NARA — About half of the world now lives in cities, and with that figure expected to climb to 70 percent by 2025 it is more important than ever that urban planners incorporate effective heritage management into their designs, participants at the World Conference of Historical Cities said Wednesday.
"In many cities around the world, slums in particular are actually historic centers. But even if you need a building permit, many cities don't require a demolition permit," said Minja Yang, president of the Raymond Lemaire Internal Center for Conservation in Belgium.
City planners, especially those in developing countries, face another problem: poor urban revitalization projects. In historic areas, the consequences of these projects have created new kinds of problems.