultural heritage: inventories, statutory protection mea-
sures and conservation work on monuments and groups of buildings in old
city centres;
Spatial planning: planning urban functions targeting the protection of the
weaker ones (such as housing) and protect green spaces (parks, gardens,
landscaped areas inside building complexes, roadside greenery);
Urban policy: restrictions on the granting of permits to demolish old build-
ings and introduction of town-planning regulations governing building, erec-
tion of signs and advertising in old city centres;
The environment: restrictions on vehicle traffic and on parking, promotion of
public transport systems and improvement of public spaces through the
planting of greenery, the installation of rest and leisure areas, the creation of
pedestrian precincts, street lighting and urban amenities.
1.1.3. Legal References
The first steps in urban heritage protection and enhancement

As far back as 1963 the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
adopted various orders, resolutions and recommendations on the preserva-
tion and development of historic or artistic sites and groups of buildings.
Recommendation 365 (1963) followed on from an initial report by the
Cultural Committee on these matters (doc.1570). Considering that the
Council of Europe must play a major role in raising general awareness of the
gravity of the situation and the urgent need for measures in this field, the
Assembly recommended that the Committee of Ministers organise a
European conference, launch an intergovernmental co-operation activity
and envisage setting up a European body for the protection of historic cities
and towns.
The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
reacted in turn by adopting Resolution 44 (1964), which proposed involving
spatial planning in the protection of historical or artistic sites and groups of
22
buildings. Given the innovative nature of its subject matter, this resolution
already adopts a mature approach to local government responsibilities for
conservation of the urban heritage.
Following five symposia bringing together experts and senior officials
responsible for the heritage, organised by the Council for Cultural Co-oper-
ation, the Committee of Ministers adopted a number of resolutions calling
on member states’ governments to:
• Urgently carry out an inventory of historical or artistic sites and groups of
buildings, according to certain cataloguing criteria and methods
(Resolution (66) 19);
• To ‘revive’ monuments through legislation on the protection and funding
of the urban heritage, the promotion of tourism and cultural activities and
support for the owners, public authorities and other public or private bod-
ies concerned (Resolution (66) 20);
• Adopt principles and practices for the preservation and revival of sites and
groups of buildings of historical or artistic interest, so as to ensure their
integration into modern life (Resolution (68) 11);
• Make conservation of sites, monuments and groups of buildings of histor-
ical or artistic interest part and parcel of regional development, spatial
planning and major public works (Resolution (68) 12);
• Hold a conference of European ministers responsible for these issues
(Resolution (68) 16).
Organisation of national policies and European co-operation

The First Conference of European Ministers responsible for Preservation and
Rehabilitation of the Immovable Cultural Heritage of Monuments and Sites
was held in Brussels in 1969.
Referring to the conclusions of the above-mentioned symposia, the ministers
recognised the importance of the built cultural heritage from both the cultural
angle and the human, social and economic standpoints. They drew attention
to emerging awareness of the social importance of heritage, which, on account
of this new dimension, must be preserved and actively integrated into people’s
everyday environment. They expressed concern that the European heritage
was increasingly in peril from the growing imbalance between the dangers to
be countered and the resources made available for that purpose.
In their first resolution the ministers accordingly recommended that the
governments rapidly take an inventory of their cultural heritage, drawing
inspiration from the model index card for the Inventory of the European
Cultural Heritage, and draw up maps showing the buildings, sites and
23
landscapes that must be safeguarded, so that all the information gathered

could serve as the basis for spatial development plans and for any other
protection measures.
They then proposed a number of measures to slow down the deterioration
and destruction of the heritage: adapting legislative and regulatory systems
so as to make heritage an integral part of modern society and of regional
development and town planning policies; increasing financial resources ear-
marked for preservation and revitalisation work; adopting tax, inheritance
law and administrative measures likely to encourage owners to take charge
of restoring and revitalising their heritage assets; public information cam-
paigns, in particular targeted at young people, to raise awareness of individ-
uals’ responsibility for their cultural environment.
Referring to the conclusions of the European Conference of Ministers, the
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe adopted
Resolution 65 (1970) on the role of local and regional authorities in the preser-
vation and rehabilitation of urban historic sites, which fleshed out and clarified
the provisions of Resolution 44 (1964) by laying down a number of general prin-
ciples with a view to the preparation of a practical guide for local authorities.
In co-operation with the forum of historic cities and towns – Europa Nostra, the
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe launched a
series of seven European symposia (1971-1992) on the problems encountered
by such cities and towns in the fields of heritage conservation and urban man-
agement. The declarations adopted at the close of these events were published
by the Council of Europe (volume No. 34 in the ‘Studies and texts’ series).
At the same time the Consultative Assembly adopted Resolution 431 (1970)
on the problem of urban traffic. Traffic was indeed becoming a cause for
concern, since many towns and cities were nearing saturation point because
their historic districts had not been designed to cope with it. The sometimes
disastrous levels of air and noise pollution were jeopardising both residents’
health and the state of repair of historic buildings. The Assembly accordingly
invited member governments to take legislative, financial and public infor-
mation measures with a view to promoting urban public transport and the
development of vehicles powered by electric motors.
Aware that the measures taken in aid of the heritage of buildings and sites
were not succeeding in preventing the decline of old city centres, in its
Resolution (72) 21 the Committee of Ministers urged governments to take
immediate steps to protect historical sites and groups of buildings by:
• identifying and cataloguing the cultural assets to be protected;
• establishing legal machinery to enable emergency protective measures
pending the adaptation of legislation on regional planning and heritage;
24
• immediate application of protection measures once an asset was identi-

fied, without awaiting the completion of the inventory.
With the aim of affording practical assistance to national, regional and local
authorities contending with the constraints and demands of cultural heritage
conservation, in 1973 the Committee of Ministers established a Technical
Co-operation and Consultancy Programme related to the integrated conser-
vation of the architectural heritage and adopted rules governing the provi-
sion of Programme support through the Cultural Fund and Council for
Cultural Co-operation.
1975, European Architectural Heritage Year

The Council of Europe proclaimed 1975 European Architectural Heritage
Year and launched a huge campaign entitled ‘A Future for our Past’. The aim
was to make all Europeans aware of the threats to their common heritage
and the need for urgent measures to protect it and integrate it into the
modern-day environment.
After a number of years’ work by an ad hoc committee of experts, the
Committee of Ministers adopted the European Charter of the Architectural
Heritage on 26 September 1975. This charter, having the legal status of a
recommendation, was the first comprehensive document to lay down general
principles and guidelines on a policy for the conservation and revitalisation
of Europe’s architectural heritage. Its contents remain remarkably relevant
even today, with the result that it is still a major reference text for those
involved in the rehabilitation of old city centres.
In this document the Committee of Ministers asserted its intention to base
its approach in this field on the principle of integrated conservation (the first
time this expression was used), considering that conservation of the archi-
tectural heritage depended to a large extent on its integration into the con-
text of people’s lives and the weight given to it in regional and town
planning and development schemes. The charter established ten principles,
perfectly in line with the new values to be upheld:
‘1. The European architectural heritage consists not only of our most
important monuments, it also includes groups of less important build-
ings in our old towns and characteristic villages in their natural or
man-made settings.
2. The past as embodied in the architectural heritage provides the sort

of environment indispensable for a balanced and complete life.
3. The architectural heritage is a capital of irreplaceable spiritual, cul-
tural, social and economic values.
25
4. The structure of historic centres and sites is conducive to a harmo-

nious social balance.
5. The architectural heritage has an important part to play in education.
6. This heritage is in danger.
7. Integrated conservation averts these dangers.
8. Integrated conservation depends on legal, administrative, financial
and technical support.
9. Integrated conservation cannot succeed without the co-operation
of all.
10. The European architectural heritage is the common property of our
continent.’
European Architectural Heritage Year culminated in the Congress of the

European Architectural Heritage (Amsterdam, 21 to 25 October 1975), at
which the charter was officially launched through the Amsterdam
Declaration.
This declaration expanded on the ten principles laid down in the charter. It
placed greater emphasis on conceiving protection of historic cities and towns
as part of a global policy taking account of all buildings of cultural impor-
tance, from the most prestigious to the most humble, not forgetting modern
architecture and the surroundings in which buildings are located.
The text also stressed the social and democratic values inherent in urban
rehabilitation, as stated in the conference’s second and third recommenda-
tions: «Integrated conservation involves the responsibility of local authorities
and calls for citizens’ participation. … The success of any policy of integrated
conservation depends on taking social factors into consideration.»
This reasserted desire to preserve the social fabric of old city centres, at the
same time as the urban fabric, reflected the conclusions of three symposia
on the social implications of protection of the architectural heritage held by
the Council of Europe in 1974 and 1975. It was also a response to the
Parliamentary Assembly’s Recommendation 764 (1975) on social problems
of urban decay and resettlement and Resolution 598 (1975) on the social
aspects of architectural conservation.
Practical implementation of integrated conservation of

the architectural heritage
Despite the praiseworthy efforts relating to integrated conservation of the
heritage in old city centres, there were still legislative, administrative, finan-
26
cial and technical obstacles to effective action in this field. This was because
integrated conservation was an innovative, revolutionary idea, just as sus-
tainable development would be in the nineties. It required in-depth changes
not only the way those working in heritage think and act, but also in the
habits of those responsible for regional and town planning, the environment
and culture.
The Committee of Ministers therefore decided to devote its Resolution
(76) 28 to explaining to governments how to adapt their legal and regula-
tory systems to the demands of integrated conservation of the architec-
tural heritage. After defining the various kinds of heritage concerned, the
resolution gave the first ever definition of rehabilitation, as a means of
achieving the objective of integrating the heritage into the physical envi-
ronment of present-day society, «…designed to…rehabilitate buildings,
particularly those intended for habitation, by renovating their internal
structure and adapting it to the needs of modern life, while carefully pre-
serving features of cultural interest.» The resolution then went on to set
out the basic principles of any integrated conservation policy and the sup-
port measures to be taken at the financial, administrative, social and pub-
lic information levels.
With its Resolution 106 (1979), the Standing Conference of Local and
Regional Authorities of Europe called on local and regional authorities to
apply the Committee of Ministers’ Resolution (76) 28, in particular by
increasing the financial resources available for urban development schemes
and housing support, so as to give greater priority than in the past to reha-
bilitation of the architectural heritage rather than new buildings and to pre-
serve the existing social fabric, including with regard to the most
disadvantaged population groups. It then recommended that the Committee
of Ministers increase the means of technical assistance on offer in architec-
tural heritage matters and enable local and regional authorities to obtain
direct access to them.
In its Recommendation 880 (1979) the Parliamentary Assembly also recom-
mended adopting the integrated conservation approach. The measures sug-
gested were aimed, inter alia, at enhancing the quality of the environment
in historic areas through traffic and parking restrictions, the creation of
pedestrian precincts, the removal of unsightly overhead wires and cables,
regulation of outdoor advertising and of shop front design, planting more
trees, refusal of permits for unsuitable buildings and the demolition of build-
ings erected unlawfully.
The Committee of Ministers supplemented this range of measures with
Recommendation No. R (80) 16 on the need for specialist training of archi-
tects, town planners, civil engineers and landscape designers in architectural
27
heritage matters. Along the same lines, it adopted two recommendations

aimed at promoting the craft occupations linked to conservation of the archi-
tectural heritage (Recommendations Nos. R (81) 13 and R (86) 15).
The Granada Convention - consolidating achievements

The Second European Conference of Ministers responsible for the
Architectural Heritage was held in Granada in October 1985. Its main pur-
pose was the opening for signature of the Convention for the Protection of
the Architectural Heritage of Europe (known as the Granada Convention).
This convention is now applied by 36 countries.
Since it was binding (having force of law) on signatory states, the Granada
Convention consolidated the achievements of the past thirty years, in par-
ticular the principles laid down in the European Cultural Convention (1954),
the European Charter of the Architectural Heritage and the Amsterdam
Declaration (1975), the recommendations and resolutions adopted since the
sixties, as well as the European Declaration on Cultural Objectives (1984).
The Granada Convention required signatory states to:
• Produce an inventory of properties to be protected, including groups of
buildings. Take statutory measures to protect the architectural heritage.
Enhance the quality of the environment in the vicinity of monuments and
within groups of buildings and sites by protecting buildings of interest
from the point of view of their setting (protected areas) and by fostering
use of traditional materials and skills.
• Implement supervision and authorisation procedures relating to conserva-
tion work on protected properties. Limit the risks of physical deterioration
of the heritage by taking anti-pollution measures. Adopt relevant and
adequate penalties, which may entail an obligation to demolish a new
building erected unlawfully or to restore a protected property to its former
condition. This principle echoed the provisions of the European
Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property, which had been
opened for signature at Delphi on 23 June of the same year.
• Adopt financial and tax measures to encourage heritage conservation by
private and public owners.
• Establish machinery for the supply of information, consultation and co-
operation between the various tiers of authority and the public. Promote
all forms of public information and awareness-raising, through use of
modern communication techniques, and foster vocational training in the
traditional occupations and trades involved in heritage conservation.
Ensure European coordination of conservation policies.
28
Cover page of a study carried out in the framework of the European

Campaign for Urban Renaissance (1980-1981)
Taking ’a better life in towns’ as its slogan, the European Campaign for Urban Renaissance was
led from 1980 to 1981 by the Council of Europe. It focused on four themes linked to the qual-
ity of urban living: rehabilitation of existing dwellings, improvement of the environment, pub-
lic participation and the launch of social and cultural initiatives in towns and cities.
29
1.2. The eighties: urban policy and the challenge of local

development
1.2.1. The eighties in context
The various principles and measures recommended by the Council of Europe
in the sixties and seventies had a direct, positive impact on the condition of
old citiy centres. A huge ’urban reinvestment’ movement emerged in many
European cities, replacing the process of decline which had held sway since
the Second World War.
Different forms of urban reinvestment were undertaken, more or less spon-
taneously. These were primarily carried out by the private sector, since they
generated a good financial return:
• Large-scale renovation: major demolition/reconstruction schemes or
building restoration projects;
• Development of tourism: enhancing old neighbourhoods that have a con-
siderable architectural heritage or a typical historical character;
• ‘Tertiarisation’: development of the tertiary sector, attracted by a central
urban location (offices, shops, service activities, educational institutions);
Gentrification: wealthier individuals moving in to neighbourhoods in decline,
where they renovated old buildings as luxury dwellings.
These forms of urban reinvestment offered the advantage of improving the
economic and environmental conditions prevailing in old city centres.
However, through the mere impact of market forces they could have a detri-
mental impact in social terms, with often similar results to the process of
urban decline itself.
30
Table 1. From urban development to the initial forms of urban reinvestment
1. Urban Development Historic town or city centre
Initial expansion to new inner-city

neighbourhoods
Development of the outskirts
Integration of neighbouring villages
2. Urban decline Neglect of the old inner city districts
The more prosperous population groups

move to new neighbourhoods
Impoverishment, social tensions and

insecurity in the old city centre
Damage, decline, neglect,

depopulation, acculturation
3. Urban Rehabilitation Initial forms of urban reinvestment
Renovation Tourism Tertiarisation Gentrification
A similar process can be seen in most European and North American towns, comprising three
phases:
1. Gradual growth of the town, from historic centre to the development of the outskirts.
2. Process of decline of old centres, following a lack of intervention in buildings and public
spaces.
3. Initial forms of urban rehabilitation mainly by private investors: development of the tertiary
sector, tourism, gentrification and renovation.
31

The challenge or urban project involves pursuing a global urban rehabilitation
policy, embracing not just economic development and improvement of the
quality of life but also social cohesion, so as to prevent the possible undesirable
effects of urban reinvestment. Such a policy must be designed in particular to:
• Protect the most disadvantaged population groups and enable them to
stay in the inner cities without forcing them to move to more outlying
areas or to other deprived districts;
• Limit the segregation process and the emergence of a dual society in eco-
nomic, social and spatial terms;
• Preserve the existing social fabric and local communities’ cultural and
social values (solidarity, identity, sense of belonging, social control) to
avoid an increase in social tension;
• Maintain the old building environment and its traditional functions with-
out ignoring the new urban functions to be fulfilled (office space, hotels,
shopping or conference centres, luxury shops, etc.);
• Manage new problems of access, traffic flow and car-parking in old city
centres as a result of the increased number of people using renovated
neighbourhoods;
• Adopt legal and financial measures to restrict property speculation and
price rises in the wake of urban rehabilitation schemes;
• Protect housing against competition from the stronger, more profitable
tertiary-sector functions.
The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (which
became the CLRAE in 1994), which had been actively involved in the pro-
tection and enhancement of old urban centres since the sixties, became one
of the Council of Europe’s main contributors to the debate on new global
and integrated urban policies.
1.2.3. Reference texts

Conclusions of the European Campaign for Urban Renaissance
The Council of Europe ran its European Campaign for Urban Renaissance
from 1980 to 1982. This awareness-raising campaign targeting public
authorities and the general public throughout Europe drew attention to pos-
sible ways of improving the quality of life in towns. Adopting the slogan ’a
better life in towns’, it focused on four main themes: rehabilitation of existing
housing, improvement of the environment, citizens’ participation and the
launch of social and cultural initiatives in cities and towns.
32
At the closing conference (Berlin, 8-12 March 1982), the participants

adopted ten conclusions identifying essential requirements for urban renais-
sance.
1. The importance of towns in European society is undeniable and irre-
versible.
2. A human dimension must be the dominant factor in the manage-
ment and development of towns.
3. Greater public participation in decision-making is an urgent priority
in urban affairs.
4. The role of local authorities in urban improvement should be
strengthened.
5. Adequate housing needs to be provided in towns.
6. Rehabilitation is essential because the building stock is a major
resource.
7. Urban environmental improvement promotes a sense of identity,
restores self-confidence and aids social and economic regeneration.
8. Towns need to continue as centres of economic activity.
9. The provision of community facilities is an essential element in
improving the quality of urban life.
10. The achievement of these goals will require the reallocation of
resources.
Concerned to ensure that the member states respond to these requirements,
the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 781 (1982).
As a follow-up to this campaign the Council of Europe implemented a pro-
gramme on urban policy, for which an intergovernmental committee of rep-
resentatives of the relevant national ministries was responsible from 1982 to
1986. In 1986 the programme was entrusted to the Standing Conference of
Local and Regional Authorities of Europe in accordance with the principle
that decisions affecting local community affairs should primarily be a matter
for local government and with decentralisation being implemented in many
member states.
As part of the European campaign and the programme on urban policy an
impressive number of conferences and colloquies were held on the subject
of urban development. Their conclusions were published in the study series
’Urban renaissance in Europe’ (36 titles) and the ’Studies and texts’ series (58
titles). The bibliography in Appendix 1 gives a list of these publications.
33
Resolutions on the issues raised by integrated urban policies

The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
adopted a number of resolutions based on the conclusions of these confer-
ences and publications. The diversity of their subject matter clearly shows
that the aim is to address urban issues in a global, cross-sectoral manner, so
as to improve the response to the social, economic, environmental and cul-
tural challenges of urban development.
* As regards the social issues, four specific objectives were highlighted:

• Reducing insecurity and preventing urban crime: the Standing Conference
of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe Resolutions 163 (1985), 180
(1986) and 205 (1989) and Committee of Ministers Recommendation No.
R (87) 19;
• Raising awareness and encouraging public participation - especially by
young people - in the rehabilitation of old city centres: this objective is
implicit in most of the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe’s resolutions, including its Resolution 208 (1989) on
self-help and community development in towns;
• Development of social housing policy, Resolution 186 (1988), and action
against poverty, social exclusion and inter-ethnic conflicts, Resolution 228
(1991);
• Health protection in towns: Resolution 206 (1989) and a number of res-
olutions on restricting pollution and improving the quality of urban life
(see below).
* As regards the economic issues, the Standing Conference of Local and

Regional Authorities of Europe’s work must be seen against the background
of the recession which hit the whole of Europe from the mid-seventies.
To solve the problems of unemployment while supporting rehabilitation poli-
cies, the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
sought to encourage the creation of jobs linked to the architectural heritage,
Resolution 127 (1982). It recommended fostering the development of craft
businesses producing the traditional material essential to conservation of the
heritage, the vocational training of a new skilled workforce (cf. the training
courses run for craft-workers by the European Training Centres in Venice and
Fulda), the publication of documents on specialist craft trades, restoration
techniques and traditional materials, and the funding of rehabilitation
schemes through grants, subsidised loans or tax deductions.
At the same time, the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities
of Europe also referred to the potential direct and indirect jobs that could be
generated by developing heritage site tourism, Resolution 172 (1986).
34
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and

CLRAE Resolutions 169 (1986) and 241 (1993) dealt with measures to pro-
mote the funding of heritage conservation and rehabilitation, as did the
Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation No. R (91) 6.
Various means of combating property speculation - which went hand in
hand with a growing number of derelict old buildings - were proposed in the
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
Resolutions 130 (1982) and 169 (1986).
* As regards the environmental issues, a recurring theme was preventing air

pollution: Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
Resolutions 169 (1986) and 207 (1989) and the Committee of Ministers’
Recommendation No. R (88) 5 on control of physical degradation of the
architectural heritage accelerated by pollution.
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe Resolution
170 (1986) on transport planning and Resolution 191 (1988) on urban
transport in Europe addressed the issue of striking a balance between the
economy and ecology. Resolution 221 (1991) established a direct link
between improved traffic flows and the quality of life in metropolitan areas,
whereas Resolution 209 (1989) called for co-operation between local
authorities, architects and the community.
The Committee of Ministers also concerned itself with these issues, adopting
Recommendation No. R (86) 11 on improving urban open spaces,
Recommendation No. R (91) 13 on the protection of the twentieth-century
architectural heritage and Recommendation No. R (89) 5 on the protection
and enhancement of the architectural heritage in the context of town and
country planning operations.
* Lastly, as regards the cultural issues, reference must be made to the clos-
ing conference of the programme on urban cultural development policies,
conducted in 1983 in twenty-one European towns following the European
Campaign for Urban Renaissance.
At that conference the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe and the partner towns adopted the Bremen
Declaration, entitled ‘Town and culture: new responses to cultural problems’.
Among the conclusions, mention can be made of: the need to respect the
cultural contribution of populations of foreign origin and of ethnic minorities,
with a view to greater social cohesion and a peaceful multi-ethnic society
(theme III); young people’s role in the city and their learning about partici-
pation, dialogue and the spirit of co-operation (theme IV); cultural tourism’s
impact on towns as a means of promoting improved understanding between
cultures and mutual recognition (theme V).
35
In conclusion, the participants called on the member states to:

• Give due weight to Europe’s fundamental asset of cultural diversity;
• Set as a goal the construction of a society on a human scale based on the
principles of decentralisation and local and regional autonomy;
• Recognise the importance of the local and regional community as the pri-
mary framework within which the citizen finds his cultural identity and
means of expression;
• Ensure that Europe’s towns and regions have the capacity to fulfil their
vital role in maintaining and fostering their cultural heritage.
Local democracy and public participation

Apart from defining new integrated urban policies, the Standing Conference
of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe was active in seeking to promote
local democracy and public participation.
As early as 1968 it proposed a declaration of principles on local autonomy,
Resolution 64 (1968). The principles set out in this declaration were reiter-
ated in Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 615 (1970), and subse-
quently in the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of
Europe Resolution 126 (1981). The European Charter of Local Self-
Government, which was opened for signature by member states on 15
October 1985, came into force on 1 September 1988.
Parties to the charter are required to apply rules guaranteeing local authori-
ties’ political, administrative and financial independence. The text provides
that the principle of local self-government must have a basis in law, prefer-
ably in a constitution.
Local authorities must be elected by universal suffrage. They must have the
ability to regulate and manage public affairs, within the limits of the law,
under their own responsibility and in the interests of the local population.
This means that public responsibilities shall generally be exercised by those
authorities which are closest to the citizen. Only those responsibilities which
cannot be effectively fulfilled at a lower level should be reserved for a higher
authority (the subsidiarity principle).
To this end, the charter lays down principles governing the protection of
local authorities’ boundaries, the administrative structures and resources –
determined by the local authorities themselves – necessary to the performance
of their tasks, the conditions under which responsibilities are to be exercised
at local level, administrative supervision of local authorities’ activities, their
financial resources, and legal protection of local self-government.
36
With similar aims in mind, the Committee of Ministers adopted

