Symposium on Heritage and Modernity

Innsbruck, Austria, 4-5 October 2007

InnsbruckDeclaration

We, the participants of the international symposium on “Heritage and Modernity”, held in Innsbruck on 4-5 October 2007,

1        Having regard for the principal Council of Europe reference texts on the revitalization and conservation of the architectural heritage and landscape:

- the European Charter of Architectural Heritage (1975);

- the Convention for the Protection of Architectural Heritage of Europe (1985);

- the European Urban Charter (1992);

- the European Landscape Convention (2000);

- the Congress Resolution 98 (2000) on historic towns in Europe;

- the Final Declaration adopted in Norwich on “Heritage for the future – realising the economic and social potential of a key asset” (2004);

- the Dubrovnik Declaration on “Cultural Tourism – Economic Benefit or Loss of Identity” (2006);

2        Convinced that preserving the historic heritage involves not only the protection of monuments, but also the strengthening of a sense of belonging both to a specific culture and to European culture in general;

3        Convinced that preservation of heritage requires the development of adequate concepts and techniques to provide for a sustainable rehabilitation policy of historic sites;

4        Convinced that the character of historic buildings can be saved through revitalisation also including economic and/or cultural purposes;

         

5        Conscious of the growing power of economic interests which entail an acceleration of investment in the building sector on an unprecedented scale and which, everywhere in Europe, is exerting an ever-increasing pressure on the handling of the built heritage;

We recommend:

a        An integrated approach which respects heritage preservation and development at all levels – European, national, regional and local – involving all stakeholders through democratic audits;.

b        Increased public-private partnerships be encouraged to realize the full economical potential of cultural resources;

c        Socially-balanced renovation policies be developed to reduce the risk of gentrification in rebuilt areas;

d        Promoting sustainable and binding concepts of heritage conservation;

e        Preserving the human dimension of historic sites, as being an essential part of the quality of the built environment and the quality of life of the inhabitants;

 

f        Promoting the standards and expertise developed by the Council of Europe regarding the construction of new buildings inside historical areas, avoiding unnecessary destruction and respecting the architectural character and external appearance of the site;

g        Promoting high-quality contemporary architecture that may become the heritage of tomorrow ;

h        Promoting cultural events and activities as part of an overall strategy to enhance an area’s vitality and viability;

i         We, the participants of the international symposium on “Heritage and Modernity” in Innsbruck, invite:

I        local authorities to support and develop heritage projects that promote the sustainable development of their communities, in line with the INHERIT guidelines on investing in heritage;

II       the Committee on Culture and Education of the Council of Europe Congress to ensure the follow-up of the ideas and initiatives presented at the symposium;

III      the Committee on Culture and Education to support and put in place a set of good practices and to promote their dissemination across Europe;

IV       local authorities to render their decision-making processes as transparent as possible in order to increase confidence between locally-elected representatives and citizens wherever major works are planned in protected urban areas:

         - by establishing precise and clear consultation procedures;

         - by ensuring that consultative bodies (such as architects´ juries, advisory boards for the protection of the city centre and the urban landscape) be composed equally of professional representatives of both heritage and modernity; and,

         -by giving priority to the conclusions of such consultations.

V        local authorities to make use of new information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve interaction between locally-elected representatives and inhabitants, to enable them to take an active part in the project management of the areas concerned.