The role of the UNESCO Buffer Zone between heritage conservation and urban development. Cross-cutting reflections on Bologna and Porto

This paper reflects on the role and potential of buffer zones to connect World Heritage Sites and Historic Urban Landscapes, and to become breeding grounds for preservation and sustainable development policies rooted in their spatial and cultural contexts, but with a comprehensive and integrated vision. The study focuses on the experience of two Unesco sites: The Historic Centre of Porto – recently updated as Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar – and The Porticoes of Bologna, inscribed in 1996 (ID 755) and 2021 (ID 1650) respectively. Starting from similarities and differences between these urban realities, the reflection intends to understand and prefigure value-oriented processes which could successfully integrate heritage preservation and sustainable design, support the resilience and inclusiveness in the built environment, and maintain high-quality design standards within the framework of the most up-to-date European recommendations.