Recommendation (81) 18 concerning participation at municipal level, in
which it reasserted its devotion to representative democracy as part of the
member states’ common heritage of values and as the basis of citizens’ influ-
ence on government. Convinced that municipal autonomy is one of the cor-
nerstones of democracy in the countries of Europe, it recommended a
number of measures to be taken at local level in order to develop public par-
ticipation in the management of municipal affairs, without discrimination as
to race, gender, age, income or social status.
The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe sub-

scribed to this ban on discrimination in its Resolution 179 (1986) on women’s
participation in local and regional democratic life and in the European
Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life,
adopted under Resolution 237 (1992). This latter text recommends paying
special attention to young people in sectoral policies, in particular in housing
policy (creation of local information services on housing for young people
and of financial support schemes to help young people gain access to hous-
ing) and urban environment policy (close involvement of young people in
consultation arrangements; development of a more harmonious environ-
ment conducive to young people’s self-fulfilment; real solidarity between the
generations).
The European Urban Charter and the European Declaration of

Urban Rights
The European Urban Charter, Resolution 234 (1992), is the outcome of the
work on urban policies and local self-government done in the eighties. It
focuses on the qualitative aspects of urban development and the quality of
life, rather than on quantitative aspects. In line with the Council of Europe’s
general vocation to safeguard human rights, it supports concepts of respon-
sible citizenship and solidarity, entailing the acceptance of certain obliga-
tions. It accordingly constitutes a precious reference text, conducive to giving
a human dimension to urban development in Europe and extending human
rights to the built environment.
The Urban Charter was inspired by the belief that citizens have basic urban
rights, applicable to all without discrimination. This is why the text of the
charter begins with the European Declaration of Urban Rights, which brings
together the main elements relevant to the possible future drafting of a
convention on urban rights. Merely listing the twenty urban rights is itself
quite a lengthy exercise:
37
1. Security;
2. An unpolluted, healthy environment: ‘the right to an environment
free from air, noise, water and ground pollution and protective of
nature and natural resources’;
3. Employment;
4. Housing: ‘the right to an adequate supply and choice of affordable,
salubrious housing, guaranteeing privacy and tranquillity’;
5. Mobility;
6. Health;
7. Sport and leisure;
8. Culture;
9. Multicultural integration;
10. Good quality architecture and physical surroundings: ‘the right to an
agreeable, stimulating physical [environment] achieved through
contemporary architecture of high quality and retention and sensi-
tive restoration of the historic built heritage’;
11. Harmonisation of functions;
12. Participation;
13. Economic development;
14. Sustainable development;
15. Access to goods and services;
16. Natural wealth and resources;
17. Personal fulfilment;
18. Inter-municipal collaboration;
19. Use of financial mechanisms and structures;
20. Equality.
The Urban Charter then deals with various aspects of urban life in Europe:
definition of the notion of a town/city, the advantages and drawbacks of
urban development, relations between the town/city and its surrounding
region, the need for local democracy, the purpose of urban policy, the model
city of the future, and the importance of co-operation between urban areas.
The second part of the Charter is composed of individual chapters dealing
with various urban development themes, linked to the twenty urban rights.
Each chapter gives a brief introduction to the issues at stake, before setting
out guiding principles. Among the themes broached, mention can be made
of housing, the architectural heritage, the physical form of cities, and the
environment and nature in an urban context.
38
‘Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European

Continent’, European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional
Planning (Hannover, 7-8 september 2000)
In response to the growing erosion of the environment, the principle of ’sustainable develop-
ment’ was first put forward at world level at the Rio Conference in 1992. Sustainable devel-
opment is based on three equally-important principles: economic development, social
cohesion and environmental protection. None of these principles can be acheived to the detri-
ment of the two others.
1.3. The nineties: spatial planning approaches and the chal-

lenge of sustainable development
1.3.1. The nineties in context
With the collapse of Communism, Europe emerged from several decades of
political division, during which not only economic systems, but also the
entire organisation of society had differed radically. During the nineties
democratic Europe grew from twenty-two to forty-four member states with
about 770 million inhabitants, or nearly 14% of the world population.
In this new geopolitical context the integration and economic development
process sometimes had negative repercussions for social cohesion and envi-
ronmental protection. There was also a danger, particularly in the new mem-
ber states, that islands of growth would emerge in certain conurbations or
regions, leaving the rest of the country behind or that some towns/cities
would not manage to turn around their decline.
39

Adapting to the new geopolitical dimension and the globalisation process
opened up new prospects for the continent of Europe, which had to reassert
its values by:
• Implementing a social cohesion strategy aimed at rapidly reducing differ-
ences in social conditions between the old and the new member states;
• Upholding human rights and applying democratic principles, as precondi-
tions for the stabilisation of democratic systems in Europe;
• Sustainable economic development, striking a balance between regions,
with the aim of making lasting improvements to the competitiveness of
the whole of Europe in the international arena;
• Protecting and enhancing the diversity of landscapes and cultures that
had shaped the European territory, irrespective of the political or religious
context of the sites concerned;
• Speeding up the economic, social and environmental integration of the
new member states, at the same time as preserving the diversity of
Europe, deriving from its history and geography;
• Developing solidarity and co-operation between the different regions of
Europe through exchange and co-operation schemes.
Alongside the centrifugal force of globalisation, which raised issues of
pan-European importance, there emerged a centripetal movement of
increased assertion of regional and local identities. The growing importance
of the regions within the nation states was fully consistent with this trend,
as was the break-up of a number of states (the former Yugoslavia, the for-
mer USSR) according to the cultural identities with which their populations
identified.
The urban challenge accordingly consisted in applying these European val-
ues at a local level, while enhancing local attractiveness vis-à-vis residents,
tourists and investors by building on a town’s or city’s cultural identity and
endogenous assets.
The main players in this area-based approach to sustainable development
were the spatial planners, who, with their strategic planning, land alloca-
tion and town planning tools, could provide an integrated response to the
spatial development challenges confronting Europe and its regional and
local authorities. The sustainability concept was also taken up by those
defending the cultural heritage and the environment in their debates and
work.
40

From regional planning to sustainable spatial development
As early as 1983 the European Conference of Ministers responsible for
Regional Planning (CEMAT) adopted the European Regional/Spatial
Planning Charter (or Torremolinos Charter), which defined regional/spatial
planning as giving geographical expression to the economic, social, cultural
and ecological policies of society. The concept necessitated an interdiscipli-
nary, democratic, functional and longer-term oriented approach, based on a
shared overall strategy.
The charter set out four fundamental objectives for European regional/spa-
tial planning: balanced socio-economic development of the regions; improv-
ing the quality of life; rational use of land; responsible management of
natural resources and protection of the environment and the heritage.
It then went on to define specific objectives for urban areas:
• Implementation of land-use and development plans guaranteeing a bal-
anced urban structure;
• Improvement of living conditions and the promotion of public transport,
to curb the population exodus from urban centres to the outskirts;
• Making the architectural heritage an integral part of urban planning policy,
according to the integrated conservation principle (see parts 1.1.3 and 2.2.1).
The European Regional Planning Strategy (Lausanne, 1988) translated the
policy objectives set five years earlier in the Charter in practical, pragmatic
terms. This voluminous publication (224 pages) provided a framework for
the coordination and harmonisation of national and regional spatial planning
policies. It was also intended as an instrument for cross-border co-operation,
reflecting Europe’s future spatial organisation.
The strategy proposed two approaches: the regional approach was particu-
larly relevant to urban areas for which rehabilitation of historic city centres
was a key concern. The schematic approach dealt with urban structures in
Europe, improvement of the environment, rational land use and public par-
ticipation in the planning process.
A third document laid the foundations of the spatial planning approach in
the nineties. This was the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation No. R
(89) 15 on rational use of land, as the basis and limiting factor of our devel-
opment. It recognised that land was indeed a limited resource, which could
be difficult and costly to reclaim. It was both a source of raw materials and
water, part of the cycle of natural exchange, a basis for energy production
and a support for the cultural heritage. It consequently deserved appropriate
41
protection in connection with its allocation. However, land also constituted

the spatial base of socio-economic structures. This made it important to
strike a balance between economic development and protection of land, and
its natural and cultural resources, with a view to passing these on to future
generations. This ecologically balanced economic development (soon to
become known as ’sustainable development’) should result from new rela-
tions between human beings and their environment.
Two major events organised by the United Nations had a significant impact
in shaping European thinking on sustainable development. At the Rio ’Earth
Summit’ in June 1992, 179 countries reached agreement on 27 principles
determining the rights and responsibilities of nations in the pursuit of devel-
opment and their peoples’ well-being (the Rio Declaration) and on a plan of
action for sustainable development from the social, economic and environ-
mental points of view (Agenda 21). The holding of the Habitat II Conference
in Istanbul in June 1996 also led to the adoption of a global plan of action
for the development of human settlements (the Habitat II Agenda).
In response to these documents, the European Commission produced its first
strategic development plan entitled ’The European Spatial Development
Perspective, achieving the balanced and sustainable development of the ter-
ritory of the EU’ (abbreviated to ESDP). This text was adopted by the Informal
Council of EU Ministers responsible for Spatial Planning held in Potsdam in
May 1999. Aware that urban development concerned nearly 80% of the EU
population, in the same year the Commission published ‘Sustainable urban
development in the European Union: a framework for action’.
The Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of

the European Continent
The Council of Europe incorporated the advances achieved with these vari-
ous reference texts in the Guiding Principles for the Sustainable Spatial
Development of the European Continent, adopted by the CEMAT in
Hanover on 8 September 2000.
This is a framework of strategic policy guidelines, non-binding on the mem-
ber states. Its application is accordingly voluntary, but was encouraged by
the Committee of Ministers in its Recommendation Rec (2002) 1.
The principles adopted in Hanover were conceived as a response to the
Council of Europe’s new tasks and priorities as a result of developments over
the past decade. Ten guiding principles were proposed with a view to pro-
moting the sustainable spatial development of the European continent:
1. Promoting territorial cohesion through more balanced social and
economic development of regions and improved competitiveness;
42
2. Encouraging development generated by urban functions and

improving the relationship between town and countryside;
3. Promoting fairer access conditions;
4. Developing access to information and knowledge;
5. Reducing environmental damage;
6. Enhancing and protecting natural resources and the natural heritage;
7. Enhancing the cultural heritage as a factor for development;
8. Developing energy resources while maintaining safety;
9. Promoting high quality sustainable tourism;
10. Limiting the impacts of natural disasters.
With a view to applying these principles, private sector involvement was

strongly recommended, particularly for housing and infrastructure
schemes, on account of its multiplier effect and positive impact on the
investment climate.
Specific spatial development measures were then proposed for individual
categories of region, including the following for urban areas:
• Polycentric development of the European settlement structure and
strengthening of its economic potential, to avoid the development of a
few metropolises to the detriment of other towns and cities;
• Controlling the expansion of urban areas (urban sprawl), by promoting
inner urban development, raising the quality of living and housing condi-
tions, increasing the supply of building land in towns and the activation of
gap sites;
• Regenerating deprived neighbourhoods and producing a mix of activities
and social groups to avoid social exclusion;
• Conservation and enhancement of the urban cultural heritage;
• Carefully managing the urban ecosystem, particularly with regard to
water, energy and waste;
• Developing effective and environmentally-friendly public transport, to
contribute to sustainable mobility;
• Developing local development strategies, establishing bodies across local
authority boundaries to coordinate planning, and developing networks of
towns.
43
The document also discusses the special challenges confronting towns and
cities in the new member states, such as financing the construction of hous-
ing, maintaining the existing building stock, and combating the suburbani-
sation and social/spatial segregation that result from the backlog of demand
for home ownership and the free functioning of the market economy.
A number of texts were issued in parallel with or as a follow-up to the guid-
ing principles: CLRAE Recommendations 41 (1998), 72 (2000) and 94
(2001), CLRAE Resolution 114 (2001) and Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1461 (2000).
Prudent management of the environment and the European

Landscape Convention
Four recommendations by the Committee of Ministers show that environ-
ment policy at the Council of Europe also subscribed to the new sustainabil-
ity concept:
• Recommendation No. R (93) 9 on the protection of the architectural
heritage against natural disasters;
• Recommendation No. R (97) 2 on sustained care of the cultural heritage
against physical deterioration due to pollution and other similar factors;
• Recommendation No. R (95) 9 on the integrated conservation of cultural
landscape areas as part of landscape policies;
• Recommendation No. R (96) 12 on the distribution of powers and respon-
sibilities between central authorities and local and regional authorities
with regard to the environment.
Presented by the Committee of Ministers at the conference ’Environment for
Europe’ held in Sofia in 1995, the Pan-European Biological and Landscape
Diversity Strategy was endorsed by 55 European Ministers for the
Environment. In view of its programming role, the Strategy can be regarded
as a European instrument for implementing the biodiversity convention
adopted in Rio.
The strategy was designed to encourage coordination in the use of existing
initiatives, mechanisms, funds, scientific research and information to main-
tain and improve European biological and landscape diversity. Conservation
of landscapes, and their cultural and geological heritage, was one of the
strategy’s ten action areas.
The importance of this issue led the Council of Europe to devote an entire
convention solely to landscapes. The European Landscape Convention, con-
sidered to be the first international convention on sustainable development,
was opened for signature in Florence in October 2000.
44
The convention’s interest and originality lies in its scope, which covers not
just natural but also urban and peri-urban areas. Similarly, it concerns not
only landscapes that are outstanding but also ordinary, everyday landscapes
and those that have been degraded or made featureless by global economic
changes, developments in farming, forestry or mining techniques or prac-
tices prevailing in the spatial development, town planning, transport, tourism
or leisure sectors. It recognises that the public authorities should pay greater
attention to the landscape in all its forms as it helps to determine the quality
of people’s lives.
With that aim in mind, the parties to the European Landscape Convention
undertook to implement certain measures at national level and to co-oper-
ate at international level in order to:
1. recognise landscape legally as an essential component of the setting
for people’s lives, reflecting the diversity of their common cultural
and natural heritage and as the foundation of their identity;
2. frame and implement policies to protect, manage and plan land-
scapes;
3. integrate landscape into its regional and town planning policies, cul-
tural, environmental, agricultural, social and economic policies and
in any other policy sector which may have a direct or indirect impact
on the landscape;
4. lay down procedures for participation by the general public, local
and regional authorities and other interested parties in the formula-
tion and implementation of landscape policies.
The following specific measures are recommended:
• to increase awareness among the civil society and public authorities;
• multidisciplinary training of specialists in landscape matters and landscape
operations;
• identification and ’assessment’ of landscapes through exchanges of expe-
rience and methodology at a European level.
Reconciling protection of the heritage and economic development

Those concerned with conservation of the heritage also embraced the sus-
tainable development concept, as can be seen from the final declaration and
resolutions adopted at the Fourth European Conference of Ministers respon-
sible for the Cultural Heritage (Helsinki, 30 and 31 May 1996). The balance
between economic, social, cultural and environmental objectives which sus-
tainable development now entailed made it possible to reconcile heritage
and economic concerns.
45
These documents frame a number of principles common to all European her-

itage policies. They are synonymous with a radical change of approach, a
broadening of the concept of integrated conservation of the heritage to offer
a better response to the economic and social challenges of modern society.
The most striking development is perception of the cultural heritage as an
economic resource, contributing to local development, notably through
urban rehabilitation and growth in tourism. Heritage’s vital role in forging a
European identity is clearly defined in these texts, as are sustainable cultural
tourism strategies.
Tourism was a recurring theme throughout the nineties. The Committee of
Ministers’ Recommendation No. R (94) 7 recognised that tourism consti-
tuted one of the mainsprings of economic growth and could become the
foremost world industry. It was perceived as a factor in bringing people
together, forging a European identity and heightening awareness of the
value of their natural and cultural heritage. However, convinced that the
environment had an intrinsic value which was greater than its value as a
tourism asset, the Committee of Ministers recommended developing sus-
tainable forms of tourism, in-keeping with a number of innovative principles:
• an environmental impact assessment prior to any tourism project;
• respect for the scale, nature, character and capacity of cultural assets and
the local community (tolerance level);
• observance of the principles of prevention and precaution;
• localised job creation;
• use of local materials and traditional skills;
• informing and making tourists aware of the need to respect the cultural
and natural heritage.
The Committee of Ministers developed these principles more fully in

Recommendation No. R (95) 10, which defined ’sustainable tourism’ as any
form of tourist development or activity which respects the environment,
ensures long-term conservation of natural and cultural resources and is
socially and economically acceptable and fair.
New solidarity and co-operation with the countries of central and

eastern Europe
Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1172 (1992) drew worrying con-
clusions about the situation of the cultural heritage in central and eastern
Europe: illegal trade in works of art, destruction of the protected heritage
during armed conflicts, monuments left to decay or demolished, shortage of
46
public or private funding, lack of appropriate legislation and failure to apply

it, etc. It accordingly recommended the exchange of experience gained by
the Council of Europe, so as not to repeat the mistakes made in the West,
while ensuring that the expertise, traditions and cultural heritage surviving in
the East would not be lost. The free flow of information and all forms of co-
operation should be encouraged through legislative or technical assistance
programmes, bilateral agreements between member states, networks of
towns and cities and support for NGOs.
It was with the very objective of responding to these new challenges that, in
1992, the Organisation revised the regulations governing the Technical Co-
operation and Consultancy Programme relating to the integrated conserva-
tion of the cultural heritage (which had been adopted in 1973 at the time of
the programme’s launch). The programme was also adapted to the updated
intergovernmental co-operation framework and was able to act upon
Resolution No. 3 of the Third European Conference of Ministers responsible
for the Cultural Heritage, calling for increased technical co-operation and
consultancy.
The Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, which

in 1994 became the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe,
participated in this trend. In its Resolution 241 (1993) it called on local and
regional authorities in Europe to develop twinning arrangements and soli-
darity links with municipalities affected by the war in former Yugoslavia. In
its Recommendation 4 (1994) the CLRAE took the view that partnerships
between towns and municipalities were an effective instrument for co-oper-
ation in Greater Europe since they fostered public support for the European
unification process and enabled people to get to know each other better and
become aware of the common heritage and converging interests of
European nations. In 1995 the CLRAE launched a new series of urban policy
conferences, which led, inter alia, to the official launch of the European
Association of Historic Towns and Regions in October 1999.
To enhance the means of preventing crime relating to the moveable and

immoveable heritage of the countries of central and eastern Europe, the
Committee of Ministers adopted Recommendations Nos. R (96) 6 and R (98)
4, which supplemented the European Convention on Offences relating to
Cultural Property (Delphi, 1985), the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or
Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (Rome, 1995) and the UNESCO
Conventions for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed
Conflict (The Hague, 1954 and 1999) and on the Means of Prohibiting and
Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural
Property (Paris, 1970).
47
Poster for the campaign ’Europe, a common heritage’ (1999-2000)
UNE CAMPAGNE DU CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE

1999 - 2000
F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex - http://culture.coe.int/patrimonium
From 1999 to 2000 the Council of Europe ran a new Europe-wide campaign called ’Europe, a
common heritage’ aimed at stimulating the protection of the cultural heritage in a Europe that
had been enlarged with the inclusion of new member states. Its message was above all politi-
cal. The campaign would be the proof of a united and peaceful Europe, thanks to the recogni-
tion of a common heritage enriched by its diversity.
48
1.4. Since the year 2000: urban culture and the importance of
recognising cultural diversity
1.4.1. The context

Although most of the processes triggered in the late eighties have continued
into the beginning of the third millennium, some changes can be noted in
European society. These include:
• At a political level: the accession of virtually all the countries of central and
eastern Europe to the Council of Europe, the growing importance of inter-
national bodies, a weakening of the nation state and a strengthening of
the role of cities and regions;
• At a social level: growing economic insecurity and exclusion of certain

population groups in parallel with others’ rapidly growing wealth, a weak-
ening of social policies, the destabilisation of traditional family structures
and the increasing individuation of society;
• At an economic level: ongoing globalisation, development of the free

market economy and international competition, the emergence of the
(increasingly intangible) services economy and of the new economy based
on information technology;
• At an environmental level: difficulties in curbing pollution, waste and eco-

logical disasters (oil spills, flooding, earthquakes) despite international
agreements seeking to promote the sustainable management of the planet;
• At a cultural level: acceleration of migratory movements, cultural mixing

and hybridisation, identity politics, the development of multicultural or
multiethnic societies, which sometimes increases social tensions and racist
behaviour and attitudes.

It is in the towns and cities that these changes are the most perceptible. The
urban challenge consists in accommodating and making the most of these
changes rather than enduring them as obstacles to development. In particular,
this entails:
• Ensuring respect for the cultural diversity of local communities as an

essential condition for urban prosperity, stability and social cohesion and
also for European unification;
49
• Upholding the cultural heritage’s role in the face of globalisation: rein-

forcing local identities and sustainable development, fostering mutual
understanding and cohesion, contributing to citizenship and democracy,
improving the cultural environment;
• Progressing from linear urban development processes (building towns

from new on greenfield sites) to more complex processes of urban recy-
cling or rehabilitation (working with existing cities), to improve the sur-
roundings and well-being of residents and users;
• Playing an active part in development and economic competition, while

enabling the entire population to achieve fulfilment and lasting well-
being.
At the same time, the weakening of central government and the growing
power of local government mean that local authorities are no longer mere
agencies for implementing national policies, but are now policymakers in
their own right. This strengthening of their role must go hand in hand with
a real change in urban management or ‘governance’, such as:
• Replacing short-term policies with long-term ones, conducive to conflict

management and constructive, dynamic development;
• Replacing sector-based, compartmentalised approaches with ones which

are integrated (multidisciplinary), vertical (co-operation between levels of
government), reciprocal (top-down and bottom-up), partnership-based
(public/private partnerships) and regionalised (co-operation between local
councils);
• Replacing participation-based methods with joint provision of services,

mobilising new capacities and resources and benefiting from high-quality
management and evaluation;
• Espousing a new ethic, entailing the moral obligation to preserve the her-
itage and make it accessible for as many people as possible, without dis-
crimination as to the choice of assets, the owners or the operators.

