Expert speakers from Strasbourg, Hamburg and Bordeaux will reveal how cities can make the most of UNESCO World Heritage Status
Building on its incredibly successful, sold out, 2017 Seminar series exploring Liverpool’s then critically “under threat” UNESCO World Heritage status, local social enterprise Engage Liverpool will host three seminars across October 2018, focusing on the inspirational experiences of 3 European UNESCO Cities – Strasbourg, Hamburg and Bordeaux.
Each seminar will take place in one of Liverpool’s “Three Graces”, which sit on the city’s famous, and UNESCO recognised, waterfront – Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building.
With the lessened risk to Liverpool’s World Heritage Status, this year Engage Liverpool is focusing on how UNESCO status can benefit the city through development, civic design, tourism, economic and cultural regeneration and local appreciation.
The cities of Strasbourg, Hamburg and Bordeaux have been invited in recognition of their achievements in terms of utilising UNESCO status to enhance their regeneration and development, boost their tourism industry as well as adding value to their citizens experience of living and working in the city.
With the use of the Three Graces as the venues for the seminars, providing access to the buildings not usually open to city centre residents, the events are combining the celebration of Liverpool’s world famous architecture whilst encouraging engagement and debate around the future of our city.
Speakers confirmed so far include the Mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries and the architect Henri Bava who is leading a major development project (Deux-Rives) in the city. Bordeaux and Hamburg will be attending with managers of their World Heritage Sites along with an architect working in each city. There will also be a local panel with guests including Councillor Hetty Wood, Councillor Alice Bennett, Mark Kitts – Assistant Director Regeneration at Liverpool City Council., and Councillor Tricia O’Brien.
Gerry Proctor, Chair of Engage Liverpool CIC said “The impact of last year’s seminar series was truly remarkable, and we were delighted to be part of the programme of work in the city that led to a favourable decision by UNESCO. We were honoured to be invited to speak directly to assembled ambassadors in Bahrain at the 2018 WHC meeting, to share the perspective of the citizens of Liverpool. The upcoming ‘Three Seminars in the Three Graces’ is a conscious follow-up, presenting an opportunity to learn and be inspired by the work of other port cities who manage their UNESCO status in a positive and beneficial manner”.
The high-quality speaker line up has been secured thanks to sponsors Liverpool City Council and RS Clare Ltd, as well as P-IE (Planit Intelligent Environments) and BCA Architects. Both P-IE and BCA will be supporting the discussions on how to design and plan in the World Heritage Site while drawing upon UNESCO guidelines and using the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach.
Those wishing to register for the seminar series can do so at: www.engageliverpool.com.
Listings
Seminar One - Strasbourg
Wednesday 3rd October
5.30-7.30PM:
Cunard Building
Speakers – Mayor Roland Ries – Mayor of Strasbourg
Henri Bava - Landscape Architect co-founder Agence Ter and Architect-Planner of Deux Rives Project, Strasbourg
Panellists – Councillor Tricia O’Brien, Chair of Planning Committee
Professor John Belchem - WHS Mayoral Task Force
Mark Kitts - Liverpool City Council Deputy Director Regeneration
Seminar Two - Bordeaux
Wednesday 17th October
5.30-7.30PM:
Port of Liverpool Building
Speakers – Anne-Laure Moniot – WHS Coordinator
Panellists – Councillor Alice Bennett, Mayoral Lead for Heritage and Design
Lesley Woodbridge - World Heritage Site Coordinator Liverpool City Council
Seminar Three - Hamburg
Wednesday 31st October
5.30-7.30PM:
Royal Liver Building
Speakers – Bernd Paulowitz – WHS Coordinator
Christoph Schwarzkopf - Architect in the Hamburg Heritage Preservation Department responsible for Urban Development
Panellists – Councillor Hetty Wood, Chair of Regeneration, Housing & Sustainability Select Committee
Peter Jones - Liverpool City Centre Development Management Team Leader
Notes to Editor
Engage Liverpool CIC
Engage Liverpool CIC is a social enterprise, run by volunteers who live in the apartments of the Waterfront and City Centre.
It is a fully democratic institution where all Board members are elected by residents who are members of Engage and who hold the Board to account at each AGM. We care passionately about sustainable living in the City Centre and are committed to making it a place where people would want to live out the whole of their lives and not just for a brief transitional period in their youth.
We have run projects that make a positive contribution to the liveability of the City Centre and Waterfront (Neighbourhood Planning in the Baltic; Liverpool Air Project; Blue-Green Liverpool). We encourage and promote debate about urban living in our annual Seminar Series (2015: Liveable Liverpool - apartment living in a European city 2016: Reclaiming the City - from consumer and stranger to citizen and neighbour) in 2017 the theme was our UNESCO World Heritage Site designation which is at risk.
We hold Workshops to assist residents and leaseholders to better manage the apartment buildings where they live. We are available for direct consultations and support on any issues facing City Centre residents.