Social Development and Public Governance > Social Development > Urban Development
Lending for Urban Heritage Conservation
By Eduardo Rojas, Claudio de Moura Castro (10/99, SOC-105, En, Es)
National and local governments increasingly recognize the potential contribution to development that can be made by the complex and varied array of historic buildings and infrastructure that form the core of cities and towns throughout Latin America and which are generically referred to as the urban heritage. Neglected for many years, urban heritage is now being restored and revitalized by enlightened communities that are discovering its cultural and historical value and its economic development potential. The Inter-American Development Bank has pioneered the involvement of multilateral development banks in urban heritage preservation. As interest in this area of investment is growing, the need for guidance on the most suitable approaches that clients and staff should follow when designing this type of projects became evident to the Bank. This document responds to that need, providing a discussion of the various approaches that can be followed in urban heritage preservation, as well as recommendations on those that are most appropriate given the circumstances of region. A set of guidelines for project identification and design are included to help clients and staff in the complex task of identifying, designing and appraising this type of projects. These recommended approaches and guidelines are a first approximation and will be revised periodically to incorporate the lessons learned from projects appraised by the Bank. The preliminary nature of the proposals contained in this document prompted SDS/SOC to issue it as a discussion paper. It is expected that in time it will evolve into a more firm strategy and policy for Bank action in this new sector of lending.
Last updated: 06/08/07