Recognition of cultural diversity as a fundamental condition for a
united Europe
Various recent events were to generate increased awareness of the political
and social importance of respect for cultural diversity, in particular with
regard to minorities.
50
Twenty-five years after European Architectural Heritage Year (1975), the

Council of Europe ran a new pan-European campaign on the cultural her-
itage, designed to encourage its protection throughout Europe and to
show solidarity with the new member states. The ‘Europe, a common her-
itage’ campaign, which had been proposed by the Parliamentary
Assembly as far back as 1992, Recommendation 1172 (1992) and was
decided upon at the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government,
held in Strasbourg in 1997, took place from September 1999 to December
2000.
The campaign primarily conveyed a political message. It was intended as

proof of a united Europe, brought together through a ‘common cultural her-
itage enriched by its diversity’. As the Parliamentary Assembly pointed out in
its Recommendation 1465 (2000) and report on the campaign (doc. 8729),
the campaign had a more general message than that of 1975, since it also
had social, economic, environmental and ethical goals. It was also an oppor-
tunity to highlight the main advances achieved by member states in the her-
itage conservation field.
In 1999 the Culture Committee of the Council for Cultural Co-operation

drew up Guidelines on Cultural Work within the Information Society. It
underlined the importance of preserving cultural diversity in the European
unification process, in particular within the information society of the 21st
century.
In its Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2000) the Committee of Ministers in

turn redefined its cultural objectives in the light of current trends. This dec-
laration states that in the context of global market and information technol-
ogy influences on cultures and cultural exchange, modern democratic states
face a new challenge: the development of policies for assuring the recogni-
tion and expression of forms of cultural diversity coexisting within their juris-
dictions.
Sustainable development, as defined in relation to cultural diversity, accord-

ingly assumes that technological and other developments, which occur to
meet the needs of the present, will not compromise the ability of future gen-
erations to meet their needs with respect to the production, provision and
exchange of culturally diverse services, products and practices.
Following the foundation, in 1999, of the European Association of Historic

Towns and Regions, the CLRAE reviewed the principles it prescribed for the
management of historic towns: Resolution 98 (2000).
51
In Recommendation 92 (2001) and Resolution 112 (2001), relating to the

conference ‘Cities and Regions: Cultural diversity – a precondition for a
united Europe’ (Innsbruck, 11-12 December 2000), the CLRAE took note of
the ‘cultural cross-breeding’ ensuing from travel, migration and new oppor-
tunities for communication on a world scale. It called for artistic activities and
all forms of cultural diversity policy to be encouraged as means of counter-
ing the current trend towards standardisation resulting from globalisation. It
also pointed out that culture was a universal human right and that European
unification was not synonymous with cultural uniformity.
On 2 November 2001 UNESCO, which was also aware of how topical and
global cultural diversity is, adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural
Diversity. In the autumn of 2003, it decided to draw up a convention on cul-
tural diversity, so the concept of cultural diversity became part of an irre-
versible yet promising path for the issue of rehabilitation.
The role of culture and the cultural heritage in meeting

the globalisation challenge
At the Fifth European Conference of Ministers responsible for the cultural

heritage (Portoroz, 5-7 April 2001), the ministers determined a number of
objectives in terms of four main challenges, with a view to defining the role
that cultural heritage must henceforth play to address the challenge of glob-
alisation (Resolution No.1):
1. Cultural heritage as an asset in the globalisation context. The diver-

sity of the cultural heritage gives people a primary sense of identity.
It is a sustainable development asset in global economic competi-
tion. It contributes to prosperity by strengthening the stability and
social cohesion that encourage investment. In this connection, it is
important that public authorities devise a sustainable development
model that is both democratic and internationally just.
2. Promotion of mutual understanding and cohesion. Individuals and

communities have a fundamental right to self-defined identities and
cultures. However, they also have an obligation to respect those of
others, and to acknowledge the common interest in all heritage.
These principles should constitute a basis for mutual understanding
and contribute to conflict prevention. They limit the risks of
homogenisation inherent in globalisation. All policies should there-
fore promote and show respect for the cultural contributions, past
and present, of different communities, particularly through public
awareness-raising, history teaching and intercultural dialogue.
52
3. The contribution of heritage to citizenship and democracy. Citizens’

participation in protecting their cultural environment helps to
achieve the Council of Europe’s objective of fostering democratic
practices. The public authorities must accordingly develop the con-
cept of shared responsibilities by involving the public and communi-
ties in protecting and preserving the cultural heritage. This means
establishing the legal, financial and professional framework neces-
sary for effective, concerted action by experts, owners, investors,
businesses and society.
4. Enhancing the cultural environment. All elements of the European

cultural environment embody both market and cultural values.
Spatial development, town-planning and heritage policies should
accordingly ensure protection of the cultural heritage’s authenticity
and diversity, encourage regular maintenance of the heritage and
discourage reproductions of vanished buildings and structures. They
should also be concerned with the creation of the heritage of tomor-
row, by fostering quality in contemporary architecture, appropriate
to its context.
The cultural heritage ministers moreover encouraged the Council of Europe’s

ethical role (see below). On the basis of the various objectives identified,
they determined the Council of Europe’s future activities in the cultural her-
itage field over the period 2002-2005 (Resolution No. 2). These activities
have four main thrusts:
• updating the reference texts in the cultural heritage field;
• developing the European Heritage Network (HEREIN) as a source of core

data and an observatory;
• the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme;
• teaching, training and awareness-raising.
A new ethical approach to culture and the cultural heritage
Various kinds of work done in recent years by experts and the European min-
isters responsible for the cultural heritage have led the Council of Europe to
devise a new ethical approach.
Humanity has a moral duty to transmit the heritage to future generations.

Heritage policies must take account of the different values attaching to the
cultural environment and encompass all the contributions made by each
53
period in history and each cultural community. In this connection, priority is

given to protecting and conserving the heritage’s physical and functional
features. Greater attention should also be paid to the human value of the
heritage, whether symbolic or emotional value for owners, neighbourhoods,
nations and even the entire world (cfr. concept of ‘Human heritage’).
Where the heritage is subject to violence or destruction, in particular on

account of its value as a symbol of the enemy’s or oppressor’s identity,
humanity as a whole must rally round. Reinforcing international co-opera-
tion and enhancing access to information are means of more effectively
combating unlawful trade in heritage objects.
To enable the greatest possible number of people to share in the possibilities

afforded by use of the heritage, public access should be as broad as possi-
ble. In particular, it must be ensured that, in the information society, every-
one has reasonable access to knowledge, culture and the cultural heritage,
without discrimination.
Freedom of access to the cultural heritage must also be governed by an

ethical approach in commercial matters, which respects the privacy and the
cultural values of individuals and communities. Similar ethical principles
should apply to development strategies in the global market, which, while
striving for prosperity, must acknowledge the public dimension inherent in
sustainable conservation of the cultural heritage, its authenticity and its
integrity.
Heritage policies must not discriminate in any way between regions, the
communities which live there and the cultural assets that bear witness to
the history of those communities and regions. The ban on discrimination
must apply to all aspects of heritage policies: choice of heritage assets to
be protected and restored; access to information; support for owners
(whether they are public or private, individuals or groups, secular or
religious); selection of staff and operators; participation in the decision-
making process.
However, this principle must not prevent some ’positive discrimination’

aimed at safeguarding the cultural heritage of minorities or threatened
indigenous populations.
These recent trends show the vital role played by cultural co-operation in
identifying changes in society, framing ethical approaches and devising inter-
sectoral policies, so as to give concrete form to the democratic principles that
are Europe’s common heritage.
54
‘Access to Social Rights in Europe’
Urban rehabilitation must satisfy the basic needs of the population, guaranteeing access to
acceptable and appropriate housing for all, including those on the margins of society. It will
thus link the goals of improving the social and the urban fabrics through intervention target-
ing public spaces, the built heritage, public infrastructure and social housing.
55
1.5. The last five decades: the right to housing and the chal-
lenge of social cohesion
1.5.1. The last five decades in context
In view of its Statute, the Council of Europe has been constantly concerned
with social issues, ever since its foundation in May 1949. It deals both with
matters of joint interest and those specific to its member states. Safeguarding
human rights is an important aspect of its activities. In 1950 the organisation
adopted the European Convention on Human Rights; to which the European
Social Charter was added in 1961. The objectives of these two instruments
are clear: fostering social progress, improving living conditions and promot-
ing well-being in a vast European area of democratic security.
From the sixties, social policies began to take shape in the fields of housing,
employment, social security, health and education. The economic boom
enjoyed by the member states during this ’golden’ decade favoured social
investments, in particular in social housing schemes, which were behind the
creation of many jobs.
Unfortunately, from the second half of the seventies Europe was plunged
into recession, and the member states were obliged to economise, first and
foremost in the social and cultural sectors.
With the fall of the Berlin wall and the Organisation’s enlargement to the
countries of central and eastern Europe, its work in the social field took on
an entirely new dimension. Social measures were also becoming a more
pressing priority in the member states following the far-reaching social
changes that began in the early nineties. Insecurity in job markets and the
housing sector could be seen to be growing, as was the gulf between rich
and poor and social exclusion. Social policies were losing ground, family
and social ties were weakening, and the population was ageing.
With the acceleration of migratory movements, there was also a new mixing
of cultures and growth in multicultural or multiethnic societies, sometimes
leading to social unrest and various forms of violence, which jeopardised the
states’ democratic security.
Lastly, globalisation, the free market economy and new information tech-
nology have led to the emergence of a new economy and new employment
relations and work.

By nature, towns tend to accumulate these kinds of social problems. Urban
policies must accordingly address the following challenge:
• Guaranteeing the preservation and enhancement of social cohesion, while
taking an active part in economic competition; in other words, striking a
balance between social expenditure and economic development;
56
• Upholding human dignity by making the individual the focus of urban

policy and guaranteeing human rights (the European Convention on
Human Rights);
• Satisfying individuals’ fundamental needs by facilitating access to social
rights: housing, employment, health, social protection, education and
prohibition of discrimination;
• Ensuring access to decent, adequate housing for all, including members of
disadvantaged population groups;
• Combining the objectives of improving the social and the urban fabrics
through operations concerning public spaces, the built heritage and social
housing schemes;
• No longer regarding ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism as impediments
to social cohesion, but as a source of diversity, vigour and adaptability;
• Establishing fora and procedures giving the underprivileged, and any one
whose rights are not properly respected, a means of making themselves heard;
• Devising an integrated approach covering all the fields of action concerned.
This challenge is taken up with the input and backing of the social operators
active in the field.

The European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social
Charter
Human rights are universal, indefeasible rights, which guarantee respect for
fundamental human dignity. These rights are set out in two key Council of
Europe treaties:
• the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards civil and
political rights;
• the European Social Charter, which safeguards social and economic rights.
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (also known as the European Convention on Human Rights), which
was opened for signature on 4 November 1950, was the first major legal instru-
ment to be produced by the Council of Europe since its foundation in 1949. At
the time, the aim was to take advantage of the post-war period to establish a
vast area of democratic security, built to last, that would foster economic and
social progress. Through this convention the Council of Europe undertook to
apply the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) at European level.
The European Convention on Human Rights, as amended by Protocol No. 11,
which came into force on 1 November 1998, lists a number of fundamental
rights and freedoms: the right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of slav-
ery and forced labour, the right to liberty and security, the right to a fair trial, no
57
punishment without law, the right to respect for private and family life, freedom
of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assem-
bly and association, the right to marry, the right to an effective remedy, and pro-
hibition of discrimination in the application of any of these rights.
To ensure effective observance of human rights by the states parties, a
European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg. This court hears
individual and inter-state applications.
The European Social Charter affords extended protection of human rights.
The charter was opened for signature in Turin on 18 October 1961, and a
revised version dated 1996 came into force in 1999. The charter’s objective
is to foster social progress, improve living conditions and promote well-
being. The six rights guaranteed under the revised charter are the rights to
housing, to health, to education, to employment, to social protection and
non-discrimination.
On the subject of the right to housing, the 1961 charter requires states to
pursue a housing policy in accordance with families’ needs. Moreover, the
revised charter requires states to take measures to facilitate access to hous-
ing of an adequate standard, to prevent and reduce homelessness, with a
view to its gradual elimination, and to make the price of housing accessible
for people with scant resources.
To guarantee social protection for those who are socially disadvantaged,
such as the elderly or people with disabilities, the revised charter calls for
provision of housing suited to their needs and state of health or the grant-
ing of appropriate support in adapting housing.
It also requires equality of access to social housing in accordance with the
right of applicants not to be discriminated against on grounds of sex, age,
state of health, race, colour, language, religion, opinion, social origin, mem-
bership of a national minority, wealth, birth or other status.
Human rights now constitute one of the four pillars of the Council of Europe.
Any state wishing to join the organisation must ratify the European
Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter as a pre-
accession condition. On ratifying these treaties, the member states formally
undertake to comply with the obligations set out in them. Any serious
breach of human rights may therefore constitute grounds for suspension or
exclusion from the Organisation.
Social Cohesion Strategy

At the Second Summit of the Council of Europe in 1997 the heads of state
and government recognised that social cohesion was ’one of the foremost
needs of the wider Europe … an essential complement to the promotion of
human rights and dignity’.
58
In response, the Committee of Ministers set up the European Committee for

Social Cohesion (CDCS), an umbrella body which took charge of a number of
formerly separate activities (social security, social policy and employment).
The new Committee’s first task was to draw up the Council of Europe’s
Strategy for Social Cohesion. This strategy, which the Committee of Ministers
approved on 13 July 2000, is a genuine declaration of intent establishing a
precise framework for the Organisation’s future work in the social field.
It seeks to identify factors of social cohesion, such as:
• the development of mechanisms and institutions that prevent causes of
division (such as excessive income inequality or the many forms of dis-
crimination) from jeopardising social peace;
• the adoption of measures to combat poverty and social exclusion, partic-
ularly in housing, health, education and training, in employment and
income distribution and in the social services;
• the reinforcement of social security systems and policies and the impor-
tance of a reasonable, adequately paid job;
• the development of family policies paying special attention to children and
the elderly;
• partnership with civil society organisations, in particular trade unions,
employers’ organisations and NGOs.
Social cohesion policies must consequently be aimed at:

1. helping to revitalise the economy and to capitalise on the contribu-
tion made by the social partners and other interested bodies, partic-
ularly in creating jobs, encouraging enterprise and ensuring
employment opportunities for all;
2. meeting people’s basic needs and promoting access to social rights
in the universal spirit underlying the Council of Europe’s many con-
ventions and recommendations in matters of housing, employment,
education, health and social protection;
3. recognising human dignity, making the individual the primary focus
of policy-making and guaranteeing human rights;
4. establishing fora and procedures which allow the underprivileged
and those whose rights are insufficiently respected to make them-
selves heard;
5. developing an integrated approach bringing together all the rele-
vant policy areas.
To achieve these objectives, the Council of Europe pursues four kinds of
activities: standard-setting and monitoring the application of national legal
59
instruments; framing of policies, particularly in the fields of access to hous-

ing and urban social policy; implementation of projects in the member states;
and research and analysis.
The Strategy for Social Cohesion is currently being revised to include the
results of experience derived from this new approach over the last four years.
The Council of Europe Development Bank, a purely social vocation

Created in 1956, the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is the oldest multilateral
financial institution in Europe and the only one to have a purely social role.
Its activities strike a balance between its social objectives and the need for profitability due to
the fact that it is financially independent from the Council of Europe, although subject to the
latter’s authority.
The CEB has 35 member states. It extends loans and guarantees (but not grants) to member
states’ governments, local authorities or financial institutions. Its funding of a project is no
greater than 50% of the eligible total cost.
To be approved for funding, social projects must comply with Council of Europe conventions,
international agreements on protection of the environment and a number of quality standards.
From the outset the Bank’s Articles of Agreement identified certain fields of action as statutory
priorities:
• Aid for refugees and migrants;
• Relief for victims of natural or ecological disasters.
22% of loans disbursed since the Bank’s inception have concerned these two priorities.
Following the recommendations made at the Second Summit of the Council of Europe in
1997, four new priorities were set:
• Employment: supporting investment in small and medium sized businesses and voca-
tional training;
• Education: funding of school infrastructure and teaching equipment;
• Health: building, renovation and modernisation of health care facilities;
• Social housing: building or rehabilitation of dwellings and improvement of living condi-
tions in deprived urban neighbourhoods.
53% of loans disbursed since the Bank’s inception have concerned these new priorities.
Alongside its statutory and new priorities, the CEB finances social projects in three other fields
of action:
• Protection and rehabilitation of the historic heritage;
• Protection of the environment;
• Rural modernisation.
25% of loans disbursed since the Bank’s inception have been allocated to projects in these fields.
In all of these fields the CEB works in close co-operation with other international financial insti-
tutions and, in particular, with the Council of Europe. In 1999 it signed a special partnership
agreement with the Council of Europe, aimed at strengthening social cohesion, which has made
it possible to identify a number of pilot projects, especially in those countries in transition.
60
Improving the urban and the social fabrics - two inseparable objectives
Various reference texts of the Council of Europe endorsed the architectural
heritage’s social dimension from as early as the seventies: the Consultative
Assembly’s Recommendation 661 (1972) on housing policy in Europe; the
European Charter of the Architectural Heritage and the Amsterdam
Declaration (1975); Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 764 (1975)
on social problems of urban decay and resettlement; Parliamentary Assembly
Resolution 598 (1975) on the social aspects of architectural heritage conser-
vation (the explanatory report gives a very exhaustive picture of social prob-
lems in old urban districts).
Noting that decay of the urban fabric has damaging effects on the social
fabric, and vice versa, these documents all reach the same conclusion:
encouraging the rehabilitation of old urban centres is an excellent means
of reducing social problems and improving social well-being in urban
areas.
As mentioned in section 1.2.3, the the Standing Conference of Local and
Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE from 1994) collated and condensed
the various pieces of work on urban policy in its European Urban Charter
(1992). Among the twenty urban rights cited in this document, mention can
be made of the ’right to provision of suitable, well-located and well-lit hous-
ing and dwellings of sufficient size, with adequate amenities, reasonably
priced and reflecting anti-pollution requirements [and] the right to an ade-
quate supply and choice of affordable, salubrious housing, guaranteeing pri-
vacy and tranquillity’.
In its programme on human settlements (the Habitat II Agenda), adopted in
Istanbul in 1996, the United Nations in turn defined what is meant by ade-
quate housing: ‘Adequate shelter means more than a roof over one’s head.
It also means adequate privacy, adequate space, physical accessibility, ade-
quate security, security of tenure, structural stability and durability, adequate
lighting, heating and ventilation, adequate basic infrastructure, … suitable
environmental quality and health-related factors, and adequate and accessi-
ble location with regard to work and basic facilities: all of which should be
available at an affordable cost.’
Considering the right to security as the primary urban right, the CLRAE
defined the role of local authorities in fighting crime and urban insecurity
in Europe: Resolution 99 (2000). At the close of a conference held in
Szczecin (Poland, October 2000), it recommended improving housing
policies as an effective means of preventing and reducing urban crime.
The outcome of all this work was the publication of a practical guide enti-
tled ‘Urban crime prevention – a guide for local authorities’ (July 2002).
61
This excellent publication shows how implementation of tangible mea-

sures in the fields of housing, the built environment or development of
public spaces can reduce, before they occur, the causes of crime and delin-
quency.
Mirroring these concerns, the Parliamentary Assembly recommended estab-

lishing a European observatory on urban security and crime prevention:
Recommendation 1531 (2001).
One last theme that has been a focus of attention at the Council of Europe
since the nineties is improvement of deprived urban areas. The Parliamentary
Assembly’s Order 571 (2001) and Recommendation 1505 (2001) describe
the ’negative social phenomena’ linked to such areas. Schemes to upgrade
these neighbourhoods involve aesthetic improvements to the façades and
common areas of run-down buildings (entrance halls, corridors, staircases)
and the surrounding spaces. The results of pilot projects show that the suc-
cess of such schemes primarily depends on the active individual and group
involvement of the communities concerned.
Access to housing for disadvantaged population groups
Since the early eighties the Council of Europe has also brought out a large
number of reference texts on the right to housing for all. These texts call for
non-discriminatory access to housing for people who are underprivileged or
vulnerable, such as:
• the poor: Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 893 (1980) on

poverty in Europe;
• young people: the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities

of Europe (CLRAE from 1994) Resolution 144 (1983) on young people in
towns and the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in
Municipal and Regional Life (the Standing Conference of Local and
Regional Authorities of Europe , 1992);
• the elderly: CLRAE Recommendation 5 (1994) on Europe and its elderly

people: towards a pact between generations;
• national minorities: Framework Convention for the Protection of National

Minorities (1995);
• migrants: the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of

Europe Resolution 94 (1977) on housing conditions for migrant workers
in Europe and Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (88) 14 on
migrants’ housing;
62
• stateless nomads: Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (83) 1

on stateless nomads and nomads of undetermined nationality and the
Committee of Ministers’ draft recommendation on improving the housing
conditions of the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities in Europe
(September, 2002). A number of practical activities have been imple-
mented in favour of Roma/Gypsies since 1994 (on this subject see the
publication ‘Activities of the Council of Europe concerning Roma/Gypsies
and Travellers’, Strasbourg, 2000);
• the homeless and the poorly housed: report on housing and homeless-
ness, network of research correspondents, Strasbourg, 1997.
The measures recommended in these documents aim to end the current dis-
parity between rich and poor in housing matters. They are also intended to
slow down the worrying growth in the number of homeless and poorly
housed people in Europe.
These measures are directly linked to the organisation of social housing poli-
cies, as recommended in the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe Resolution 186 (1988) on social housing policy.
Moreover, taking the view that disadvantaged persons’ right to housing can-
not be upheld without the public authorities’ regulatory intervention in the
housing market, the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities
of Europe specified the conditions for application of the right to housing by
local and regional authorities in its Resolution 244 (1993).
Along the same lines, in 2001 the Group of Specialists on Access to Housing
published a report on access to housing for disadvantaged categories of per-
sons and selected examples of national housing policy approaches and pol-
icy measures. It also proposed Policy Guidelines on Access to Housing for
Vulnerable Categories of Persons. Emphasis was laid on the conditions nec-
essary for effective (social) housing policies: establishing a legal and institu-
tional framework, co-operation between public authorities and society,
improving the supply and the financing of affordable housing for vulnerable
categories of persons, the importance of area-based housing policies, reduc-
ing the risk of eviction for vulnerable persons and dealing with emergency
situations (refugees, evicted persons, etc.).
These policy Guidelines are reiterated in the 2002 publication by the

European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS): ‘Access to social rights in
Europe’. This reference work contains a very interesting analysis of the ‘chain
of obstacles’ impeding access to social rights and of the good practices that
facilitate access. It concludes by setting out policy guidelines on access to
housing, to social protection and to employment.
63
Success factors for innovatory urban social policies

One further publication by the social cohesion specialists is of particular rel-
evance to the organisation of urban rehabilitation schemes. This is
‘Innovatory social policies in the city’ – the proceedings of a conference held
in Oslo from 22 to 24 June 2000 (2 volumes).
This document draws the conclusions of an activity launched in 1996 in the
wake of the Habitat II conference in Istanbul, at a time when the Council of
Europe was carrying out a major project on human dignity and social
exclusion. The activity involved studying 51 urban projects implemented in
eighteen Council of Europe member states.
The conclusions identify seven ’success factors’ for what the study termed
integrated joint urban ecology development programmes:
Identifying the issues having priority and the target groups. The projects
were aimed at disadvantaged groups, whether marginalised or not.
Strangely, very little attention is paid to the social issue as such, but it is
addressed via other areas of concern (the economy, employment, health,
culture, the environment, education or sport) and the problems posed by
obsolescence or the lack of correspondence between the administrative ser-
vices offer and the public’s needs.
Transition from multi-sectoral approaches to integrated approaches. From
mere coordination of sectoral policies, constituting a multi-sectoral approach
in form only, there must be a move towards genuine integrated approaches
aiming for a degree of decompartmentalisation of situations and the mech-
anisms that produce them. These are innovatory structural approaches since
they come from grassroots level (’bottom-up’ approach) and involve the cre-
ation of ad hoc facilities bringing together various elements (operators,
resources, etc).
Area-based approaches. The productive interaction between projects and
particular areas - the project-area dialectic - is essential to the success of
innovatory strategies. The local area mirrors the pattern of the social projects
that have shaped it: it presents both problems and significant potential. The
project is the vehicle for, the key to and the generator of change.
Partner-based approaches. Innovatory approaches call on a wide variety of
players: public institutions, NGOs, foundations, private companies, etc. Local
and regional authorities are taking the lead in orchestrating the action of these
players at local level. Their new form of governance functions via coordination
structures. It is organised in accordance with contractual procedures, which
may prefigure future institutional arrangements. It also leads to new tasks and
new professions - mediation, serving as an interface and joint provision.
64
Transition from a participatory approach to joint provision of services. The

desire of local people to participate in urban policies is nothing new. The
innovatory aspect of the projects studied consists in launching a process of
joint provision, with considerable involvement of inhabitants or users, plac-
ing them in a position to ’coproduce’ the services of relevance to them in
what amounts to a process of empowerment (strengthening of capacities
and powers).
Approaches using new methods and resources. The wide variety of players
involved is synonymous with a wide variety or possible diversification of
resources. However, financial capital, infrastructure and facilities are not
enough. Joint service provision also entails mobilising individuals, partner-
ships and entire urban communities.
Approaches that can be evaluated. The quality of a project’s management

and ongoing evaluation is essential to its success. Given the multi-sectoral
and partnership-based dimension of these innovatory approaches, assess-
ment is increasingly recognised as an essential requirement. However, it is
difficult to implement, since some social and cultural benefits are invisible,
and hence not measurable.
In sum, the innovation results from both the decompartmentalisation of

departments and administrative units and the localism of action. It arises,
above all, from the always unique encounter of a project and a local area.
These conclusions are extremely important since they emphasise the

refounding of citizenship, solidarity between members of society and the
rooting of human rights in a territory, a community and a concrete reality.
Lastly, they show that urban rehabilitation (renovation of the heritage, social
housing, public spaces, etc.) now constitutes a key to the success of social
policy in towns.
1.6. Summary: the changing concept of urban rehabilitation

