 |
Gérald
Tremblay
Mayor of Montréal
Member of the Board of Directors
League of Historical Cities |
Yorikane Masumoto
Mayor of Kyoto
Chairperson
League of Historical Cities |
Helen Fotopulos
Member of the
Executive Committee
Responsible for Culture
and Heritage
City of Montréal |
|
|
| were pleased to welcome
some 180 delegates from across the planet to discuss heritage and
the future at the 8th World Conference of Historical Cities, held
in the Bonsecours Market building in Old Montréal from October 6
to 8, 2003. |
| Although the event
was intended mainly for elected municipal representatives, the 8th
World Conference of Historical Cities was also of interest to administrators,
professionals, academics and activists. After previous editions
in Kyoto, Florence, Barcelona, Xi’an, Krakow and Montpellier,
Montréal marked the first time that the Conference has been
held in North America.
“Neither cities-as-museums
nor cities-as-entertainment,
we must ‘make history’ and assume our roles,
now and forever, in the evolution of the World.”
Helen Fotopulos
Member of the Executive Committee
Responsible for Culture and Heritage
City of Montréal
|
 |
| Under the theme Conserving and Developing: How?
With whom? Why?, the many and varied exchanges, whether in workshop
or roundtable format, dealt above all with the delicate issue of what
strategies, means and mechanisms — be they democratic, financial
or regulatory — can best help historical cities ensure the preservation,
development and transmission of their heritage. |
| 
|
“Elected officials, mandated by the populations they
represent, are necessarily custodians of heritage.”
Gérald Tremblay
Mayor of Montréal
|
| A responsibility toward memory |
| 
|
The
World Conference of Historical Cities, an international forum created
in 1987 on the initiative of the City of Kyoto, exists to allow
elected municipal officials and representatives to discuss and debate
issues related to the preservation and sustainable development of
their cities’ heritage. At its 4th Conference in 1994, members
created a more effective tool by officially forming the League of
Historical Cities, chaired permanently by Kyoto, and which brings
together 61 cities with prestigious heritage wealth, spread among
49 countries. |
| After Montréal,
which this year focused on the difficult question Conserving
and Developing: How? With whom? Why?, the League’s member
cities will meet again in Gyeongju, South Korea, in 2005, and in
Ballarat, Australia, in 2006, to continue their discussions on topics
specific to historical cities, as well as on development of these
cities’ modern face.
“It is our duty to ensure
that our cities endure.”
Yorikane Masumoto
Mayor of Kyoto
Chairperson, League of Historical Cities
|
 |
 |
| About the League
of Historical Cities
The League of Historical Cities has 61
member cities from 49 countries. It is a forum for elected
officials from five continents, who come together to share
their experiences and expertise in managing historic districts.
The Board of Directors:
Chair: Kyoto
Vice-chairs: Paris and Xi'an
Members: Krakow, Montpellier, Montréal, Rio de Janeiro
and Vienna
Auditor: Gyeongju
The League's seven previous conferences:
- Kyoto - November 1987
"Historical Cities in the 21st Century - Tradition
and Creativity"
- Florence - June 1988
"Historical Cities for the Future of Mankind"
- Barcelona - October 1991
"The Memories of and Futures of Cities"
- Kyoto - April 1994
"In Quest of the Wisdom of Historical Cities"
- Xi'an - September 1996
"Revival of Historical Cities"
- Krakow - May 1998
"Heritage and Development of Historical Cities"
- Montpellier - July 2000
"History and Value"
|
|
|
|
