12th FUUH International Seminar April 4, 2009

12th FUUH International Seminar: “Historic urban Landscape: a new category of world heritage sites?”

The theme of the 12th International Seminar of Forum UNESCO – University and Heritage (FUUH) is both ambitious and crucial to the future of heritage conservation as well as to the development of communities, cities and civil society at large.

The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Concept includes the broader territorial and landscape context and therefore goes far beyond historic centres or ensembles. It both reflects and has helped to shape modern society and consequently proves to be of great value for the understanding of our current way of life. Composed of character-defining elements including land uses and patterns, spatial organization, visual relationships, topography and soils, vegetation, and all elements of the technical infrastructure, including small scale objects and details of construction (curbs, paving, drain gutters, lights, etc.) it is crucial to understand the historic urban landscape before undertaking any contemporary architectural project. The drive for modernization is legitimate but it is critical to reflect first on its impact(s) on the city’s identity and on the communities’ ways of life.

Official Website: http://www.universityandheritage.net/SIFU/XII_Hanoi_2009/index.html