The concept of urban rehabilitation has changed considerably since the mid
1960s in response to the trend taken by urban development issues and the
dominant concerns of people nowadays in this regard.
It was in reaction to the decline and wholesale destruction of historic town

centres that a collective awareness of the importance of the urban cultural
heritage began to grow. The urgency of instituting bona fide policies for the
preservation and rehabilitation of this endangered heritage was apparent.
65
Champions of the heritage of historic centres then regarded urban rehabili-

tation as a way of achieving the objective of integrated heritage conserva-
tion in today’s society’s environment, as being ‘designed to … rehabilitate
buildings, particularly those intended for habitation, by renovating their
internal structure and adapting it to the needs of modern life, while carefully
preserving features of cultural interest’ (Resolution (76) 28).
Originally, urban rehabilitation was thus aimed essentially at improving the
‘physical dimension’ of old urban districts through renovation and moderni-
sation of their building stock. Nevertheless, the first urban rehabilitation
operations sometimes had negative effects on the residents of old districts,
such as the underprivileged population strata being forced into other run-
down districts, a process with gentrification (settlement of far more prosper-
ous people) as its corollary.
These social problems inclined the responsible authorities to view the ’social
dimension’ of rehabilitation as a political priority. Residents’ involvement in
the urban rehabilitation process was thereafter recognised as essential to the
success of operations.
In that perspective, special attention was paid to protecting housing, for the
benefit of the disadvantaged too, in order to check the processes of gentri-
fication, social segregation and takeover by the service economy (implanta-
tion of service sector functions turning more profit than housing), which
typified the early forms of urban reinvestment.
The authorities were moreover required to clear up the new problems of
accessibility, traffic and parking that grew out of increased traffic within the
rehabilitated district. Roadwork and provision of public areas and facilities
became an indispensable phase of rehabilitation operations to guarantee the
quality of the population’s surroundings.
This shift in favour of the ’environmental dimension’ of rehabilitation was
consolidated in the 1990s by the dissemination of sustainable development
principles. Reduction of pollution and waste became more of a consideration
in the decision-making process, as did noise abatement or economical con-
sumption of energy and water.
In the same period, society at large and the decision-makers concurred as to
the ’economic dimension’ of urban rehabilitation, henceforth recognising it
as a powerful energiser of local development in the face of the challenge of
the globalisation of the economy and international competition.
Rehabilitation in fact created a large number of jobs needed for renewal of
the historic districts’ material fabric. It generated wealth derived from the
new economic activities that developed there. This maximisation of the
66
endogenous assets of towns made it possible to increase their competitive-

ness and their attractiveness to potential residents, investors and tourists.
Subsequent to the quickening of migratory flows and to the development of
increasingly multicultural urban societies, promotion of the ’cultural dimen-
sion’ of districts marked for rehabilitation has been seen as an essential con-
tribution to building a common local identity founded on recognition of the
residents’ cultural diversity.
Through tolerance and mutual understanding, urban rehabilitation can be a
means of averting social tension and conflict. It thereby fosters social cohe-
sion, citizenship and democracy.
In conclusion, we can confirm that urban rehabilitation currently has two
fundamental aims: to encourage the entire urban population’s self-fulfilment
and lasting well-being, and to improve the quality of the various compo-
nents of the urban lifestyle. The presentation of these current goals and chal-
lenges is the focus of the second part of this work.
Table 2. Principal Council of Europe Reference Texts on Urban Rehabilitation

Field of action Reference text Key dates
Cultural Convention for the Protection of the Opened for signature

heritage Architectural Heritage of Europe in 1985
(Granada Convention)
Urban policies European Urban Charter Both adopted in 1992

European Declaration of Urban Rights
Social policies Convention for the Protection of Human 1950 - Amending

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Protocols Nos. 11 and
(a.k.a. European Convention on Human 12 came into force in
Rights) 1998
Social policies European Social Charter 1961 - Revised in 1996

(the revised charter
came into force in
1999)
Social policies Strategy for Social Cohesion Adopted in 2000
Culture Declaration on Cultural Diversity Adopted in 2000
Spatial Guiding Principles for the Sustainable Adopted in 2000

development Spatial Development of the European
Continent (Hanover principles)
Environment European Landscape Convention Opened for signature

(Florence Convention) in 2000
67
Table 3. The main dates in the history of urban rehabilitation
Key dates Significant events and New concepts, basic principles

reference texts and issues
1950 Convention for the Protection of Protection and promotion of civil

Human Rights and Fundamental and political human rights
Freedoms (a.k.a. European
Convention on Human Rights)
1954 European Cultural Convention Awareness of a European cultural

Launch of cultural co-operation identity to be safeguarded and
fostered
1956 Foundation of the Council of Development Bank Financing of

Europe development projects with social
objectives
1961 European Social Charter Protection and promotion of

social and economic human rights
1963 First texts on rehabilitation of sites Broadening of the concept of

and groups of buildings in historic heritage to groups of buildings
city centres (urban and rural)
1975 European Architectural Heritage Collective realisation of the need to

Year entitled ‘A future for our past’ safeguard the built cultural heritage
European Charter of the Principle of integrated
Architectural Heritage, Amsterdam conservation of the architectural
Declaration heritage
1980-1982 European Campaign for Urban Promotion of the quality of life in

Renaissance ‘A better life for inner cities, as distinguished from
towns’ new suburban districts
1983 European Regional/Spatial Planning New spatial planning approach to

Charter (the Torremolinos Charter) urban development policies
1985 Convention for the Protection of Protection of the urban environ-

the Architectural Heritage of ment serving as a setting for
Europe (Granada Convention) outstanding monuments
1985 European Charter of Local Subsidiarity principle, local

Self-Government democracy and public participation
1992 European Urban Charter Guiding principles for urban

European Declaration of Urban development
Rights Assertion of twenty urban rights
68
Key dates Significant events and New concepts, basic principles

reference texts and issues
1992 Rio Conference on the environment Principles of sustainable develop-

and development (the Earth ment and shared responsibility for
Summit) the future of the planet
1995 Pan-European Biological and Protection and enhancement of

Landscape Diversity Strategy European landscape diversity
1996 Revised European Social Charter Enhancing social progress and the
well-being of Europe’s populations
1996 Programme on human settlements Definition of minimum standards

(Habitat II Agenda) to be satisfied, in order to
guarantee everyone access to
decent housing
1997 New social priorities for the Financing of projects giving

Council of Europe Development priority to rehabilitation of the
Bank historic heritage and to social
housing
1999-2000 European Campaign ‘Europe, a Recognition and knowledge of a

common heritage’ common cultural heritage
Declaration on Cultural Diversity enriched by its diversity, as a
factor of union within an enlarged
Europe
2000 Guiding Principles for the Principle of territorial cohesion

Sustainable Spatial Development (balanced, sustainable spatial
of the European Continent development) of the European
(Hanover principles) continent
2000 European Landscape Convention Protection, management and

(Florence Convention) development of European
landscapes (urban or rural,
outstanding or degraded)
2000 Strategy for Social Cohesion Principle of social cohesion and

respect for human dignity
69
PART 2. Urban rehabilitation: definition, current
objectives and issues
2.0. Introduction
The first part of this document analysed, from the viewpoint of urban reha-
bilitation, some 200 Council of Europe reference texts on cultural heritage,
spatial planning, the environment, culture and social policy.
From this perspective it is apparent that the concept of urban rehabilita-

tion has changed considerably since the mid-1960s, to respond to our
contemporaries’ changing issues and concerns in the field of urban devel-
opment.
This progressive enrichment of the urban rehabilitation concept by a succes-

sion of contrasting yet complementary approaches to the strictly heritage-
minded approach underlines the fundamental change in the concept of
urban rehabilitation from the ’heritage protection’ in historic centres to the
completion of a bona fide ’urban project’ based on a multidisciplinary
approach, integrating all urban policies.
The second part of the document proceeds directly from the first part, both
intellectually and logically. It contains three sections:
1. Definition of the new concept of urban rehabilitation, as the Council

of Europe would like it to be;
2. Spatial challenges linked to improvement of the quality of the

various components of the urban space and way of life;
3. Human challenges linked to improving the well-being and quality of

life for all sections of the urban population.
2.1. Current definition of urban rehabilitation

The complexity of the inherent questions and the quantity of people
involved in it make urban rehabilitation first and foremost a political pro-
ceeding which unfolds via an economic process with an effect on the social
cohesion and cultural identity of the populations concerned. Urban rehabili-
tation is indeed a process of revitalising, of regenerating the town, to be con-
ducted over the medium or long term.
It acts simultaneously upon urban space as a territory and on its residents.
73
The goal of rehabilitation is to improve the quality of this urban territory,

with special emphasis on areas which are run-down or becoming so.
• In a territorial sense, it serves the following interests:
• Integrated conservation of the cultural heritage intrinsic in old urban dis-
tricts;
• The right to housing for the whole urban population;
• Territorial cohesion or a balance between different parts of town or
between town and country;
• Sustainable development of the town through cautious ecological man-
agement of the environment.
These territorial interests call for the implementation of appropriate policies

on cultural heritage, housing, spatial planning and the environment.
But urban rehabilitation also seeks fulfilment, greater well-being and higher
quality of life for the whole population whether living, working or at leisure
in the town. Its human commitments are:
• Local development activating the economic potential of urban districts;
• Social cohesion or balance between the different social groups;
• Respect for cultural diversity as the foundation of a common local identity.
These human commitments again demand appropriate policies to be pur-

sued at the economic, social and cultural levels.
Urban rehabilitation thus comes under an overall urban design (urban devel-
opment plan), requiring an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to all urban
policies.
This challenge of reconciling heritage conservation with social progress and
sustainable economic development is the precise context in which the new
European policy on urban rehabilitation must emerge.
74
Urban rehabilitation: definition, current objectives and issues
Table 4. Definition of the New European Policy on Urban Rehabilitation
Urban Rehabilitation
Revitalisation
Regeneration
Improve the quality of spatial Improve the well-being and the quality of
components life of the population
Spatial challenges Human challenges

Integrated heritage conservation
Right to housing Local development
Spatial cohesion Social cohesion
Sustainable development Respect for cultural diversity
Policies Policies
Cultural heritage
Housing Economy
Spatial planning Social affairs
The environment Culture
Integration of challenges and policies in an

Urban project
Urban development plan
Rehabilitation is a medium or long term urban revitalising or regenerating process.
It is above all a political act aimed at improving components of the urban space and improv-
ing the whole population’s well-being and quality of life.
Its spatial and human challenges require the implementation of local policies (e.g. integrated
conservation and heritage policy, spatial cohesion and spatial planning policy, sustainable
development and environmental policy).
Rehabilitaion therefore forms part of an urban project / urban development plan, requiring an
integrated approach involving all urban policies.
75
2.2. Spatial Interests and objectives

Urban rehabilitation seeks to raise the quality of the various components
making up the urban space, namely its topographic and scenic structure, its
public thoroughfares and facilities, all its major and minor buildings, and its
environmental features (water, air, soil, subsoil and vegetation).
In the urban rehabilitation perspective, this space is to be regarded as a

human setting, the outcome of interaction between natural and human fac-
tors. The organisation of human activity is invariably spatial, patterned
according to various territorial units and on variable scales. Space is thus a
cogent frame of reference for entering into a collective logic and for map-
ping out solutions to the problems of organising life in society.
The four long-term spatial goals are:

1. Integrated conservation of the cultural heritage;
2. Right to housing;
3. Spatial cohesion;
4. Sustainable development.
A description of their substance follows; after which they are broken down
into specific objectives to be implemented as part of urban rehabilitation pro-
grammes.
2.2.1. Integrated heritage conservation
Integrated conservation has the aim of ensuring the perpetuation of the cul-
tural heritage and of seeing that it is not only maintained as part of an appro-
priate built or natural human setting but also suitably used and adapted to
society’s needs.
It has two concrete, essential objectives:

• Conservation of the heritage that constitutes the cultural environment,
by means of protection and conservation measures and enhancement
operations;
• Integration of this heritage into the human environment of present-day
society, particularly through the implementation of rehabilitation pro-
grammes.
76
In the context of urban rehabilitation, integrated conservation seeks to

restore life to old buildings situated in the architectural complexes of historic
neighbourhoods, by assigning them a function possibly differing from their
original one but compatible with their prestige and suited to the character of
the setting in which they are placed.
A further aim, especially where buildings allocated for residential use are
concerned, is to upgrade and adapt their internal structures to the demands
of modern life, while ensuring that the elements with heritage value are pre-
served.
Telc (Czech Republic): exceptional architectural heritage to be integrated

into contemporary life
‘Integrated conservation’ enables the continuation of the urban cultural heritage, kept in an
appropriate human setting, its assignment to a function and its adaptation to the needs of
today’s society. It should, moreover, help stimulate urban economic, cultural and social devel-
opment, through sustainable enhancement of its heritage assets.
77
Conserving the urban collective memory and constitution of tomor-

row’s heritage
The cultural heritage represents the urban memory and legacy. It underpins
the identity of the population. Whether grandiose or modest, old or recent,
it is the tangible imprint of the history of the human groups that have lived
there for generations. In it one can read, as if from a history book, how soci-
eties, lifestyles and technology have evolved and of course how the art of
building and adjusting our environment has progressed. When the heritage
exhibits striking artistic merits, it represents an asset in terms of attractive-
ness and an important landmark in the surroundings.
These values inherent in the heritage warrant the application of policies for
protection, preservation and enhancement, in accordance with such relevant
statutory instruments as may exist. Making the public appreciate the values
attached to its heritage furthermore allows it to be taught a responsible atti-
tude to preservation of the heritage and prevention of unlawful acts (theft,
trafficking, damage, alteration or unauthorised destruction). But it is also vital
to contribute towards tomorrow’s heritage by stimulating contemporary cre-
ation of a lasting and qualitative kind, harmoniously integrated with its setting.
Carrying out dynamic, forward-looking, rehabilitation

At the present time, the real question about old urban districts is not their
static conservation (making museums of them) but their ’dynamic rehabili-
tation’. What this involves is to merge the heritage with contemporary life,
to take account of its usefulness. Whether contemporary or historic, scenes
of urban life must be connected to modern systems ensuring their humani-
sation and adding value at a local level.
The attitude to adopt should therefore no longer be steeped in the past but
forward-looking, so as to give the past an active role in today’s world with
its own specific input. Old districts’ ability to offer people today the possibil-
ity of living in them tomorrow is the only thing that can save them from
destruction. This demands a new outlook which caters for the residents with
their lives, needs, dreams, possibilities and cultures. Old districts must be
made to continue living and generating social change.
Assured uses for the heritage without impairing its character and
qualities
Use (or assignment to a function) is the best form of heritage conservation.
When buildings are abandoned, the simplest reassignment is the one corre-
sponding to the original use since it necessitates the least adaptation liable
to impair their qualities as heritage. Where reassignment to the original use
78
is no longer possible, care must be taken to find a new use that optimally
preserves the character and the qualities of buildings, while limiting inter-
vention to the strict minimum.
Ecological management of the urban environment in fact carries a commit-
ment to reduce intervention in old districts as far as possible while preserv-
ing what exists as far as possible and demolishing only what cannot be
retained or salvaged. It is therefore necessary to maintain, repair or even
rebuild, preferably using traditional methods and the characteristic old mate-
rials of the buildings in order to maintain the authenticity of such areas and
to keep character and homogeneity of the buildings intact.
Safeguarding endangered buildings on the principle of minimal

intervention
When there are few means of intervention, emphasis should be placed on
minimal intervention whereby endangered buildings can be made secure:
stabilisation, waterproofing, consolidation or renovation of the main fabric
and the roofing. Bringing sanitation and amenity standards up to minimum
is then necessary: provision of running water, electricity, heating, toilets,
kitchen and bathroom. When additional resources become available, finish-
ing and decorating work can be commenced.
This principle of minimal intervention on old building stock makes it possible
to work at a lower cost compared to new buildings. It makes rehabilitating
the old competitive in relation to new buildings and enables owners to put
a larger volume of real estate through the process. It also requires the use of
traditional methods or materials that ensure the authenticity of the old dis-
tricts and limit waste products through re-use of materials.
2.2.2. Right to housing

Respect for human dignity is a fundamental and universal value not subject
to limitation, guaranteed by human rights. It makes the individual central to
all development projects and policies.
The satisfaction of individuals’ fundamental needs entails access to social
rights: the rights to housing, employment, health, social protection, education
and non-discrimination in the exercise of these rights. Social rights are defined
in a major Council of Europe treaty, the revised European Social Charter.
In the context of urban rehabilitation, access to satisfactory and decent
housing for everyone, including the disadvantaged, forms an essential prior-
ity. It is one which must meet society’s deep-seated aspirations, its need, to
live in an environment that is decent, clean and pleasant, whatever the
resources of its members.
79
Given that deterioration of the urban fabric breeds deterioration of the social
fabric and vice versa, rehabilitation of run-down, underprivileged areas is
now an ideal means of reducing social problems and increasing social well-
being in urban areas.
Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 1998: a town laid waste requiring

urgent rehabilitation and ’re-inhabitation’
One basic priority for rehabilitation policy is the guarantee of the ‘right to housing for all’, both
secure and suitable, particularly in urban areas affected by armed conflict or natural disasters.
Improving the quality of public areas and the availability of basic amenities and infrastructure
are essential complements to these policies.
Improving the entire population’s human environment and quality of life

The goal of urban rehabilitation policy should in all cases be human well-
being, quality of the human environment and quality of human life in gen-
eral. Achieving this fundamental goal calls for a strong political commitment
and for action focused on three basic vectors:
• (Social) housing: to be rehabilitated and created in old neighbourhoods as
a factor of development and of social variety;
• Collective infrastructures and public facilities: to be consolidated and
improved, as inhabited spaces and spaces owned by all;
• Old building stock: to be preserved and renovated as the backbone of
urban schemes and the epitome of sustainable development.
80
Affording access to satisfactory and suitable housing for all

Any rehabilitation policy must make the basic assumption that ’the town as
a whole, and the old districts in particular, is only meaningful if inhabited’.
Slum clearance and improvement of housing conditions as regards safety,
sanitation and amenities are essential to residents’ quality of life and dignity.
They heighten the residents’ sense of affiliation and ties with their neigh-
bourhood. They contain depopulation and the attendant socio-economic
problems.
Access to suitable housing for all must therefore be made possible.
According to the United Nations,
‘Adequate shelter means more than a roof over one’s head. It also means
adequate privacy; adequate space; physical accessibility; adequate secu-
rity; security of tenure; structural stability and durability; adequate light-
ing, heating and ventilation; adequate basic infrastructure, such as
water-supply, sanitation and waste-management facilities; suitable envi-
ronmental quality and health-related factors; and adequate and accessible
location with regard to work and basic facilities: all of which should be
available at an affordable cost.’ (Habitat II Agenda, 1996).
Improvement of housing with maintenance of low-income groups in situ

Rehabilitated old districts must remain areas of social diversity. Care must be
taken so that rehabilitation schemes improve the dwellings while maintain-
ing the low-income population in situ as far as possible. Indeed, without
proper caution, housing improvement results in low-income residents being
supplanted by a distinctly more prosperous population (cf. ’gentrification’
phenomenon mentioned in paras. 1.2.1 and 1.6).
To avoid this stumbling-block, intervention schemes in respect of housing
must match the financial resources and the real needs of the households, dis-
advantaged persons and/or immigrants included. A thorough analysis of
local residents’ socio-economic profile in the district marked for rehabilitation
is imperative prior to any intervention. Moreover, thanks to their system of
provisional re-housing, ’standby housing operations’ make it possible to
carry out complete renovation and to move the tenants back into their ren-
ovated former dwellings afterwards.
Improving the quality of public areas and facilities for the benefit of
all residents
Public facilities and areas are crucial to neighbourhood quality of life, to
people’s identification with them, and to their sense of belonging. It is essen-
tial that the rehabilitation programmes incorporate work to improve these
81
facilities, selected according to their identifying significance for residents.

