International Conference of the Italian Association of Urban History – AISU
\nWaterfronts Revisited. The Transformation of the Port Cities and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape<\/p>\n
November 9, 2012
\nCNR – National Research Council of Italy
\nPiazzale Aldo Moro 7 \u2013 Rome
\nAula Marconi<\/p>\n
Organized by the CNR – Institute for the Conservation\u00a0and Valorization of Cultural Heritage – Rome<\/p>\n
Water cities represented a predominant urban form. Since ancient times,\u00a0the foundation of a city has been linked to the choice of a site close to the\u00a0water, a river or a natural harbor. Rivers, channels and harbors have\u00a0determined the birth and the growth of many cities in Mediterranean,\u00a0European and American or Asian countries up to recent times.\u00a0Since 1970s, however, deindustrialization resulted in the abandonment of a\u00a0large number of harbor sites. To face the urban and social decay a\u00a0movement to revitalize and recover these areas, known as waterfront\u00a0development, has appeared and gradually grown. Looking back to this\u00a0experience, we can easily see that the waterfront has been mainly\u00a0conceived as a separate part of the city, detached from the surrounding
\nterritory and its characteristics, introducing new functions (cultural, leisure,\u00a0green areas and parks).
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\nThe time is ripe for an in-depth study of the effects of approximately forty\u00a0years of developments along these lines, reconsidering the town as a\u00a0whole system. The aim of the conference is to revisit the waterfront\u00a0development looking at the urban territory and the historical city in their\u00a0complexity and entirety, breaking the isolation of the harbor and\u00a0reconnecting it to the urban structure, to its functions, its spaces and\u00a0forms.<\/p>\n
Our first aim is to re-integrate history, local traditions, architectural\u00a0languages and experiences in the process of evaluation and development\u00a0of waterfront areas in order to raise awareness and address future projects\u00a0along these lines. We propose, in this way, a re-actualization of history\u00a0through the identification of guiding values, urban patterns and local\u00a0typologies, needs and experiences instead of the abstract utilization of\u00a0enterpreneurial styles, uses and types.<\/p>\n
Following the UNESCO Reccomendation on the Historic Urban Landscape,\u00a0we propose for all urban areas – and specifically for waterfronts – a methodological approach based on an overall connection with the\u00a0surrounding territory and its historical evolution.\u00a0The conference, planned in concomittance with the General Assembly of\u00a0the Italian Association of Urban History, is organized by the ICVBC –\u00a0Institute for the Conservation and Valorization of Cultural Heritage of the\u00a0CNR – National Research Council of Italy.<\/p>\n
Scientific Committee:
\nHeleni Porfyriou, CNR – Istituto per la Conservazione e la Valorizzazione dei\u00a0Beni Culturali – Roma
\nMarichela Sepe, CNR – Istituto di Ricerche sulle Attivit\u00e0 Terziarie – Napoli
\nAntonello Alici, Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona\u00a0Massimiliano Savorra, Universit\u00e0 degli studi del Molise, AISU<\/p>\n
Draft Program<\/strong> With the partecipation of all speakers Session 1. Port Cities in History<\/strong><\/p>\n Session 2. Waterfront Developments and new Perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\n Round Table Discussion<\/strong> General Assembly of AISU Members \u2013 Associazione Italiana di Storia Urbana<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" International Conference of the Italian Association of Urban History – AISU Waterfronts Revisited. The Transformation of the Port Cities and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape November 9, 2012 CNR – National Research Council of Italy Piazzale Aldo Moro 7 \u2013 Rome Aula Marconi Organized by the CNR – Institute for the Conservation\u00a0and … <\/p>\n
\nHeleni PORFYRIOU (CNR – ICVBC \u2013 Roma), Waterfronts in Historic Cities and the new UNESCO Recommendation of Historic Urban Landscape<\/p>\n
\nGuest speaker: Marie-No\u00ebl TOURNOUX (UNESCO), The UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape<\/p>\n\n
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\nChairman: Massimiliano SAVORRA (Universit\u00e0 degli studi del Molise)
\nWith the partecipation of all speakers
\nGuest speaker: Marie-No\u00ebl TOURNOUX (UNESCO), The UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape<\/p>\n