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Taking nature into account in the World Heritage Management plan of Strasbourg (France)

The World Heritage site of "Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt" is carrying out an update of the World Heritage management plan and urban planning tools following the extension of the property in 2017. The new plan will seek to integrate cultural and natural heritage values and their attributes in order to improve the city’s liveability and micro-climate.

About the city of Strasbourg

Strasbourg is a city in the Rhine valley in North-Eastern France, by the German border. The city is one of the three “European capitals” with Luxembourg and Brussels, and hosts the headquarters of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and other European institutions. The city has a medium density: with a total area of 78km² and 284,000 inhabitants (500,000 in the metropolitan area), the overall density is 3,630 inhabitants / km².

Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt was inscribed on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv). The initial property, inscribed in 1988, was formed by the Grande-Île, the historic centre of Strasbourg. An extension concerning the Neustadt, the new town, designed and built under the German administration (1871-1918) to convert it into a regional capital, was approved in 2017.

The Grande-Île and the Neustadt form an urban ensemble that is characteristic of Rhineland Europe, with a structure that centres on the cathedral, a major masterpiece of Gothic art. Its distinctive silhouette dominates the ancient riverbed of the Rhine and its man-made waterways. Perspectives created around the cathedral give rise to a unified urban space and shape a distinctive landscape organized around the rivers and canals.

The French and Germanic influences have enabled the composition of a specific urban space combining constructions reflecting major significant periods of European history: Roman Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Rhineland Renaissance, French 18th century classicism, and then the 19th and early 20th centuries which saw the emergence of a modern city, the capital and symbol of the new German state.

Taking nature into account in the World Heritage Management plan of Strasbourg 

The World Heritage site of Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt, is using the opportunity provided by the update of the World Heritage management plan to enhance and valorise the natural elements present in this outstanding urban environment. This goal is achieved through a variety of means including regulations, guidelines and planning tools.

The World Heritage Management and safeguarding plan (Plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur) is a binding document covering the World Heritage site and surroundings, a total of 209 hectares. Originally developed in 2011, the plan is currently undergoing a revision and extension to include the Neustadt, following the 2017 extension of the World Heritage site. The update is expected to be be finalised by 2022.

The project is developed by the Urbanism and Development Agency of the Metropolis of Strasbourg (Agence de développement et d’urbanisme de l’agglomération strasbourgeoise, ADEUS) in partnership with a number of heritage professionals, which includes architects, historians, landscape architects, urbanists and sociologists. It is financed by the French national government, the Regional direction of cultural affairs, the City and Euro-metropolis of Strasbourg.

The aims of the revision and extension are to:

  • Protect and enhance the urban heritage of the city
  • Enhance the habitability of the historic centre, threatened by mass tourism.
  • Preserve the built and natural heritage
  • Improve the cultural and economic attractiveness of the city
  • Manage disaster risk, mainly regarding fire and flooding.

These goals are planned to be implemented through a variety of actions, including urban regulations and planning tools, which target public spaces, natural heritage, and significant buildings (both interior and exterior).

The update is used as an opportunity to include natural heritage values and their attributes within the wider frameworks of heritage preservation. By protecting green areas and vegetation, the city aims to improve its liveability and environmental performance, and preserve and diversify its natural elements and spaces. Specifically, the natural heritage is protected through:

  • Detailed studies of the characteristics, morphology, and identity of green spaces
  • Written regulations
  • Graphic regulations
  • Guidelines for development and thematic planning

By including natural heritage within the planning and management tools of the World Heritage site, Strasbourg aims to send a clear message regarding the importance of green spaces and vegetation as key elements of urban heritage and identity, which must be protected and preserved for future generations. Green spaces can improve the liveability of urban areas and prevent and mitigate the urban heat island effect, reducing the city’s adverse environmental impact and contributing to the fight against climate change.

Source: Ms Cathy MULLER, Head of the Building Police Department of the Euro-metropolis of Strasbourg, 2021

Contribution towards the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape

The project aims to contribute to the implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape approach by creating an integrated approach towards the conservation and management of historic areas, which considers the different layers and elements that form the identity of the city. This approach is expressed through a variety of legal and spatial planning instruments.

Historic Urban Landscape Tools

Knowledge and Planning tools Regulatory systems

Contribution towards Sustainable Development

If fully implemented in accordance with the described plans, the initiative could contribute towards Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

  • Target 11.4: the initiative aims to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
  • Target 11.6: the initiative aims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, by increasing the amount of green areas in the city and preventing and mitigating urban heat island effects.
  • Target 11.7: the initiative aims to increase public access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.
  • Target 11.b: the initiative aims to adopt and implement integrated policies and plans towards mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and resilience to disasters.

Note: the described potential impacts of the projects are only indicative and based on submitted and available information. UNESCO does not endorse the specific initiatives nor ratifies their positive impact.

To learn more
Contact

Ms Cathy MULLER, Service de la police du bâtiment, Strasbourg.

Image credits: cover image: Frantisek Zvardon © Mission Patrimoine – GCT Ville et Eurométropole de Strasbourg.

Note: The cases shared in this platform address heritage protection practices in World Heritage sites and beyond. Items being showcased in this website do not entail any type of recognition or inclusion in the World Heritage list or any of its thematic programmes. The practices shared are not assessed in any way by the World Heritage Centre or presented here as model practices nor do they represent complete solutions to heritage management problems. The views expressed by experts and site managers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Heritage Centre. The practices and views shared here are included as a way to provide insights and expand the dialogue on heritage conservation with a view to further urban heritage management practice in general.

World Heritage Properties (1)
States parties (1)
Geographical focus
Europe and North America
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (1)
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