They then become a factor of public gathering, places of togetherness, prox-
imity, linking people, rather than places of urban transit.
The high density of buildings typifying old centres furthermore restricts the
number of courtyards, gardens and green areas within the blocks of build-
ings. The residents usually suffer from a lack of areas for rest and relaxation.
Rehabilitation operations should therefore be aimed at redeveloping vacant
or spoiled areas into public areas intended for the local population, the youth
of the neighbourhood in particular. They should be planted as appropriate.
This ’making green’ principle should also be taken into consideration when
rebuilding the thoroughfares and pavements.
Making rehabilitated housing more attractive than new housing in

terms of cost
The cost of rehabilitated housing can be markedly lower than for new hous-
ing, in so far as the ’minimal intervention’ option is taken by the public
authorities responsible for housing policy (see point 2.2.1). A ’building subsidy’
(non-refundable grant) is an additional advantage. Where applicable, project
costs should be limited and low-income groups should be able to find
(re)housing opportunities.
Where dwellings belong to private owners, their renovation can be spread

over time according to the finances at their disposal. That accounts for the
appeal of old buildings for younger or less well-off categories. An official pol-
icy of financial incentives for the purchase and rehabilitation of old privately-
owned dwellings (including rented housing) will significantly increase the
total volume of rehabilitated housing.
2.2.3. Spatial cohesion

Spatial cohesion is a new Council of Europe (and European Union) priority.
It concerns balanced socio-economic development over the entire European
territory, whether between the member states (both long-standing and
new), between regions (rich and poor), between towns, or between urban
and country areas. It entails averting the risk, especially in the new member
states, of pockets of growth developing in certain towns and disconnecting
the other towns and rural areas from the process of growth.
In the specific context of the urban territory and its rehabilitation, territorial
cohesion presupposes a better balance and a spatial link between the vari-
ous districts of the town (old and new, central and peripheral) and enhance-
ment of the relationship between the town and the surrounding countryside.
82
It also hinges on the promotion of more balanced conditions of accessibility

and on functional versatility directed at compatible functions and shielding
weaker functions like that of housing. Lastly, it necessitates respect for the
specific morphology of the different neighbourhoods and an effort to
heighten the functions of the historic centre and to maintain the urban con-
tinuity by achieving continuity in its spatial and human dimensions.
Spatial cohesion thereby helps to reduce environmental pressures. Being
inseparable from social cohesion, it assists in lowering social tensions, stabil-
ising the democratic structures, and keeping relations between individuals or
urban communities untroubled.
Tbilisi (Georgia): a historic centre to be integrated into the general devel-

opment of the city
‘Spatial cohesion’ requires a better balance and spatial link between the various districts of the
town/city (old and new, central and outlying). It works through promoting easier access and
mixing functions, protecting weaker functions such as housing. It also demands that historic
districts’ topography be respected and that urban continuity be maintained, via the continuity
of its spatial and human levels.
Promoting functional variety with an eye to compatible functions

Like social variety, a variety of functions has been the foundation and
determinant of urban structures from time immemorial, and must remain so
in the future. The various urban functions must co-exist in a delicate but
83
necessary state of balance according to new criteria of compatibility. Compatible

uses, suited to current needs and conducive to the functioning of the district
(neighbourhood activities) must be sought.
Maintenance of functional diversity is not to be achieved at whatever cost,
though. Urban policies relating to land use (allocation of zones to certain
functions) and to environment must rectify the constraints and the pollution
brought by functional diversity and the evolution of urban districts over time.
Avoiding rejecting weaker functions and urban district

mono-functionalism
Functional variety cannot be established to the detriment of housing, an essen-
tial yet vulnerable function. In old centres, housing is threatened by other more
economically viable functions, generally associated with the tertiary sector
(tourism, offices, shops, services, collective infrastructures, etc.). It is therefore
important to preserve a major place for housing by restricting the availability
of space for other functions, in particular by producing land use plans.
Assertive activities must furthermore be controlled in order to avert
‘mono-functionalism’: where districts are given over to a single use.
However profitable this sole function may be initially (tourism, offices, uni-
versity, shopping centre), it will come to stifle the other functions and even-
tually slow down actual urban development. Where there are already
single-purpose zones or unoccupied sites, rehabilitation operations should be
aimed at diversifying them socially, culturally and economically.
Respecting the specific toprography of old districts

The topography of old districts generally features small plots arranged along
narrow streets that are linked together by a network of little squares. This
creates a wide variety of perspectives and townscapes which identify each
town as a set of images colouring the memories of whoever has been there.
Rehabilitation policy should in all cases ensure due respect for the morphology
of old districts both in the public areas and the roads system as well as the built
heritage. Respect does not mean total preservation but revitalisation in its spirit
and its identity. The rehabilitated area must be recognisable to itself. Sufficient
flexibility and creativity must therefore be exercised to strike a balance
between tradition and modernity, between preservation and adaptation.
Amending the functions of the historic centre

Consolidating the urban historic centre, as opposed to the growth of newer,
outlying districts, works through consolidating or ‘amending’ central urban
functions generally, namely, small businesses, craft centres, services, housing,
84
neighbourhood facilities and urban amenities (school centres, sports and

cultural facilities, public institutions).
This amending requires a series of actions to promote the economic, social and
cultural activities in question, in order to offer the resident population local
employment and increase the overall attractiveness of old centres to the urban
population (whether resident or actively employed), or to investors and tourists.
Ensuring continuity between old districts and the town as a whole

Also to be avoided is a situation where revitalisation of old districts upsets their
natural balance by exceeding their ’absorption capacity’. Very close attention
should be paid to the spatial, economic and cultural link that needs to be forged
between the old districts and the rest of the town, the outskirts included.
Urban continuity between the centre and the periphery can also be ensured
through continuity of scale in both spatial terms (scale of thoroughfares and
of land division) and human terms (demographic balance). This question of
balance and continuity in urban scale deserves to be addressed in urban pol-
icy documents: land use plan, town planning regulations, mobility plan,
development plan, etc.
2.2.4. Sustainable development

Sustainable development is a style of development that meets present needs
without jeopardising the capacity of future generations to meet theirs. It is
founded on three cardinal principles, all equally important: economic devel-
opment, social cohesion and protection of the environment (which embraces
the cultural heritage and the natural heritage). No one of these three princi-
ples may be given precedence over the others.
The principle of sustainability applied to the urban cultural heritage denotes
the capacity of old districts to adjust to the population’s new demands and
needs without a hiatus or a phase of obsolescence, and without such inter-
vention as may unbalance the environment. Sustainable development may
thus be perceived as a new phase of modernity that restores tradition to a
more prominent place.
It introduces the concept of ‘shared responsibility’ vis-à-vis the future of the
town, presupposing a radical change in lifestyles and patterns of production,
as well as the implementation of policies applying ‘good governance’ and
‘precaution’ with regard to the various components of the urban space.
In the context of urban rehabilitation, sustainable development is based on
spatial policies that give greater prominence to recycling and re-use of old
building stock or materials, thereby avoiding wastage and waste products. It
entails reducing motor vehicle emissions and promoting lasting mobility.
85
Finally, it helps to reduce energy consumption and nuisance associated with

certain urban activities.
Making urban rehabilitation a prime instrument of sustainable

development
Sustainable development involves a far-reaching transformation of production
patterns and lifestyles. It advocates quality of life rather than quantity of goods
produced. Sustained material progress is supplanted by intangible values, the
values of understanding oneself and others, and values that propound re-
use/recycling of old materials as alternatives to the ever-increasing urge to con-
sume new goods. In this framework, urban rehabilitation policies are at once:
• an object of sustainable development to the extent that they offer the
present assurance that the resources of the past will be transmitted to
future generations without being wasted or generating wastes; and,
• a factor of sustainable development to the extent that preservation of the
(cultural and natural) urban environment forms one of the three pillars of
development, ranking with economic development and social cohesion.
Protecting the urban environment and reducing pollution and

other nuisances
Protection of the environment is to be pursued by way of new policies on
identification, management and improvement of the various urban land-
scapes (whether outstanding, ordinary or degraded) and via the promotion
of sustainable tourism geared to environmental values.
It also involves appreciable containment of threats to the diversity of the
urban environment, reduction of damage to the environment (pollution,
waste), preventive limitation of natural disasters and management of energy
resources with preservation of security. Public awareness and full participa-
tion contribute to the success of these measures.
Avoiding wasting materials, energy and space

Urban rehabilitation is consistent with sustainable development in so far as
it preserves the existing building stock to the maximum and reduces demo-
lition to a minimum. This orientation has positive ecological effects, making
it possible to avoid wastage of materials and energy in limiting not only the
quantities of refuse and the drawbacks of its transport and disposal but also
the quantities of new materials and the amount of energy needed for their
extraction, manufacture, transportation and installation.
Rehabilitation of old town centres avoids creating new areas of urban expan-
sion. This alleviation of the need to extend built-up areas aids the preservation
86
of rural areas as well as nature conservation. It also reduces the cost in infra-
structure and reduces air pollution by limiting the commuter traffic of peo-
ple who work in the town centre but live in the outskirts. Finally, maintaining
old buildings with large thermal flywheels helps limit energy needs for heat-
ing and air-conditioning.
Reducing vehicular traffic and promoting public transport

Motor vehicle traffic is becoming more and more aggressive and parking
more and more invasive, tending to destroy human contacts in old centres.
Abatement of vehicle-related nuisance is therefore imperative, so as to retain
or recover the resident population of old centres. Abatement of nuisance
requires the maintenance of housing and functional versatility which lessen
the day/night dichotomy and the alternating flows of commuters. In some
cases it may prove necessary to build bypasses around towns (ring roads) to
avoid crossing them needlessly.
To improve the accessibility of old centres, performance of the various exist-
ing collective transport systems has to be improved or new ones set up.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the connections between
the different modes of transport (or ’multi-modality’). Environmentally
friendly forms of transport must also be promoted: creation of pedestrian
itineraries (by converting narrow streets, waterside thoroughfares and
embankments), provision of broad pavements and of safe cycle tracks (by
reducing the space allocated to cars), release of spaces for leisure (by putting
surface car parks underground), and reserving use of the streets for pedes-
trians, cyclists, public transport and possibly taxis.
Organising sustainable mobility through the implementation of a

mobility plan
It is generally important to reorganise traffic in old centres by striking a bal-
ance between three imperatives: meeting the population’s needs, preserving
the specific morphology of the districts and preserving the built heritage sit-
uated there. Care must also be taken to organise the links between the old
centre, the town and the outskirts.
In this context, the production of a ‘mobility plan’ allows aggregate options
and urban priorities to be scaled down to neighbourhood level as regards
individual transport, public transport and pedestrian traffic. This is a com-
prehensive plan of wider scope than the conventional ‘traffic plan’ (catering
for car traffic and parking, to the detriment of other forms of mobility). In
order to define a global urban development strategy, the mobility plan
should be incorporated into spatial planning schemes.
87
Table 5. Summary: the spatial challenge of rehabilitation and their respective

objectives
Interest 1. Integrated heritage conservation

❏ Conserving the urban collective memory and constitution of tomorrow’s heritage
❏ Carrying out dynamic, forward-looking, rehabilitation
❏ Assured uses for the heritage without impairing its character and qualities
❏ Safeguarding endangered buildings on the principle of minimal intervention
Interest 2. Right to housing

❏ Improving the entire population’s human environment and quality of life
❏ Affording access to satisfactory and suitable housing for all
❏ Improvement of housing with maintenance of low-income groups in situ
❏ Improving the quality of public areas and facilities for the benefit of all residents
❏ Making rehabilitated housing more attractive than new housing in terms of cost
Interest 3. Spatial cohesion

❏ Promoting functional variety with an eye to compatible functions
❏ Avoiding rejecting weaker functions and urban district mono-functionalism
❏ Respecting the specific morphology of old districts
❏ Amending the functions of the historic centre
❏ Ensuring continuity between old districts and the town as a whole
Interest 4. Sustainable development

❏ Making urban rehabilitation a prime instrument of sustainable development
❏ Protecting the urban environment and reducing pollution and other nuisances
❏ Avoiding wasting materials, energy and space
❏ Reducing vehicular traffic and promoting public transport
❏ Organising sustainable mobility through the implementation of a mobility plan
2.3. Human interest and objectives

Apart from the higher-quality human environment sought in the pursuit of
spatial interests, urban rehabilitation seeks individual and communal fulfil-
ment and greater well-being and quality of life for the population.
This human interest concerns the residents of the areas requiring rehabilita-
tion and in addition all who come there to work, study or relax (leisure
tourism, business tourism, etc.). It is of relevance to all individuals, groups or
communities irrespective of their cultural, ethnic or religious affiliations. It
also favours every form of social variety (whether economic, racial, occupa-
tional or generational), in-keeping with the principle of non-discrimination.
88
With the above connotations, urban rehabilitation is to be construed as:

• A political process in the sense of a scheme of training in democracy, that
is in dialogue, confrontation of ideas and public participation;
• A process of innovation, of productive encounter between players and
projects, a vector for society’s transformation and betterment;
• A non-static, constantly evolving process, through which answers can be
found to the questions which attend the political, economic and social
transformations experienced by the population.
The three principle long-term attainments sought in human terms are:

1. Local development;
2. Social cohesion;
3. Respect for cultural diversity.
Human interest is inseparable from spatial interests. Although it is not
so perceptible and measurable as its spatial counterpart, human interest is
nonetheless essential to the process of urban rehabilitation.
2.3.1. Local development

Local development is the activation of a territory which musters energies and
harnesses them to a project in the context of change. It is also a factor of
innovation, propounding integration of the sectoral approaches and empha-
sising their interdependence.
Awareness of a design for society can be brought out only by means of a
democratic, grassroots procedure. The concept of local development
emerges as an ideal way of consolidating democracy in so far as this design
focuses on the greater well-being and the ethical principles that enable local
communities to develop and prosper.
It is from the grassroots, from the people, that preoccupations and aspira-
tions emerge. Local level is where issues can be stated and thrashed out,
then resolved with central government assistance. Relations between local
and national level are one of the essentials of European unification, espe-
cially in countries taking up the challenge of strengthening the rule of law.
Responsibility for implementing and managing the actual projects lies at
local level.
Urban rehabilitation operations are a prime method of applying the princi-
ples of sustainable local development. They signify the strengthening of local
and voluntary sector initiatives, mobilisation of old districts’ economic poten-
tial, and creation of direct and indirect employment, particularly through the
development of a sustainable, considerate brand of tourism.
89
Creating economic growth underpinned by local initiative

Local development sets out to replace centralised planning and management
with a local dynamic that relies on reinforcement of the role performed by local
initiative. Thus it encompasses all the sectors and all action that may have an
impact on a community’s social and economic revitalisation, and includes ques-
tions relating to job creation and endogenous economic activities.
The array of means available at a local level offers scope for initiating, guid-
ing and supervising action which may feature in an urban rehabilitation
scheme: real estate acquisition, intervention affecting public areas and facil-
ities, subsidies or direct action in respect of (social) housing renovation,
improvement of living conditions, economic redeployment, etc.
Making more of the heritage’s labour-intensive economic potential

For a long time, the sole consideration was the cultural and aesthetic value
of the cultural heritage, and its economic and social potential was left out
of the account. However, economic progress and heritage conservation are
not diametrically opposed. If used astutely, the heritage becomes a major
resource of economic development, which in turn benefits the heritage.
The contribution of the heritage to local development can in fact be gauged
by the immediate economic and job benefits in many secondary and tertiary
activities: restoration of the old building stock; provision of community facil-
ities and infrastructures; cultural and economic activities linked with tourism.
It is also measurable in a series of indirect advantages to the entire commu-
nity: enhancement of the town’s corporate image, appreciation of real
estate, greater well-being and sense of identity among the population,
progress and social cohesion, etc.
Proposing a new model of sustainable local development

The numerous projects conducted under the Technical Co-operation and
Consultancy Programme emphasise the essential role of the heritage in the
process of transition to a market economy favouring sustainable local devel-
opment, which is occurring in the countries of central and eastern Europe.
For some years a new integrated development model has been tried using
the territory and its heritage as a starting point for the process integrating
the various economic sectors affected.
This new development model should be applied in all the member states of
the European Union and the Council of Europe where the heritage is still too
frequently considered an obstacle to development rather than a prime vec-
tor for it. At a time when the economy and communications are undergoing
globalisation, the attractiveness of one town compared to another will
increasingly hinge on the quality and the specificity of the setting which it
can offer both residents and investors.
90
Promoting sustainable tourist development in old districts

Today tourism is one of the driving forces of economic growth and could
become the leading world industry. It can help bring peoples closer together
by furthering awareness and appreciation of the culture of other communities.
In the process of rehabilitating old urban districts, the authorities must
develop sustainable tourism, avoiding mass tourism, in keeping with the fol-
lowing principles:
• Due regard for the scale, the nature and the characteristics, as well as the
receiving capacity (’tolerance threshold’) of the areas themselves and of
the local population;
• Environmental impact study to be carried out prior to any tourism-related
scheme;
• Compliance with the ’preventive’ and ’precautionary’ principles, specifi-
cally by means of lasting mobility and pollution-free activities;
• Creation of new economic activities and good-quality local employment;
• Preferential use of local materials and traditional skills;
• Informing tourists and educating them to respect the cultural heritage.
2.3.2. Social cohesion

Social cohesion is a vanguard concept embracing a range of values or prin-
ciples intended to afford all citizens equivalent access to fundamental social
and economic rights.
Social cohesion is a shared scheme of open, multicultural societal develop-
ment with the emphasis on vulnerable groups. It constantly recalls the need
for the community to be on the alert to guard against all forms of discrimi-
nation, marginalisation or exclusion. It is to be perceived as a stabilising fac-
tor which purports to establish a new balance within society, to combat
inequalities, poverty and social exclusion, and to enhance quality of life for
all members of society.
The Council of Europe’s ‘Social Cohesion Strategy’ accordingly has the goal of
affording every citizen access to human dignity and social confidence, the
means to provide for his or her basic needs, social progress, and statutory rights.
In the context of urban rehabilitation, social cohesion requires an integrated
approach in order to resolve problems encountered relating to housing,
employment, social welfare, health, education, environment and culture.
Maintenance of social variety in every form constitutes a great factor of
social cohesion, as does spatial integration of the various urban communi-
ties. Improvement of the social fabric thus goes a long way to improving the
urban fabric and vice versa.
91
Lisbon (Portugal): districts that have been rehabilitated to improve the

quality of life for all sections of the population
‘Social cohesion’ is a shared project, developing society, open and mulitcultural, with par-
ticular emphasis on vulnerable groups. It is a stabilising influence in the fight against
inequality, poverty and social exclusion. It deals with housing, jobs, social protection, health
and education issues. It also involves improving the quality of life, social variety and spatial
integration of the various urban communities.
92
Helping improve the social fabric by improving the urban fabric

Social cohesion forms an indispensable adjunct to the furtherance of human
rights and human dignity. It seeks to establish or to restore balance within
society and to combat inequalities, poverty and social exclusion. It requires
social expenditure to be kept in due proportion to economic investment.
Improving the setting in which local communities live contributes tangibly
and lastingly to the strengthening of social cohesion. Indeed, the social fab-
ric is improved by materially improving the urban fabric through targeted
intervention in the context of urban rehabilitation, particularly in underpriv-
ileged areas: (social) housing renovation or construction, improvement of
public facilities, enhanced mobility, development of basic collective infra-
structure, capitalising on the cultural heritage, etc.
Consolidating social integration through the spatial integration of the

different communities
In today’s increasingly multicultural and multiethnic society, old districts can
be a factor for social integration and cohesion. Through a process of emo-
tional appropriation, they are conducive to the integration of individuals and
groups affected by the phenomenon of social mobility (’despatialisation’ ie
loss of spatial contact) and by the contradictions inherent in current social
change (characterised by the opening-up of borders, social mobility, global-
isation of the economy and relations, and development of new information
technology).
Cultural, ethnic or religious pluralism ought not to be regarded as an imped-
iment to urban development. On the contrary, when properly managed in
the urban policy framework, it constitutes a source of wealth, vitality,
dynamism and adaptability for the population faced with current social
transformation.
Maintaining or increasing social variety as a factor of cohesion

Social diversity or ’variety’ is a guarantee of richness and stability for urban
life. Social cohesion springs from a diversified social fabric which, with its val-
ues of mutual assistance, solidarity and sense of belonging, underpins resis-
tance to marginalisation and exclusion.
For these reasons, social variety must be maintained and sometimes even
increased in the course of urban rehabilitation operations. The growth of
ghettos whether due to pauperisation or to gentrification - two similar phe-
nomena led by the same driving forces – is to be combated watchfully and
steadfastly.
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Combating segregation and sustaining social variety in all its all forms
Not only should spatial and social segregation linked with the economic
resources of the inhabitants (rich as opposed to poor) be combated; so
should every form of generational segregation (young/old), racial segrega-
tion (foreigners/natives), occupational segregation (intellectual/manual
workers, employed/unemployed) and segregation on family grounds (large
families/single persons) or for health reasons (people suffering from illness/in
good health).
The authorities should pursue an effective policy of social assistance and reg-
ulation of private-sector intervention in order to sustain social variety, con-
tain the town’s natural tendency to segregation (or ’dualisation’) and
especially to avert banishment of the destitute, immigrants and others
excluded from society. Urban rehabilitation programmes can significantly
further this policy.
2.3.3. Respect for cultural diversity

Cultural identity stems from a collective process of construction born of an
effort to recollect origins. It is the history that the community chooses to
make its own in order to project itself into the future, or the path followed
by the individuals forming a group. Without the cultivation of a shared iden-
tity, there is no building of a common future, nor any balanced, supportive,
peaceful development.
One of the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe is therefore
respect for the contributions of all cultures, of all periods and of all religions,
including those having minority status within a State. Acknowledgement of
a ‘common heritage enriched by its elements of diversity’ is a fundamental
requirement for the construction of a united Europe.
For all that, European unification or unity does not signify cultural standard-
isation. On the contrary, culture is a fundamental human right: everyone has
the right to their identity and culture, but also has the duty to respect the
identity and culture of others.
Maximising cultural diversity raises a new challenge for present-day
European society, in the face of tendencies to uniformity or ordinariness
associated with globalisation, new communication technology and uni-
versal access to information. It must be achieved by way of public aware-
ness-raising, history teaching and intercultural dialogue. It also means
letting go of ready-made recipes that lead to commonplace environments,
often not adapted to the lifestyles of the (in some cases, new) urban pop-
ulation.
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Valletta (Malta): an ancient and diversified cultural heritage, to be protected

and enhanced without discrimination
Recognising ‘cultural diversity’ means respecting contributions from all periods, all cultures
and all religions, including those that are in a minority in that country. Cultural diversity is
opposed to trends towards cultural uniformity linked to globalisation and new communication
techniques. Recognising a common heritage, enriched by its diversity thus constitutes an essen-
tial condition to building a peaceful and united Europe.
Building a local identity founded on acknowledgement of local diversity

The local identity is the outcome of work in the district, of its residents’ col-
lective construction. It is not limited to the traditional historic culture of the
district, rather it integrates the different cultures that coexist (multicultural-
ism). A little rivalry between districts can help each to affirm its identity, its
specifities. Urban rehabilitation encourages the blossoming of this local iden-
tity or ‘spirit’. At town/city level, it brings local groups with different identi-
ties together to exchange and build sustainable peace.
Knowledge (acknowledgement) of other cultures plays a crucial part in the
process of collective identification and social integration. Rehabilitation strategy
should therefore incorporate the means to disseminate this knowledge: encoun-
ters, guided tours, colloquies, publications, radio and television broadcasts, etc.
Contributing to peaceful conflict resolution through tolerance

Old districts, henceforth accepted as an asset common to the entire popula-
tion, are both elements of common identification and differentiation
(between districts). They form a new dimension of mutual knowledge and
95
acknowledgement. They are a key factor of tolerance and understanding

between town-dwelling communities.
In that perspective, they are instruments for the discovery and disclosure of
diversity existing within the urban area. The mutual knowledge of this diver-
sity fosters urban inter-community dialogue. It helps people understand one
another and, through tolerance, assists in peaceful conflict resolution.
Rehabilitation of old districts can thus be a forceful factor for unity and
peace, thereby acquiring first-rate political value.
Encouraging residents’ appropriation of their area through interpretation

Residents should take personal possession of the identity of their area, as
with the architecture and the public facilities. The better their knowledge of
the setting and the sharper their awareness of its value, the more they treat
it as their own and become its first-line defenders. And they will identify with
it only if it remains authentic, if no artificial environments remote from its
intrinsic value and its experienced reality are created.
Appropriation of the urban area is achieved by way of an effort to recollect
origins. It is the history (or ’interpretation’) chosen by the community in
order to project itself into the future. That history may prove to be revision-
ist, sectarian and founded on hatred for others. Conversely, it may be sensi-
tive, founded on respect for others and enriched by diversity. The
interpretative approach thereby suggested is fundamental. In this approach,
no feature is to be overlooked and all will be subsumed in an open, future-
based vision.
Guaranteeing the right to culture for all, according to a new ethical

approach
Access to culture and to the cultural heritage is a fundamental human right.
Everyone has the right to experience his own identity and culture, but every-
one also has the duty to respect those of others. This ethical principle carries
a shared responsibility as regards preservation of cultural and heritage diver-
sity. The public authorities have a moral obligation to hand down the lega-
cies of all periods of history and of all cultural communities to future
generations without discrimination.
In this context, they must guarantee legal protection and the conservation
of cultural property. Above all, they must make these accessible without dis-
crimination and as widely as possible, in order to allow as many people as
possible to share in the opportunities and benefits which their use affords.
Economic exploitation and digitisation of the heritage must not impede the
exercise of this fundamental right.
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Table 6. Summary: Human interests of rehabilitation and their respective goals

Interest 1. Local development
❏ Creating economic growth underpinned by local initiative
❏ Making more of the heritage’s labour-intensive economic potential
❏ Proposing a new model of sustainable local development
❏ Promoting sustainable tourist development in old districts
Interest 2. Social Cohesion

❏ Helping improve the social fabric by improving the urban fabric
❏ Consolidating social integration through the spatial integration of the different
communities
❏ Maintaining or increasing social variety as a factor of cohesion
❏ Combating segregation and sustaining social variety in all its all forms
Interest 3. Respect for cultural diversity

