In an effort to spark dialogue regarding the protection of historic urban centers while allowing for progress, the Buenos Aires Historic Center was included in the 2010 World Monuments Watch. The nominator of the site, Basta de Demoler, and the endorser, Fundación Ciudad, collaborated in developing a series of events advocating for the preservation of the historic center.
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In an effort to spark dialogue regarding the protection of historic urban centers while allowing for progress, the Buenos Aires Historic Center was included in the 2010 World Monuments Watch. The nominator of the site, Basta de Demoler, and the endorser, Fundación Ciudad, collaborated in developing a series of events advocating for the preservation of the historic center.
With the support of WMF and the French and Brazilian Embassies, the organizations hosted a symposium, Salvemos Buenos Aires—1er Encuentro de gestión de patrimonio arquitectónico y urbano, in September 2010 to raise awareness of the precarious state of the city’s built heritage, hoping to inspire improved regulations to protect the essence of the city, as planners grapple with the challenges of meeting new needs for residents and visitors. A series of workshops for government officials were held to encourage a change in public policies on urban development, since a new “Urbanistic Code” would be discussed later that year, representing a unique possibility to introduce heritage protection into the legislation.
The exchange of ideas, success stories, and proposals from local and international speakers from Peru, Brazil, France, and Chile at the symposium were recorded and published with support from WMF and Fundación YPF. The publication was presented by Basta de Demoler and Fundación Ciudad to the Legislature of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires on October 5, 2011. The following day the legislature approved the expansion of the Historic District in the city center, protecting over 40 blocks, including 200 historic buildings, against the development pressures and out-of-scale constructions that have been threatening the urban center in recent years.