❏ Building a local identity founded on acknowledgement of local diversity
❏ Contributing to peaceful conflict resolution through tolerance
❏ Encouraging residents’ appropriation of their area through interpretation
❏ Guaranteeing the right to culture for all, according to a new ethical approach
97
PART 3. Means of action for urban rehabilitation
3.0 Introduction: means of action in compliance with democratic
principles
In order to meet the challenges and achieve the objectives of urban rehabil-
itation, as set out in part two, it is essential to deploy the appropriate means
of action that will ensure success.
This part develops these means of action in seven points:
1. The rehabilitation project must be an integral part of urban policy
2. Public authorities must be the driving force
3. There must be a technical operational team to provide back-up
4. The population must be involved
5. There must be appropriate legal instruments
6. There have to be available financial resources
7. The time factor must be taken into account
These political, human, legal and financial aspects form the ‘public action
framework’ which is necessary in any rehabilitation project. This framework
must satisfy the specific requirements of the project in question; it must be flex-
ible and tailored to the local context and the type of action to be carried out.
It must be high quality and effective to satisfy the social needs it is meant to
address and to be a mark of success for rehabilitation policy.
These means of action must comply with the democratic principles that have
been promoted by the Council of Europe since the 1960s. These are:
• Respect for human rights which presupposes public participation in the life
of the community, respect for the rights of others, the right to property,
the right to private life, to freedom of assembly and association, a right to
pluralist information, freedom of expression and non-discrimination. It
goes without saying that this also covers the right to housing, heritage,
culture and the environment.
• The pre-eminence of democratic debate as a means of legitimising and giv-
ing meaning to the action undertaken. The decision-making process with
regard to rehabilitating older neighbourhoods which are areas of commu-
nity life must today involve, through debate, all those concerned (deci-
sion-makers, technical operators and residents).
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• The development of democratic procedures and institutions, as justifica-

tion for the full legitimacy of the democratically elected political authori-
ties. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, it presupposes
complementarity between the powers and activities carried out at the var-
ious levels (local, regional, national and European). It is a reminder that
there is no monopoly where the general interest is concerned.
It is therefore essential to put urban rehabilitation means in place that com-
ply with these fundamental principles, in order to implement practical local
sustainable development strategies.
Table 7. Means of action for the various stages of the rehabilitation process
Democratic Principles
- Respect for human rights
- Pre-eminence of democratic debate
- Democratic procedures and institutions
Means of Action
- The project must be a part of urban policy
- Public authorities must be the driving force
- Technical operational team to provide back-up
- The population must be involved
- Appropriate legal instruments
- Available financial resources
- The time factor must be taken into account
1. Analysis 2. Strategy
3. Actual intervention
- Strengths and
- Following priorities in
weaknesses - Interests and objectives
successive steps
- Prospects - Action Plan
These means of action for urban rehabilitation must comply with the democratic principles that
have been promoted by the Council of Europe since the 1960s.
Their implementation should take place as soon as the evaluation has been carried out.
Leadership of the public authority, support of the technical teams and residents’ participation
should all be brought to bear throughout the period of the project.
Another factor needed to guarantee success is the political approval of each step of the process
(evaluation, strategy and actual intervention).
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Means of action for urban rehabilitation
3.1. The rehabilitation project as an integral part of urban policy

Today, any project to rehabilitate an older neighbourhood – whether in a
town, city centre or suburb – should no longer be conceived merely as an
independent project aimed at enhancing the prestigious urban heritage.
First and foremost, it is to be approached as a fully-fledged town-planning
operation. Its purpose is to design an urban local development project in
which the heritage is a prime feature. It is implemented by means of a series
of actions designed to enhance and revitalise an older neighbourhood,
emphasising its human and physical dimension.
Accordingly, any project to rehabilitate an older neighbourhood must be
closely linked to the urban policy pursued by the local authorities concerned,
and in terms of the urban development choices it entails, such a project is
one of the key aspects underpinning that policy.
A project of this kind will be built around the problems and challenges iden-
tified at neighbourhood and town/city level.
Tbilisi (Georgia): a project to rehabilitate historic districts to be included at

the centre of the transformation and development of the capital.
Any project to rehabilitate a historic district has to be included in the local municipal author-
ities’ ’urban policy’. Because of the choices it involves in terms of urban evolution it is one of
the essential elements of urban policy. Such a project is drawn up starting from the problems
and issues, both spatial and human, identified at both district and urban levels. It can then be
turned into urban development strategy and actual intervention.
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3.1.1. Designing the project at neighbourhood level

The fundamental features which have to be preserved and enhanced as part of
the rehabilitation project have to be identified, measured and prioritised. The
problems which have to be addressed in the future must also be pinpointed.
There are several aspects to this analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of
the neighbourhood.
Analysis of heritage values

The concept of heritage is to be understood in its broadest sense, in other
words, everything that combines to make up the identity and memory of a
locality. Old neighbourhoods which have over time undergone successive
changes have, nonetheless, successfully retained a clearly defined architec-
ture which has to be fully understood and respected if the town or city is to
develop and simultaneously preserve what it has inherited.
In such an approach, the same amount of attention has to be paid to the
commonplace as to the exceptional. It is also necessary to analyse the urban
topography on the same level as the architecture itself: the identifying char-
acteristics of streets, squares, open spaces and inner gardens of housing
groups to be preserved and enhanced.
Study of the housing situation

Housing is one of the basic functions of a town or city. Any urban rehabili-
tation policy which ignores this dimension will end up simply transforming
the city into a museum or a gigantic shopping centre.
Because they have not been regularly maintained, many of the residential
buildings in old neighbourhoods are often in a poor state of repair and do
not always offer a decent level of comfort. Added to which, the residents are
often from among the disadvantaged sections of the community, or else
many of the buildings are left vacant.
The housing issue lies at the very heart of the rehabilitation policy. It requires
great familiarity with the situation of the built environment. Accordingly,
much thought has to be given to introducing appropriate policies which will
ensure that the disadvantaged sections of the community can remain in their
neighbourhood and be given decent accommodation.
Understanding the life of the community

Neighbourhood life is full of social bonds that have to be understood. It reflects
complex situations where long-standing residents live side-by-side with those
who have newly arrived, and a variety of older and younger generations.
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In such a situation, the main places where people come together – be they
schools, community centres or public areas in general – play a prime role. It
is important that they be pleasant and of high quality if the goal of social
cohesion is to be achieved.
Understanding the way a neighbourhood works

There are several dimensions to be taken into account in understanding the
way old neighbourhoods work.
The level and quality of facilities (schools, public services, local shops, etc.)
are essential to the life of neighbourhoods. Whether areas are considered to
be pleasant places to live depends to a large extent on the level of services
on offer.
The facilities available in neighbourhoods also have a considerable impact on
their residential function so they must be continued and enhanced.
Access and accessibility

Easy and comfortable access to all urban services is a key aspect of enhance-
ment policy. Consideration must therefore be given to how well and how effec-
tively public transport meets the needs of the neighbourhoods in question.
Cars are nowadays an essential part of life. However, the use of cars in older
neighbourhoods can often be problematic and give rise to all sorts of con-
flicts and disturbances for the residents of these areas. A key feature of any
rehabilitation initiative will therefore be to ensure effective traffic control and
provide nearby parking.
3.1.2. Integrating the project into the wider urban picture

Before defining a rehabilitation strategy for old neighbourhoods (challenges,
objectives, means), the situation in the town/city as a whole must be
analysed.
This will ensure that the project ties in with the overall urban development
process, as transformations in the town/city as a whole can be taken into
account, rehabilitation policy and urban policy can be co-ordinated and the
rehabilitation project can fit neatly into a broader urban development plan.
Taking account of urban transformations

Any project to rehabilitate an older neighbourhood must be viewed in rela-
tion to the transformations taking place in the town or city as a whole. There
can be many different types of changes planned or in progress, whether
spontaneous developments or a result of initiatives taken by the authorities:
105
a significant move towards the services sector, large-scale renovation,

tourism development, gentrification or, conversely, pauperisation. All these
can profoundly change the way a town/city functions.
As a rule, such changes also involve the transfer of central functions to the
periphery. They lead to a fragmentation of the town or city through the
development of the surrounding areas, to the cost of the older centres which
are robbed of their very essence.
Quite apart from the major social changes that have taken place, there have
also been significant transformations in the property market, making many
rehabilitation operations more complicated.
These various changes in the town/city must be measured in terms of the
impact on the neighbourhood to be rehabilitated. It is often when such an
operation is taking place that problems of urban rebalancing emerge.
Coordinating rehabilitation policy and urban policy

A rehabilitation policy can be successful only if it is underpinned by clear
commitments taken at municipal level. It must be based on explicit choices
made by the authorities.
This means that any anticipated or scheduled plans for rehabilitating an older
neighbourhood should be fully integrated into the overall municipal guide-
lines for developing the town/city and into the urban development plan (see
point 3.5.2).
Large-scale projects likely to be carried out – such as improving public trans-
port networks, rethinking major infrastructure and creating or modernising
amenities – must not run counter to the rehabilitation project.
The rehabilitation project must be an integral part of an overall urban

development plan
In order to improve a rehabilitation project’s chances of success, there has to
be political commitment to the overall objectives to be achieved in the long
term. These objectives concern the whole town/city and are summed up in
an urban project (also known as an urban development plan or strategy).
The urban development plan must take on board the multifaceted nature of
the revitalisation and development process by ensuring that cultural and
environmental objectives dovetail with social and economic objectives.
The project to rehabilitate an old neighbourhood should therefore be a
detailed and specific part of the overall long-term urban development plan.
106
Table 8. Carrying out analysis prior to defining strategy
At district level
- analysis of heritage values
- study the housing situation
- understanding the life of the community
- understanding the way a district works
- Access and accessibility
At town/city level
- Taking account of urban transformations
- Coordinating rehabilitation policy and urban policy
- The rehabilitation project must be an integral
part of an overall urban development plan
Carrying out an analysis begins by identifying the priority characteristics of the district, to be
conserved and enhanced by the rehabilitation project. Identifying problems to be solved in the
future is also a necessary part of the analysis.
Then the job of analysing the existing situation must be extended to the whole town/city,
before defining the rehabilitation strategy (issues, objectives, means). This approach means the
rehabilitation project can be included in the overall urban development.
3.2. Public authorities as the driving force

Rehabilitation operations involve close co-operation between private stake-
holders (owner occupiers, tenants, real-estate operators) and the public
authorities.
We shall be looking at the various levels of political commitment and the dif-
ferent types of action to be undertaken by the public authorities during the
three major phases of the rehabilitation process: analysis, strategic planning
and actual intervention.
3.2.1. Clear and resolute political commitment both before

and after the project
For any rehabilitation programme to be successful there must first be a clear,
resolute and unfailing political commitment, regardless of the constraints and
difficulties to be overcome.
107
Political commitment has a direct impact on the population’s acceptance of

the project and on the motivation of the operational teams. It must be con-
stantly restated by the authorities in charge both before the project gets
underway and once it has been completed.
Political commitment beforehand is reflected in participation in the mounting of
projects in order to ensure their viability. In this sense, projects are a means of
expressing a political ideal. They are worked out so as to meet the fundamen-
tal challenges for the future of the urban area concerned and the population.
Political commitment in the post-project stage is reflected in the extent to
which positive lessons are drawn from pilot projects and put into effect in
other neighbourhoods and in other larger-scale projects. The lessons learned
should help improve existing policies, regulations and institutions in order to
respond more effectively in the future to rehabilitation needs.
3.2.2. Public authority involvement in the analysis stage

As mentioned above under 3.1.1, the authorities have responsibility for a
series of studies to ensure that the problems connected with older neigh-
bourhoods are placed firmly within the overall urban context.
Such studies relate in particular to heritage values, the housing situation,
analysis of the social climate, urban functions, access to and accessibility of
the neighbourhood to be rehabilitated and the major urban changes in the
town/city as a whole.
The authorities should then look at and approve the analysis of the current
situation, drawn up on the basis of the results of the various studies con-
ducted beforehand.
3.2.3. Public intervention at strategic planning level

On the basis of the analysis carried out, the authorities must then make cer-
tain strategic planning choices. The challenges, objectives and priorities of
the project that are to be addressed relate primarily to:
• The role of the neighbourhood in question in the future of the town/city;
• The functions to be emphasised (central, residential, etc);
• The action to be taken as regards housing, provision or renovation of pub-
lic areas, improvement of local amenities, transport policy initiatives, etc.
These must be agreed upon by the authorities and be set down in the planning
documents, such as urban development and protection plans (making it possi-
ble to identify the heritage issues to be addressed and the arrangements for trans-
forming the built environment) or strategic action plans (facilitating short-term
identification of the priority sites and the means of intervention) (see point 3.5).
108
3.2.4. Public intervention at the implementation stage

The authorities have a driving role to play in the implementation stage in
order to deal appropriately with complex situations and embark upon the
rehabilitation process. In practical terms, they should:
• provide social support for the less well-off populations, enabling them to
remain in the neighbourhood;
• upgrade old, symbolic buildings by installing appropriate facilities;
• make provision in the municipal budget for the creation, development or
improvement of local amenities (crèches, schools, residential parking, etc.);
• implement work programmes on public areas.
Public responsibility also includes monitoring the property market in order to

rectify any negative effects. There are various possible means of action,
including:
• concluding contracts with real-estate operators;
• devising a property management policy (acquisition, expropriation, pre-
emption, leasing, etc) and a property transaction policy;
• introducing financial incentives to encourage rehabilitation of old build-
ings and achieve social objectives.
3.2.5. Ongoing management for an integrated and coordinated

approach
Rehabilitation encompasses the need to adopt a whole approach to the com-
plex problems associated with the running of older neighbourhoods. It
requires genuine integrated management involving a understanding the
overall picture and the finer detail of situations and the mechanisms at work
behind them. Through several analyses, the real situation specific to each
district can be pinpointed.
Bearing in mind the multi-sectoral and partnership-based approach to reha-
bilitation projects, there is an increasingly more apparent need for ongoing
and quality-oriented monitoring if the project is to be successful. This mon-
itoring involves the initiation and day-to-day supervision of actions. It also
involves setting up coordination mechanisms:
• at horizontal level: formation of multidisciplinary teams and coordination
of their many interacting skills;
• at vertical level: coordination of action carried out at the various levels of
power (European, national, regional and local) and respect for the com-
plementarity of these levels of power (principle of subsidiarity);
109
• at spatial level: area-based approaches to ensure productive interaction

between a project and an area; co-operation between neighbourhoods
and neighbouring local authorities.
Lastly, integrated neighbourhood rehabilitation project management
requires coordination of the methods used by the various operators, going
beyond the short-term and taking full account of the momentum of each
individual situation.
3.3. Back-up provided by a technical multidisciplinary team

Any rehabilitation project is a technically complex operation. It requires
established professional know-how based on numerous skills.
In practical terms, there has to be a technical operational team under the
supervision of the local authorities, whose skills can be extended or adjusted
as the process gets under way.
This team will draw up the project in close collaboration with the authorities,
present it to the population concerned and oversee its implementation.
Technical intervention therefore occurs at various stages in the rehabilitation
process.
3.3.1. The interdisciplinary nature of the technical intervention

teams
Because of the variety of disciplines involved in a neighbourhood rehabilita-
tion project, the technical teams have to comprise people with a wide range
of skills who must be in constant dialogue. The approach of some of these
will be reinterpreted by the approach of others. No single person will have
the solution. Skills have to be coordinated; they will interact and be mutually
beneficial, which is why interdisciplinary teams are essential.
These teams will comprise architects, engineers, town planners, art histori-
ans, legal professionals, geographers and sociologists. They will also include
specialists from the commercial and economic sectors (trades, small indus-
tries, services sector), to ensure a balance between the physical and social
rehabilitation of neighbourhoods and their economic revitalisation.
In order to ensure democratic participation and have a project of manage-
able size, it is helpful to locate the intervention teams in the neighbourhood
concerned in order for them to be in direct contact with the resident popu-
lation and come to grips with the constraints in situ. These different local
teams would all come under a management body steering and coordinating
the various tasks.
110
3.3.2. Technical intervention in configuring the project

In line with the guidelines decided upon by the local authority, the technical
team should work out possible ways forward and closely analyse all action
to be taken in a practical and realistic way.
This involves analysing the main components (and developments therein) of the
urban fabric (road routes, sectioning, building typology and heritage values).
Before defining the type of action to be carried out (rehabilitation, demoli-
tion and partial or total reconstruction) each building in the neighbourhood
needs to be carefully looked at and an analysis made of the sanitation facil-
ities, level of comfort and structural features.
Knowing what the buildings are used for is important for adapting action to
the various types of situations encountered and, where appropriate, to make
provision for accommodation support measures.
3.3.3. Technical intervention at the project-mounting stage

Rehabilitation operations involve sophisticated legal and financial arrange-
ments which are often incomprehensible to the majority of owners, occu-
pants or tenants, both public and private.
In order to encourage owners to do the necessary work, and to help them
take the best decision, individual simulations have to be made.
Based on an initial estimate of the work to be carried out, these simulations
will help correlate all the available funding (loans, grants, bank guarantees,
tax deductions, etc), draw up a financial programme and organise the way
the administrative work will be dealt with.
At the same time, this is an opportunity to encourage diversified pro-
grammes which will help bring about social variety which is essential for the
balanced development of the neighbourhood.
3.3.4. Technical intervention at works level

Building rehabilitation sites require specific skills and a variety of qualified
professionals at the level of contracting managers (architects, surveyors,
contractors, coordinators) and the different building-sector trades.
At contracting manager level there has to be in-depth knowledge of the
local heritage and building techniques. This will make it possible to assess
what is appropriate action, ie:
• Modernise while preserving the existing structure;
• Rehabilitate using local resources and traditional materials;
• Demolish or rebuild what is strictly necessary to improve the buildings.
111
At building trades level, where traditional building techniques are poorly

mastered, it is sometimes necessary to build up a body of craftworkers by
organising information sessions, training courses or on-site schools for the
reacquisition of forgotten skills.
3.3.5. The project’s social support role

The role of the operational teams is based on their technical skills, their abil-
ity to identify the challenges and come up with strategies. Their approach
should not be authoritarian nor based on procedures or solutions worked out
by them alone. Their role is more one of:
• listening: accordingly, everyone’s views can be voiced without prior judg-
ment. This encourages new ideas, ensures that people remain open to
other approaches and it makes for dialogue and public debate.
• understanding: this facilitates identification of the players involved in the
various aspects of the project and an understanding of the functioning of
the institutions and local society in which the project will take place to
make it easier to reach solutions adapted to the local context.
• information: throughout the whole rehabilitation process the population of
the neighbourhood concerned can be informed, assisted and given advice
about the various aspects of the project which may be worrying them.
• social support: this involves assisting families in difficulty, sounding the
alarm and setting in motion the available social assistance mechanisms. It
also involves the provision of temporary alternative accommodation during
the work phase, or permanent alternative accommodation if the housing
in question is substandard.
3.4. Involving the population

A rehabilitation project clearly requires solid technical skills and political com-
mitment, but that is not all.
It has to be developed and implemented together with the residents who are
most directly affected by the project. This means that the project must be
based on regular exchanges and debates with the population, ie with the
community.
The way this is organised may vary depending on the city or country con-
cerned and local traditions of population participation. It may range from
public workshops to regular consultation meetings.
Whatever the formula decided upon, all sections of the population should be
involved in each stage of the rehabilitation process (analysis, strategic plan-
ning and the actual work itself).
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Rostov Veliky (Russian Federation): involving and associating residents in

the project, to respond better to their needs
Any rehabilitation and local development project relies on the ’participation of the population’
at different stages of the process. This participative process, regularly subject to democratic
approval, helps decide with the elected representatives what it is most appropriate to carry out
to improve living conditions, increase the attractiveness of the town/city and multiply its activ-
ities. It leads to a real ’coproduction’ with residents becoming participants in the project rather
than simple spectators. It thus mobilises important private resources to complement the pub-
lic means.
113
3.4.1. Involving all the population

In recent times there has been an increase in the number of initiatives taken
by residents to defend their surroundings. Neighbourhood associations are
now often the prime (and sometimes only) talking-partners for the authori-
ties in the field of rehabilitation.
Nonetheless, care must be taken not to limit participation to residents alone. It
should also be extended to users, traders, NGOs and other economic stake-
holders likely to play a part in investing in and enhancing older neighbourhoods.
Efforts must also be made to involve all residents, covering the full range of
ethnic, social, cultural and religious communities, in line with the principle of
non-discrimination.
3.4.2. Involving the population at the analysis stage

When taking stock of the existing situation, the technical team should raise
and discuss with the local population all the problems relevant to the neigh-
bourhood (its heritage, housing situation, social life, functioning, accessibil-
ity, amenities and services, property opportunities, etc. – see point 3.1.1).
Interaction between the technical analysis and the residents’ experiences
should lead to a common understanding of the situation as it stands, and this
could lay the foundations for the project.
This is valuable for all partners (population, technicians and local elected rep-
resentatives) as:
• it enables the technicians to improve their approach thanks to a better
understanding of local life provided by the residents’ input;
• it enables the residents to become aware of certain overlooked or under-
estimated aspects of their neighbourhood;
• it gives elected local representatives an ideal opportunity to take a politi-
cal stance and assess what is and what is not acceptable for transforming
the neighbourhood.
3.4.3. Involving the population at strategic planning level

Working out the strategic choices is undoubtedly one of the key components
of the public debate. Several lines of reasoning and territorial levels all come
together at this time.
This is the time for assessing the impact on the neighbourhood of the choices
made at town/city level (public amenities policy, housing policy, mobility policy,
etc). It is also when the range of anticipated action can be put forward address-
ing identified problems and meeting the population’s expectations.
114
For the population, it is an opportunity to examine the changes in the neigh-

bourhood that the project will entail and to put forward additional propos-
als to improve, modify or indeed refocus it. It is a means of measuring how
well it goes down with the population and the extent to which residents are
willing to go along with and take part in it.
It is at this stage and at the same time as the exchanges that the positions taken
by the elected local representatives vis-à-vis the various proposals can be made
known, thereby clearly showing what it feasible and negotiable and what is not.
Lastly, all these debates should result in determining the shape of the pro-
ject, putting it on the municipal agenda and allocating the technical and
financial resources required to carry it out.
3.4.4. Involving the population at the works stage

A rehabilitation project takes place over several years. It continues to develop
as time progresses.
Continuous monitoring of the project is essential in order to deal with new
opportunities, specific social situations or unexpected problems.
There are several ways that the population can be involved here. These include:
• regular information on the project’s progress;
• fine-tuning certain key projects for the neighbourhood, such as the
improvement and development of public areas;
• exchange of information on work carried out or due to be carried out by
owners or private promoters (whether or not in partnership with the pub-
lic sector);
• managing solutions for providing less well-off families with temporary or
permanent alternative accommodation.
3.4.5. Greater involvement of the community through

co-production
Urban rehabilitation sets in motion a number of processes in which certain pro-
jects are taken care of at local level by partners identified within the commu-
nity: residents, users, private undertakings, citizens’ associations, NGOs, etc.
This approach calls for a ’co-production’-based process, going beyond the
mere participation of local players. Co-production requires greater involve-
ment of the wider community in the projects in such a way that citizens
become stakeholders or co-producers in the rehabilitation process, rather
than just spectators or cogs in the wheel. It makes it possible to marshal new
private resources for projects, supplementing those from the public sector.
115
It also presupposes efforts to strengthen the capabilities and skills of society.

It acts on and with civil society to improve its skills and change outlooks. It
takes account of local resources and their capacity to incorporate the pro-
posed new operational methods.
3.4.6. Devising democratic participation mechanisms

Urban rehabilitation concerns all aspects of the daily life of the population:
housing, mobility, public areas, amenities, economic activities, etc. It cannot
run counter to the objectives of the locality itself. Which is why democratic
mechanisms have to be put in place from the outset so that the project can
become a successful community one.
These participation mechanisms must make for information exchange, pub-
lic debate and consultation of the population. In order to implement such
mechanisms, with the full involvement of society at all stages of the project,
the ‘rules of the game’ have to be complied with if the results are to be pos-
itive.
First of all, it is essential to formalise the framework of the debates in which
all the partners have their specific roles: technicians investigate and put for-
ward proposals; the population informs, modifies and approves; elected rep-
resentatives take decisions and make commitments.
Then the operational team must be deployed on site to anchor the project
and demonstrate its capacity to listen to the people. This team must display
a readiness to take account of suggestions and to provide answers to the
many questions the residents will have.
There must simultaneously be a number of practical actions, such as the reg-
ular holding of public meetings or some other way of providing the public
with information as the project progresses, in the form of easily accessible
documents (permanent exhibition, leaflet, brochure, newsletter, radio or TV
programmes, posters, etc).
3.5. Appropriate legal instruments

Public action is based not only on political and human resources as described
in the above three points, but also on legal resources relevant to the needs
of the project at hand.
Public authorities, if they are to carry out their rehabilitation programmes
successfully, working with the private sector (owners and investors) need
appropriate legal instruments, primarily in the field of land-use policy and
town planning.
116
Accordingly, they need to identify the legal instruments available, supple-

menting them where necessary in order to have the legal resources which tie
in with what they are hoping to achieve.
We can see that the legal instruments presented below are essentially used
in western Europe, in so far as these countries have a longer experience of
public/private partnership in rehabilitation operations. Nevertheless, these
instruments may be adopted in eastern European countries (or in other conti-
nents) with the adaptation of current legislation.
Riga (Latvia): an effective legal arsenal to guarantee the integrated

enhancement and the sustainable development of world urban heritage.
The ‘support of legal instruments’ adapted to the needs of the rehabilitation project should be
part of the framework of public intervention, to guarantee the success of operations and to enjoy
fruitful collaboration with the private sector (owners and investors). These legal instruments are
concerned mostly with land-use and urbanistic policies, at both local and national level.
3.5.1. Legal instruments for public land-use policy

It is important for local authorities to participate directly in property transac-
tions, in order to undertake the rehabilitation process or to un-freeze com-
plex situations, while guaranteeing the original social objectives.
In this context, local authorities can first of all rehabilitate their existing her-
itage or make use of the acquisition/rehabilitation procedure in order to ben-
efit from municipal property to rehouse those living in substandard or
dangerous housing, provide accommodation for new populations or for var-
ious other uses made necessary by the socio-economic development of the
neighbourhood.
117
Creating or maintaining public moveable heritage can also be achieved

through expropriation, pre-emption or leasing. Declaring a crucial area to be
of public interest is a means of enabling the authorities to expropriate or
exercise their right of pre-emption over buildings available on the market,
which they can then renovate.
Furthermore, a neighbourhood to be rehabilitated generally has restrictions
on property rights. Much can then be gained through negotiation, having a
variety of possible financial aid or tax concessions. These negotiations will
lead to partnerships, contracts and agreements.
3.5.2. Legal instruments regulating town-planning

Rehabilitation policy should have an impact on town-planning, through
allotment, building and demolition permits (with very strict limits being
placed on what can be demolished).
Conservation orders (relating to the architectural and natural heritage) and
town-planning regulations at town/city and/or neighbourhood level and
any conservation orders (relating to the architectural or natural heritage)
must be complied with. Where urban planning regulations have been drawn
up for new building and not for rehabilitation, it is important to apply these
regulations with great flexibility (for example, so as not to demolish what
does not fit the regulations exactly) or to modify them according to new
rehabilitation issues.
Rehabilitation projects must also comply with existing legal guidelines for
intervention fixed by land-use plans (both general and specific), urban plan-
ning directives and urban development plans or urban projects. If they do
not already exist, it is important that they should be drawn up in conjunc-
tion with those responsible for the rehabilitation projects to ensure that the
respective objectives and priorities are mutually compatible.
There must also be special procedures making it possible to carry out urgent
or officially authorised work, to deal with leaks, stability problems or risks of
damage which are unfortunately frequent in neighbourhoods to be rehabil-
itated. Encouragement must also be given for measures to protect against
vandalism, particularly tagging on façades and urban property.
Lastly, public authorities must ensure that notices to carry out work are effec-
tive. They must also ensure that there are effective control and penalty pro-
cedures for work carried out without authorisation, to make sure that
buildings are not irreparably disfigured with impunity. This is particularly
important in certain east European countries where unauthorised work is
carried out with an alarming increase in frequency.
118
3.5.3. Producing a rehabilitation or management plan

The legal status of the project to rehabilitate an old neighbourhood may be
specified through a management plan or a rehabilitation plan, which is one
of the major aspects of the public action framework to be put in place by the
local authorities. Its aim is to ensure harmonisation and coordination
between the various action taken and stakeholders.
To this end, it sets out the issues involved and the practical objectives of the
project, the area where work is to be carried out, the priority sites, the sched-
ule and the human, legal and financial resources involved.
It also sets out the rules and management mechanisms to be applied (ongo-
ing supervision), bearing in mind the legal land-use and town-planning
instruments, as well as all the public and private partners involved in the
rehabilitation operation.
In this context, it is interesting to underline the value of setting up an organ-
isation to check regularly (for example, once a year) the physical condition
of monuments. Placed under national, regional or local authority, this super-
vision of the public and private heritage forestalls exponential damage to
monuments through modest invervention and annual maintenance. This
intervention tool that has proved itself in north-western European countries
is the embodiment of the community’s responsible attitude towards the
immoveable heritage, while at the same time, guarantees optimal economic
management.
3.6. Available financial resources

If a rehabilitation project is to be feasible, there have to be financial
resources. The resources available and the planned work have to be closely
matched for the project to be realistic and operational.
From the situation analysis stage, therefore, the authorities responsible must
take stock of the resources which are available or which could become so.
These will be resources belonging not only to the local authorities, but also
to regional, national or indeed European or international bodies.
These various public resources may be increased significantly through finan-
cial support from the private sector in partnerships with the public sector or
via totally private action undertaken in conformity with the rehabilitation
plan guidelines.
It is essential to maintain or reinforce public participation in rehabilitation
operations in order to manage correctly the rules of the property market and
guarantee the social objectives of the project, especially as regards housing.
119
3.6.1. Effective partnerships between the public and private

sectors
The success of rehabilitation operations depends considerably on the estab-
lishment of effective partnerships between public institutions and compa-
nies, as well as possible non-governmental organisations and European or
international partners supporting the projects.
These partnerships help increase substantially the financial and human

resources for the operations and, consequently, multiply the results through
a snow-ball effect.
This partnership-based approach presupposes new methods of ‘gover-

nance’ based on the establishment of ad hoc coordination arrangements
bringing together the various components of the projects (players and
resources).
It is organised along the lines of contracts which may anticipate future insti-
tutional arrangements. It will also give rise to new functions – namely medi-
ation, interface and coproduction.
3.6.2. Financial support from regional, national and European

bodies
Urban rehabilitation is a two-way process: bottom-up and top-down. The
spin-offs from the rehabilitation operations are not confined to the neigh-
bourhoods alone. They also affect the town or city as a whole and the
region.
Conversely, the majority of national and/or regional policies (housing,

regional planning, cultural heritage, environment, mobility, economy) have a
direct impact on local policies. Some European policies – such as regional
development, culture and social cohesion – can also have some degree of
influence on local policies.
The financial instruments deriving from these regional, national and

European policies may provide considerable support to local authorities and
to the private sector in rehabilitation operations. This funding is in various
forms: guarantees and bank loans on advantageous terms, grants, subsidies
and a variety of tax concessions or incentives.
It is therefore essential, right from the outset, to put in place mechanisms

to coordinate the sectoral policies pursued at various levels of power, in
order to benefit as much as possible from their respective funding possi-
bilities.
120
3.6.3. The need to strike a balance between public and private

Greater participation by the private sector in urban rehabilitation is today
inevitable. The private sector has to be involved as much as the public sector.
Clearly, it is for the public authorities to initiate the projects, with the private
sector joining in at a later stage, when there is sufficient indication of viabil-
ity. In the final stages, the private sector will assume a larger part in the pro-
ject, although its involvement should not be total.
The public institutions should be present throughout the whole rehabilitation
process in order to safeguard the social objectives set at the beginning, bear-
ing in mind that social projects are never profitable.
However, it is also important for public authorities to be in control of market
forces and rules so that towns and cities are not faced with rampant liberal-
ism which could radically transform the identity of the older neighbourhoods
and accentuate social divisions.
The maintenance – or strengthening – of public land-use policies is especially
vital in those countries in transition towards a market economy. Such coun-
tries have experienced a sharp reduction in their resources available for pub-
lic action, particularly in the housing sector. Furthermore, they have to a large
extent privatised public assets and this has profoundly altered the functioning
of the property market and increased the social divide.
3.6.4. Public funding of housing policy

Helping people to remain in – or indeed bringing in new residents into – old
neighbourhoods is a complex operation involving the input of a variety of
players and the provision of a broad range of financial means.
The aim of securing a social and generational variety means that a diverse
range of housing – in terms of size and occupation status – must be made
available to families.
It is essential that a sufficient range of housing is offered to meet the needs
of families at the various stages in their lives and to enable them to remain
in their neighbourhood.
All too often today, mass provision of small housing units or initiatives
geared solely to social housing is an obstacle to such an objective.
The right balance can also be struck via the housing financing policy at
town/city level. This involves:
• preserving grants to build social housing in these sectors;
121
• approaching landlords and offering specific forms of assistance (grants,

subsidies, tax incentives) which can be increased when the operations in
question tie in with the objectives laid down;
• introducing specific forms of assistance (grants, construction aid, etc) for
owner-occupiers on low incomes.
3.7. The time factor

3.7.1. Taking the time factor into account throughout
the rehabilitation process
The whole rehabilitation process – analysis, strategic choices and implemen-
tation – takes place over several years and concerns heavily concentrated
and complex areas.
Bearing in mind the issues inherent in such projects, for both elected repre-
sentatives and residents, a sufficient amount of time must be taken to for-
mulate the project.
In-depth enquiries are required in order to identify the problems to be
resolved. This may involve a detailed analysis of the buildings and families
living in them in order to come up with appropriate solutions.
The residents themselves also need time to come to grips with and assess the
project. They must be provided with adequate facts and figures to be able
to take an informed view.
Adopting such a strategy will make it possible to go beyond a simple tech-
nical approach and ensure that the project fits into the local situation. This is
an aspect which needs to be part of the project so that it can be genuinely
shared with the population.
However, no matter how well defined a project is at the time it is being
implemented, it continues to develop and becomes transformed over time.
New opportunities crop up and underestimated problems may occur.
Accordingly, ongoing supervision of the project is essential.
Moreover, when an inhabited building is threatened with ruin, this requires
immediate intervention without waiting for the rehabilitation project to be
formulated. In this case, it is through starting to resolve the real problems
that the path towards solution reveals itself.
Taking these different constraints into account leads us to choose a project
concept that offers enough adaptation and flexiblity to accommodate bud-
getary fluctuations and new opportunities which may appear throughout the
implementation phase.
122
3.7.2. A high-profile step by step approach

The rehabilitation project should be organised in realistic and easily manage-
able steps to be implemented in succession.
As a rule this means year-based planning which will make it possible to
match operations, deadlines and available resources. A project should not be
faced with too many implementation difficulties, nor should it overrun dead-
lines and budgets. Only the work which can be financed should be envis-
aged in order to give credibility to the momentum of the rehabilitation
process.
The project should have a high profile and should produce rapid and mea-
surable effects. People should be able to see the benefits of it immediately.
Once the process has started, it will be easier to increase the scale and vol-
ume of action taken.
Here, one should not overlook the importance of internal and external
assessments of results in order to refocus the project, where necessary, at the
implementation stage. Assessment criteria should be agreed upon before the
project gets under way during the initial evaluation phase, in order to have
data which can be compared before, during and after the project. Even
though certain social or cultural benefits are unquantifiable, they should be
included in the assessment for the sake of completeness.
Table 9. Summary: means of action needed for rehabilitation policies to

succeed
Means 1. The rehabilitation project as an integral part of urban policy

❏ Designing the project at neighbourhood level
❏ Integrating the project into the wider urban picture
Means 2. Public authorities as the driving force

❏ Clear and resolute political commitment both before and after the project
❏ Public authority involvement in the analysis stage
❏ Public intervention at strategic planning level
❏ Public intervention at the implementation stage
❏ Ongoing management for an integrated and coordinated approach
Means 3. Back-up provided by a technical multidisciplinary team

❏ The inter-disciplinary nature of the technical intervention teams
❏ Technical intervention in configuring the project
❏ Technical intervention at the project-mounting stage
❏ Technical intervention at works level
❏ The project’s social support role
123
Means 4. Involving the population

❏ Involving all the population
❏ Involving the population at the analysis stage
❏ Involving the population at strategic planning level
❏ Involving the population at the works stage
❏ Greater involvement of the community through co-production
❏ Devising democratic participation mechanisms
Means 5. Appropriate legal instruments

❏ Legal instruments for public land-use policy
❏ Legal instruments regulating town-planning
❏ Producing a rehabilitation or management plan
Means 6. Available financial resources

❏ Effective partnerships between the public and private sectors
❏ Financial support from regional, national and European bodies
❏ The need to strike a balance between public and private
❏ Public funding of housing policy
Means 7. The time factor

❏ Taking the time factor into account throughout the rehabilitation process
❏ A high-profile step by step approach
124
APPENDIX: bibliography of legislation and reference
documents
This bibliography provides a complete list of Council of Europe and other
international organisations’ legal texts and reference documents. The listing
follows the same five headings mentioned in Part one.
1. Urban rehabilitation in old city centres and integrated con-

servation of the cultural heritage
Legal References of the Council of Europe
European Cultural Convention (Paris, 19 December 1954) (European Treaty
Series no.18)
Recommendation 365 (1963) of the Parliamentary Assembly on preserva-

tion and development of ancient buildings and historic or artistic sites
Resolution 249 (1963) of the Parliamentary Assembly on action by local

authorities in the preservation and development of ancient buildings and his-
toric or artistic sites
Order 216 (1963) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the preservation and

development of ancient buildings and historic or artistic sites
Resolution 44 (1964) of the Standing Conference of Local and Regional

Authorities on regional planning and development of ancient buildings and
historical or artistic sites
Order 243 (1965) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the action programme

of the Council of Europe for the preservation and development of ancient
buildings and historical or artistic sites
Resolution (66) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on criteria and methods of

cataloguing ancient buildings and historical or artistic sites
Resolution (66) 20 of the Committee of Ministers on the reviving of monu-

ments
Resolution (68) 11 of the Committee of Ministers on the principles and prac-

tice of the active preservation and rehabilitation of groups and areas of
buildings of historical or artistic interest
Resolution (68) 12 of the Committee of Ministers on the active maintenance

of monuments, groups and areas of buildings of historical or artistic interest
within the context of regional planning
127
Resolution (68) 16 of the Committee of Ministers on the organisation of a

Conference of Ministers most directly responsible for the preservation and
rehabilitation of groups and areas of buildings of historical or artistic interest.
First Conference of European Ministers responsible for the Preservation and
Rehabilitation of the Cultural Heritage of Monuments and Sites (Brussels,
25-27 November 1969): Resolutions
Resolution 431 (1970) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the problem of
urban traffic
Recommendation 589 (1970) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the
European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Preservation and
Rehabilitation of the Cultural Heritage of Monuments and Sites
Authorities of Europe on the role of local and regional authorities in the
implementation of a policy of preservation and rehabilitation of ancient
buildings and historic or artistic sites
Resolution (72) 20 of the Committee of Ministers on interim measures for
the protection of the cultural heritage of monuments and sites
Resolution (72) 21 of the Committee of Ministers on the compilation of
national inventories of monuments, groups of buildings and sites of histori-
cal or artistic interest
Resolution 598 (1975) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the social aspects
of architectural conservation
Recommendation 764 (1975) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the social
problems of urban decay and resettlement
European Charter of the Architectural Heritage, adopted by the Committee
of Ministers (26 September 1975)
Amsterdam Declaration (Congress on the European Architectural Heritage,
Amsterdam 21-25 October 1975)
Resolution (76) 28 of the Committee of Ministers concerning the adaptation
of laws and regulations to the requirements of integrated conservation of the
architectural heritage
Recommendation 880 (1979) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the conser-
vation of the European architectural heritage
Recommendation (80) 16 of the Committee of Ministers on the specialised
training of architects, town planners, civil engineers and landscape designers
128
Bibliography of legislation and reference documents
Recommendation (81) 13 of the Committee of Ministers on action in aid of

certain declining craft trades in the context of craft activity
Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe
(Granada, 3 October 1985) (ETS No. 121)
See also the Explanatory Report on the Convention for the Protection of the
Architectural Heritage of Europe
Second European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Architectural
Heritage (Granada, 3-4 October 1985): Resolutions
Other international reference texts

ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites)
International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of monuments
and sites, 1964 (called The Venice Charter)
UNESCO (United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and

Culture)
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict (Hague, 14 May 1954) and Second Protocol (Hague, 26 March
1999)
Recommendation concerning the Preservation of Cultural Property
Endangered by Public or Private Works
Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage (1972)
2. Urban policy and local development

Council of Europe Legal Reference Texts
Authorities of Europe on the 3rd European Symposium of Historic Towns
Authorities of Europe on past record and future prospects of twinnings
between local and regional authorities
Authorities of Europe on the principles of local self-government
Recommendation No. R (81) 18 of the Committee of Ministers concerning
participation at municipal level
129
Resolution 781 (1982) of the Parliamentary Assembly on urban policies

Authorities of Europe on the 4th European Symposium of Historic Towns
Authorities of Europe on land speculation
Authorities of Europe on young people in towns
Déclaration de Brême «Villes et culture: nouvelles réponses aux problèmes
culturels», adoptée par la Conférence Permanente des Pouvoirs Locaux et
Régionaux de l’Europe (Brême, le 27 mai 1983). (in French only)
Déclaration européenne sur les objectifs culturels, adoptée par la 4ème
Conférence européenne des Ministres responsables des affaires culturelles,
Berlin, 1984. (in French only)
European Charter of Local Self-Government (Strasbourg, 15 October 1985)
(ETS No. 122)
Authorities of Europe on security in European towns
Authorities of Europe on the 5th European Symposium of Historic Towns.
See also the appendix of the Declaration of Seville
Recommendation (86) 11 of the Committee of Ministers on urban open
space
Recommendation (86) 15 of the Committee of Ministers on on the promo-
tion of craft trades involved in the conservation of the architectural heritage
Authorities of Europe on transport planning – How to strike a balance
between economics and ecology
Authorities of Europe on tourism and environment
Authorities of Europe on womens participation in local and regional democ-
ratic life
Authorities of Europe on urban violence and insecurity: the role of local
policies
130
Recommendation (87) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on the organisation

of crime prevention
Authorities of Europe on social housing policies
Authorities of Europe on urban transport in Europe
Recommendation (88) 5 of the Committee of Ministers on control of physi-
cal deterioration of the architectural heritage accelerated by pollution
Recommendation (89) 5 of the Committee of Ministers concerning the pro-
tection and enhancement of the archaeological heritage in the context of
town and country planning operations
Authorities of Europe free local government: deregulation, efficiency,
democracy
Authorities of Europe on the reduction of urban insecurity
Authorities of Europe on health in towns
Authorities of Europe on air pollution in towns
Authorities of Europe on self-help and community development in towns
Authorities of Europe on achieving better living conditions in towns: co-
operation between local authorities, the architect and the community
Recommendation (90) 20 of the Committee of Ministers on the protection
and conservation of the industrial, technical and civil engineering heritage in
Europe
Recommendation (91) 6 of the Committee of Ministers on measures likely
to promote the funding of the conservation of the architectural heritage
Recommendation (91) 13 of the Committee of Ministers on the protection
of the twentieth-century architectural heritage
Authorities of Europe on improving traffic and the quality of life in metro-
politan areas
131

Authorities of Europe on towns in Europe
European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage
(revised), (Valletta, 16 January 1992) (ETS No. 143)
Third European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage
(Valletta, Malta, 16-17 January 1992): Final Declaration and Resolutions
European Urban Charter and European Declaration of Urban Rights,
adopted by the Resolution 234 (1992) of the Standing Conference of Local
and Regional Authorities of Europe
European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional
Life, adopted by the Resolution 237 (1992) of the Standing Conference of
Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
Reference texts of the Council of Europe

Funding the Architectural Heritage (1991) published with the collaboration
of the Association of Italian Savings Banks and the National Centre of French
Savings Banks
STUDIES AND TEXTS SERIES

No.2. Declarations adopted at European Conferences organised by the
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (or with its
participation) 1970-1985 ( ISBN: 92-871-1020-4)
No.4. European regions and towns with port facilities Documents of the
Conference of Vigo (Vigo, Spain, 5-7 November 1986) ( ISBN: 92-871-1537-0)
No.11. Conference on ’Free Local Government: Deregulation, Efficiency and
Democracy ’(Östersund, Sweden, 28-30 June 1988) Working documents
and conclusions ( ISBN: 92-871-1723-3)
Air pollution control in European cities – International Symposium – Main
reports and statements (Winterthur, Switzerland, 5-7 October 1988)
No.12. The impact of the completion of the internal market on local and
regional autonomy (ISBN: 92-871-1829-9)
No.16. Conference on improving traffic and quality of life in metropolitan
areas (Göteborg, Sweden, 12-14 June 1990) Working documents and con-
clusions (ISBN: 92-871-1860-4)
No.17. International Conference on: ‘European Towns: Strategies and
Programmes’ (Strasbourg, 6-7 June 1990) Working documents and conclu-
sions (ISBN: 92-871-1901-5)
132
No.19. Historic towns and tourism - 6th European Symposium of historic

towns (Cambridge, United Kingdom, 20-22 September 1989) Working doc-
uments and conclusions (ISBN: 92-871-1978-3)
No.25. Europe 1990 – 2000 Multiculturalism in the city - The integration of
immigrants (Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, 29-31 May 1991) Working doc-
uments and Frankfurt Declaration (ISBN: 92-871-2109-5)
No.27. Conference on the European Charter of Local Self-Government
(Barcelona, Spain, 23-25 January 1992) Legislation and jurisprudence (ISBN:
92-871-2207-5)
No.28. Achieving a balance between historic preservation and urban devel-
opment (Istanbul, Turkey, 16-18 September 1992) Working documents and
conclusions (ISBN: 92-871-2398-5)
No.29. Social housing, the homeless and the poorly-housed in Europe
(Nottingham, United Kingdom, 28-30 October 1992) Proceedings (ISBN:
92-871-2367-5)
No.31. Europe and its elderly people – The policies of towns and regions: a com-
parison (Siena, Italy, 14-16 October 1993) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-2607-0)
No.34. Declarations adopted at the series of European Symposia of Historic
Towns, 1971-1992 (ISBN: 92-871-2446-9)
No.37. The city’s approach to the education of its multicultural population
(migrants and minorities) (Amsterdam Seminar, Netherlands, 2-4 December
1993) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-2693-3)
No.43. Local democracy: a civic project, Contribution of the Congress of
Local and Regional Authorities of Europe to the Council of Europe’s
Campaign and Plan of Action against racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and
intolerance (ISBN: 92-871-3126-0)
No.45. Declarations adopted at European Conferences organised by the
Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (or with its
participation) 1986-1994 (ISBN: 92-871-2938-X)
No.46. Modern management methods for local and regional authorities and
the role of training - 7th Seminar of the European Network of Training
Organisations for Local and Regional Authorities, (Monte Verita, Ascona,
Switzerland, 28-29 November 1994) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-2832-4)
No.47. Education and comprehensive urban planning (Lyons Seminar,
France, 13-15 October 1994) Working documents and conclusions
(ISBN: 92-871-3441-3)
133
No.50. Conference on the European Charter of Local Self-Government

(Copenhagen, Denmark, 17-18 April 1996) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-
3252-6)
No.55. Urban management, statute and co-operation (Lausanne,
Switzerland, 19-20 April 1996) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-3528-2)
No.56. Crime and urban insecurity in Europe: the role and responsibilities of
local and regional authorities (Erfurt, Germany, 26-28 February 1997)
Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-3546-0)
No.58. Making the protection of rights more accessible to citizens: the
ombudsman at local and regional level (Messina, Italy, 13-15 November
1997) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-3740-4)
No.61. Declarations adopted at European conferences organised by the CLRAE
(or with its participation) (June 1994 - June 1998) (ISBN: 92-871-3840-0)
No.62. Local and Regional Information Society (Helsinki, Finland, 21-23
January 1998) Proceedings (ISBN: 92-871-4103-7)
STUDY SERIES – URBAN RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE

No.1. ‘The Tertiary Sector in Towns: Naples - Zurich - Marseille’ (Strasbourg
1981)
No.2. ‘Recent urban initiatives’ (Strasbourg 1981)
No.3. ‘Financing urban renewal’ (Strasbourg 1981)
No.4. ‘Towards a better social balance in towns’ Seminar in Norrköping,
Social balance in towns, 1-4 June 1981(Strasbourg 1981)
No.5. ‘Combatting cultural and commercial impoverishment’ Seminar in
Norrköping, Social balance in towns, 1-4 June 1981 (Strasbourg 1981)
No.6. ‘Increasing the influence of individuals’ (I) Seminar in Norrköping,
Social balance in towns, 1-4 June 1981 (Strasbourg 1981)
No.7. ‘Increasing the influence of individuals’ (II) Seminar in Norrköping,
Social balance in towns, 1-4 June 1981 (Strasbourg 1981)
No.8. ‘Conditions and quality of life in towns and cities’ Seminar in
No.9. ‘The function and importance of public space’ (Strasbourg 1981)
No.10. ‘Revival of public areas’ Seminar in Norrköping, Social balance in
towns, 1-4 June 1981 (Strasbourg 1981)
134
No.11. ‘The function and importance of communal space’ Seminar in

No.13. ‘Urban renaissances in medium-sized towns’, International Seminar
in Delphi, 3-5 November 1981 (Strasbourg 1982)
No.14. ‘Des villes pour vivre’ International Seminar at the Hague, 21-22
April, 1981 (Strasbourg 1981) English version out of stock
No.16. ‘European campaign for urban renaissance’, 8-12 March 1982
(Strasbourg 1982)
No.17. Conference on ‘Rehabilitation Strategies for Buildings and Land in
Major Urban Areas’ (Strasbourg, 8-10 December 1982)
No.18. ‘European Campaign for Urban Renaissance’, final report (Strasbourg
1983)
No.19. ‘Le projet d’architecture dans la ville: instrument de la transformation’
Proceedings of the colloquy held 22 May 1981, Strasbourg (Strasbourg 1981)
English version out of stock
No.20. ‘Le projet urbain dans l’histoire de Strasbourg’ Proceedings of the
colloquy, held 30-31 October 1981, Strasbourg (Strasbourg 1983) English
version out of stock
No.21. ‘Le projet urbain et la construction de la cité’ Proceedings of the
colloquy, held 12-13 November 1981, Strasbourg (Strasbourg 1983) English
version of out stock
No.23. ‘Urban regeneration in European regions of old industry’ Lille
Conference, 30 November - 2 December 1983 Proceedings (Strasbourg 1985)
No.24. ‘New developments in the creation and use of public space in towns:
proceedings’ Seminar in Durham, 20-23 September 1983 (Strasbourg 1984)
No.25. ‘Tomorrow’s Towns’ (Strasbourg 1985)
No.26. ‘The Role of the Architect in Urban Development’ International
Conference, 6-8 June 1984, Proceedings (Strasbourg 1984)
No.27. ‘Villes - ports de la Méditerranée occidentale’ (in French only),
Proceedings of the colloquy held in Marseilles, 27-28 September 1984
(Strasbourg 1985)
No.29. ‘Conservation and Urban Management’ - Round Table Nicosia, 30
October - 1 November 1984 Final report (Strasbourg 1985)
No.30. ‘Environment and Regeneration of the Industrial City in Europe’
Conference at Dortmund (Federal Republic of Germany) 17-19 September
1985 Final report (Strasbourg 1986)
135
No.31. ‘Health in Towns’ (Strasbourg 1986)

No.32. ‘Conservation Policies and Urban Management in Small and
Medium-Sized Towns’ International colloquy in Brittany (France), 9-13 June
1986. Final report (Strasbourg 1987)
No.33. ‘Urban Violence and Insecurity: the Role of Local Policies’ Hearing
proceedings, 15-16 September 1986, Strasbourg (Strasbourg 1987)
No.34. ‘Prospects for Urban Development in Port Towns in Europe’
International colloquy in Piraeus (Greece), 29 September - 2 October 1986.
Final report (Strasbourg 1988)
No.35. ‘Local Strategies for the Reduction of Urban Insecurity in Europe’
International Conference in Barcelona on the Reduction of Urban Insecurity
in Europe, 17-20 November 1987 (Strasbourg 1989) (ISBN:92-871-1691-1)
No.36. ‘Managing Urban Development: North/South Solidarity’
International conference in Lisbon, 18-20 October 1989(Strasbourg 1990)
(ISBN: 92-871-1875-2)
3. Territorial approach and sustainable development

Authorities of Europe on regional planning and the problem of the balance
between town and country
Authorities of Europe on the costs of urban concentration and the financing
of the equipment of large towns and urban areas. (non official translation of
the french version)
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
(Bern, 19 September 1979) (ETS No.104)
European Spatial Planning Charter, adopted by the 6th European
Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT)
(Torremolinos, 20 May 1983)
Recommendation (84) 2 of the Committee of Ministers on the European
Regional/Spatial Planning Charter
European Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property (Delphi,
23 june 1985) (ETS No.119)
136

Authorities of Europe on transport planning – How to strike a balance
between economics and ecology
Authorities of Europe on urban transport in Europe
European Regional Planning Strategy, presented at the 8th CEMAT meeting
(Lausanne, 1988)
Recommendation (89) 15 of the Committee of Ministers on rational use of
land: basis and limiting factor of our development
Recommendation (91) 6 of the Committee of Ministers on measures likely
to promote the funding of the conservation of the architectural heritage
Third European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage
(Malta, 16-17 January 1992): Final Declaration and Resolutions
Rules for the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme relating
to the Integrated Conservation of the Cultural Heritage, adopted in 1973 by
the Committee of Ministers, amended in 1979 and 1987 and revised by the
Bureau of the Council for Cultural Co-operation, 7-8 December 1992
Recommendation 1172 (1992) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the situa-
tion of the cultural heritage in Central and Eastern Europe
Authorities of Europe on the 7th European Symposium of Historic Towns,
Istanbul, Turkey, 16-18 September 1992
Recommendation (93) 9 of the Committee of Ministers on the protection of
the architectural heritage against natural disasters
Recommendation 4 (1994) of the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities (CLRAE) on partnerships between towns and municipalities –
efficient instrument for co-operation in the larger Europe
Recommendation (94) 7 of the Committee of Ministers on a general policy
for sustainable and environment-friendly tourism development
Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, presented at the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and endorsed by the
Ministerial Conference ’an environment for Europe’ (Sofia, October 1995)
Recommendation (95) 9 of the Committee of Ministers on the integrated
conservation of cultural landscape areas as part of landscape policies
Recommendation (95) 10 of the Committee of Ministers on a sustainable
tourist development policy in protected areas
137
Recommendation (95) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on the implemen-

tation of the principle of subsidiarity
Recommendation 19 (1996) of the CLRAE on the aspects of urban policies
in Europe
Resolution 32 (1996) of the CLRAE on the aspects of urban policies in
Europe
Recommendation (96) 6 of the Committee of Ministers on the protection of
the cultural heritage against unlawful acts
Recommendation (96) 12 of the Committee of Ministers on the distribution
of powers and responsibilities between central authorities and local and
regional authorities with regard to the environment
Fourth European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural
Heritage (Helsinki, 30-31 May 1996): Final Declaration and Resolutions
Recommendation (97) 2 of the Committee of Ministers on sustained care of
the cultural heritage against physical deterioration due to pollution and other
similar factors
Resolution 53 (1997) of the CLRAE on the preliminary draft European
Landscape Convention
Recommendation 41 (1998) of the CLRAE on new prospects for
regional/spatial planning policy in Greater Europe
Recommendation (98) 4 of the Committee of Ministers on measures to pro-
mote the integrated conservation of historic complexes composed of
immoveable and moveable property
Resolution (98) 4 of the Committee of Ministers on the cultural routes of the
Council of Europe
Convention on the Protection of Environment through Criminal Law
(Strasbourg, 4 November 1998) (ETS No.172)
Final Declaration on the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions
adopted at the launching Conference, CLRAE, Strasbourg, 7-8 October
1999:
European Landscape Convention (Florence, 20 October 2000) (ETS No.176)
and explanatory report
Recommendation 1461 (2000) of the Parlamentary Assembly on the Council
of Europe’s role in regional planning
138
Recommendation 72 (2000) of the CLRAE containing an opinion on the

‘Guiding principles for sustainable spatial development of the European con-
tinent’, in preparation for the 12th European Conference of Ministers
responsible for Regional Planning in Hanover
Guiding Principals for the Sustainable Spatial Development of the European
Continent adopted at the CEMAT’s 12th session (Hanover, 7-8 September
2000) in Resolution No.1 on the Adoption of a 10-point programme for
greater cohesion among the regions of Europe
Recommendation 94 (2001) of the CLRAE on the conclusions of the
12th European Conference of Ministers responsible for regional planning
(CEMAT) (Hanover, 7-8 September 2000)
Resolution 114 (2001) of the CLRAE on the conclusions of the 12th
European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT)
(Hanover, 7-8 September 2000)
Recommendation (2002) 1 of the Committee of Ministers to member states
on the guiding principles for sustainable spatial development of the
European Continent
Report on the situation of urban archaeology in Europe (Strasbourg, 1999)

Core data standard for archaelogical monuments and sites (Strasbourg, 1999)
Archaeological and the urban project, a european code of good practice,
adopted by the Cultural Heritage Committee (8-10 March 2000)
Other international reference texts
United Nations
The Earth Summit, United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro 3-14 June 1992:
• Rio Declaration on environment and development: 27 principles of rights
and responsibilities of nations in the pursuit of development and well-being
of people
• Agenda 21: A comprehensive plan of action for sustainable development
in the social, economic and environmental point of view
139
• Forestry Strategy for the European Union, the non-legally binding

authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the man-
agement, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forests.
• Framework Convention on Climate Change stabilising the emission of

greenhouse gases
• Convention on Biological Diversity: conservation of a range of living

organisms and an equitable repartition of the benefits drawn from bio-
logical resources.
Habitat II Conference, Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996:
The second UN Conference on Human Settlements (The Habitat II agenda)

Report on the Conference on Human Settlements
Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization)
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed

Conflict (The Hague, 14 May 1954) and 2nd Protocol (The Hague, 26 March
1999)
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import,

Export and Transfer of Cultural Property (Paris, 14 November 1970)
Unidroit (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law)
Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (Rome, 24 June

1995)
European Union
ESDP, European Spatial Development Perspective, Towards a balanced

and sustainable development of the Union territory, agreed at the
Informal Council of Ministers responsible for spatial planning in Potsdam,
10-11 May 1999
Sustainable urban development in the European Union: a framework for

action, 1999
140
4. Urban culture and the challlenge of recognition of cultural

diversity
Council of Europe Legal References Texts
European Declaration on Cultural Objectives, adopted by the 4th
Conference of European Ministers responsible for Cultural Affairs (Berlin,
1984)
Recommendation 1172 (1992) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the situa-
tion of the cultural heritage in central and eastern Europe
Resolution 98 (2000) of the CLRAE on historic towns in Europe
Recommendation 1465 (2000) of the Parliamentary Assembly on ’Europe, a
common heritage’ – a Council of Europe campaign
See also the report of the Committee on Culture and Education of the
Parliamentary Assembly on ’Europe, a common heritage’ Campaign Report,
17 April 2000 (Doc. 8729)
Draft Guidelines on cultural work within the information society, Committee
on Culture of the Council for Cultural Co-operation, International
Conference held in Rome ( Italy), 21-22 October 1999
Declaration on cultural diversity, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on
7 December 2000
Fifth European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage
(Portoroz, 5-7 April 2001): Final Declaration and Resolutions
Recommendation 92 (2001) of the CLRAE on follow-up action to be taken
on the Conference on Cities and Regions: Cultural Diversity – a Precondition
for a United Europe (Innsbruck, 11-12 December 2000)
Resolution 112 (2001) of the CLRAE on follow-up action to be taken on the
Conference on Cities and Regions: Cultural Diversity – a Precondition for a
United Europe’ (Innsbruck, 11-12 December 2000)
Resolution 127 (2002) of the CLRAE on sustainable development and the
liberalisation of the energy market
Final Declaration of the International Conference on the European Urban
Charter, CLRAE (Sofia, 16-17 May 2002)
Other reference texts of the Council of Europe

Guidance on the development of legislation and administration systems in the
field of cultural heritage, The Technical Co-operation and Consultancy
Programme, Cultural Heritage Division, Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 2000)
141
Guidance on inventory and documentation of the cultural heritage, The

Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme, Cultural Heritage
Division, Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 2001)
European Cultural Heritage (volume I) Intergovernmental co-operation: col-
lected texts, Cultural Heritage Division, Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 2003)
European Cultural Heritage (volume II) A review of policies and practice,
Cultural Heritage Division, Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 2003)
Forward Planning: the Function of Cultural Heritage in a Changing Europe:
Experts’ Contributions, Cultural Heritage Division, Council of Europe
(Strasbourg, 2001)
Naturopa No. 97, Heritage and sustainable development, Directorate of
Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, Council of Europe, 2002
Urban crime prevention – a guide for local authorities, CLRAE (Strasbourg,
2002)
Reference documents of the other international institutions

Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization)
Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (Paris, 2 November 2001)
5. Housing protection and social cohesion

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (Rome, 4 November 1950)
(ETS No. 005) and Protocols to the Convention (Protocols 1 (ETS No. 009),
3 (ETS No. 45), 4 (ETS No. 046), 5 (ETS No. 55), 6 (ETS No. 114), 7 (ETS
No. 117), 8 (ETS No. 118) and 9 (ETS No. 140) replaced by protocole 11
(ETS No. 155); and additional protocol 12 (ETS No. 177)
European Social Charter (Turin, 18 October 1961) (ETS No. 035) and
Additional Protocols of 1988, 1991 et 1995
Recommendation 661 (1972) of the Consultative Assembly on housing pol-
icy in Europe
Resolution 598 (1975) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the social aspects
of architectural conservation
See also the report of the Parliamentary Assembly on the social aspects of
architectural conservation, 8 September 1975 (Doc. 3650)
142
Recommendation 764 (1975) of the Parliamentary Assembly on Social prob-

lems of urban decay and resettlement
European Charter of the architectural heritage, adopted by the Committee
of Ministers (26 September 1975)
Amsterdam Declaration (Congress on the European Architectural Heritage,
Amsterdam 21-25 October 1975)
Authorities of Europe on housing conditions for migrant workers in Europe
Recommendation 893 (1980) of the Parliamentary Assembly on poverty in
Europe
Authorities of Europe on young people in towns
Recommendation (83) 1 of the Committee of Ministers on stateless nomads
and nomads of undetermined nationality
Authorities of Europe on urban violence and insecurity: the role of local policies
Authorities of Europe on women’s participation in local and regional demo-
cratic life
Recommendation (87) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on the organisation
of crime prevention
Recommendation (88) 14 of the Committee of Ministers on migrants’ housing
Authorities of Europe on social housing policy
Authorities of Europe on the reduction of urban insecurity
Authorities of Europe on health in towns
Authorities of Europe on air pollution in towns
Authorities of Europe on self-help and community development in towns
European Urban Charter and European Declaration of Urban Rights,
adopted by the Resolution 234 (1992) de la Standing Conference of Local
and Regional Authorities of Europe
143
European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and

Regional Life, adopted by the Resolution 237 (1992) of the Standing
Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
Authorities of Europe on the Right to Housing and its Implementation by
Local and Regional Authorities
Recommendation 5 (1994) of the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) on Europe and its elderly people: towards a
pact between generations and conclusions of the Sienna Conference
Recommendation (95) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on the implemen-
tation of the principle of subsidiarity
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
(Strasbourg, 1st February 1995) (ETS No. 157)
Recommendation 26 (1996) of the CLRAE on ’Health and citizenship: care
for the poorest in Europe’
European Social Charter Revised (Strasbourg, 3 May 1996) (ETS No. 163)
Second Council of Europe Summit (Strasbourg, 10-11 October 1997): final
declaration of the Heads of state and government of the member states
Resolution 70 (1998) of the CLRAE on social cohesion in towns
Recommendation 51 (1998) of the CLRAE on social cohesion in towns
Strategy for Social Cohesion, European Committe for Social Cohesion,
Strasbourg, 2000 (CDCS (2000) 43) approved by the Committee of Ministers
on 13 July 2000
Recommendation 76 (2000) of the CLRAE on the participation of foreign
residents in local public life
Resolution 99 (2000) of the CLRAE on crime and urban insecurity in Europe:
the role of local authorities
Szczecin Conference (Poland, 19-21 October 2000): conclusions
Recommendation 1505 (2001) of the Parlamentary Assembly on the ame-
lioration of disadvantaged urban areas in Europe
Order 571 (2001) of the Parlamentary Assembly on the amelioration of dis-
advantaged urban areas in Europe
Recommendation (2001) 19 of the Committee of Ministers on Member
states on the participation of citizens in local public life
144
titre du Chap
Recommendation 1531 (2001) of the Parliamentary Assembly on security

and crime prevention in cities: setting up a European observatory
Resolution 1424 rev (2001) of the Administrative Council of the Council of
Europe Development Bank related to the other fields of action

Network of research correspondents; Report on housing exclusion and
homelessness, Strasbourg, 1997
HDSE Project. Contributions to the debate on social exclusion: a multidisci-

plinary approach. Thematic groups reports, April 1998 (HDSE (98) 6)
HDSE Project. Opportunity and risk: trends of social exclusion in Europe,

April 1998 (HDSE (98) 1)
Memorandum prepared by the Secretariat on problems facing

Roma/Gypsies in the field of housing, Strasbourg, March 2000 (MG-S-ROM
(2000) 3)
Activities of the Council of Europe concerning Roma/Gypsies and Travellers,

Strasbourg, 2000 (MG-S-ROM (2000) 17)
Innovatory social policies in the city, records of the Oslo conference, 22-24
June, 2000 (2 volumes)
Council of Europe Development Bank, Report of the Governor 2000, Paris,

2001
Report on access to housing for disadvantaged categories of persons (CS-LO

(2001) 32)
Selected examples of national housing policy approaches and policy measures

of some Council of Europe member and observer states (CS-LO (2001) 33)
Policy Guidelines on Access to Housing for Vulnerable Categories of Persons,

in final report of activity, CS-LO, Strasbourg 2001
Trends in social cohesion No.1. Promoting the policy debate on social exclu-
sion from a comparative perspective, Strasbourg, 2001
Urban crime prevention: a guide for local authorities, CLRAE, July, 2002, 50
pages
Access to Social Rights in Europe, European Committee for Social Cohesion

(CDCS) Strasbourg, 2002
145
Reference texts of other international institutions

United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
Report on the Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14
June 1996
The second UN Conference on Human Settlments ( The Habitat II agenda),
Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996
Declaration on cities and other human settlements in the new millenium,
New-York, 2001
European Union
ESDP, European Spatial Development Perspective, towards balanced and
sustainable development of the territory of the European Union. Agreed at
the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for spatial planning in Potsdam,
May 1999
Sustainable Urban Development in the European Union: a Framework for
Action, 1999
Affirming Fundamental Rights in the European Union – Time to Act. Report
of the Expert Group on Fundamental Rights, European Commission,
Brussels, 1999
The social situation in the European Union, European Commission, Eurostat,
Luxembourg, 2001
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Council of the
European Union, Luxembourg, 2000.
146
Sales agents for publications of the Council of Europe
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Council of Europe Publishing/Editions du Conseil de l’Europe

F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel.: (33) 03 88 41 25 81 – Fax: (33) 03 88 41 39 10 – E-mail: publishing@coe.int – Website: http://book.coe.int
Urban rehabilitation today goes beyond simply carrying out

restoration work and encompasses ways of reviving and mod-
ernising historical areas to best advantage. Economic and social
factors have become inseparable from this process and the cultural
heritage has become an essential factor in ensuring quality of life,
social cohesion and economic development.
After analysing the Council of Europe’s reference texts on this sub-

ject and noting the way in which the concept has developed since
the 1960s, this publication goes on to propose a definition of what
urban rehabilitation means, taking into account the experience
acquired through the activities of the Technical Cooperation and
Consultancy Programme. It also sets out guidelines to assist local,
regional and national authorities in devising strategies for local devel-
opment and “action plans” for successful rehabilitation policies.
This book is part of a series, published within the Technical Co-

operation and Consultancy Programme aimed at supporting
European states in their rehabilitation projects.
Cultural
heritage
TECHNICAL
CO-OPERATION
AND
CONSULTANCY
COUNCIL CONSEIL
OF EUROPE DE L'EUROPE
PROGRAMME
The Council of Europe has forty-six member states, covering virtually
the entire continent of Europe. It seeks to develop common democratic
and legal principles based on the European Convention on Human
Guidance on
Editions du Conseil de l’Europe
Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Ever

since it was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of the Second World
War, the Council of Europe has symbolised reconciliation.
ISBN 92-871-5528-3
9 789287 155283
http://book.coe.int Council of Europe Publishing
17 € / 26 $US Council of Europe Publishing Editions du Conseil de l’Europe

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Urban rehabilitation today goes beyond simply carrying out

Guidance on urban rehabilitation

After analysing the Council of Europe’s reference texts on this sub-

This book is part of a series, published within the Technical Co-

Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Ever

Document prepared within the framework of

Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage

Council of Europe publishing

Editor: Catherine Roth

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

Design: Council of Europe Graphic Design Workshop

Council of Europe Publishing

Part 1. Council of Europe reference texts on urban rehabilitation ...... 17

Part 2. Urban rehabilitation:

2.0. Introduction ................................................................................. 73

Part 3. Means of action for urban rehabilitation ........................... 99

3.0. Introduction: means of action in compliance with

3.2.5. Ongoing management for an integrated and

3.3. Back-up provided by a technical multidisciplinary team ................ 110

3.4. Involving the population .............................................................. 112

3.5. Appropriate legal instruments ....................................................... 116

3.6. Available financial resources ......................................................... 119

3.7. The time factor ............................................................................. 122

Appendix: Bibliography of legislation and reference documents .......... 125

This volume, entitled Guidance on urban rehabilitation, is based on Council

The guidance thus constitutes a cornerstone for future sustainable local

Projects on Urban rehabilitation carried out within the Technical Co-operation

Brisach-am-Rhein, Oldenburg, Toledo, Evora, Guimaraes, Funchal, Ibiza, Alcala de Henares,

The urban rehabilitation debate

The rehabilitation debate should moreover be seen in a dual context:

Lisbon (Portugal): urban rehabilitation in progress

The aim of this approach

How the book is organised

Part 1 offers, as background, a historic panorama of the development of the

European Architectural Heritage Year poster (1975)

1.1. The sixties and seventies: rehabilitation of old city centres

1.1.1. The sixties and seventies in context

1.1.2. The urban challenge

1.1.3. Legal References

The first steps in urban heritage protection and enhancement

Organisation of national policies and European co-operation

landscapes that must be safeguarded, so that all the information gathered

• immediate application of protection measures once an asset was identi-

1975, European Architectural Heritage Year

2. The past as embodied in the architectural heritage provides the sort

4. The structure of historic centres and sites is conducive to a harmo-

European Architectural Heritage Year culminated in the Congress of the

Practical implementation of integrated conservation of

heritage matters. Along the same lines, it adopted two recommendations

The Granada Convention - consolidating achievements

Cover page of a study carried out in the framework of the European

1.2. The eighties: urban policy and the challenge of local

Table 1. From urban development to the initial forms of urban reinvestment

1. Urban Development Historic town or city centre

Initial expansion to new inner-city

Development of the outskirts

Integration of neighbouring villages

2. Urban decline Neglect of the old inner city districts