Yesterday, we experienced an inspiring gathering at the University of Cuenca for the closing event of the project “Heritage, Leisure and Tourism: Analysis of Consensus and Disputes over the Use and Enjoyment of Public Space in Cuenca's Historic Center.” For over a year, this project has invited us to reflect collectively on how we inhabit, share, and dream our public heritage spaces. 🏘️🗣️
🎯 What was the main focus?The event brought key discussions to the forefront about the agreements and tensions among various stakeholders—residents, vendors, public authorities, students, and visitors. Some of the most important areas of consensus included:
✅ The urgent need to protect both tangible and intangible heritage.
✅ The importance of thoughtful planning around the use of public space.
✅ The call for meaningful citizen participation—beyond token consultations.
✅ Balancing tourism growth with the quality of life of local residents.
✅ And yes! Making the Historic Center inclusive and accessible for everyone. ♿🌍
😬 But we also talked about ongoing tensions:
❌ The clash between heritage preservation and its tourist promotion.
❌ The growing pressure from short-term rentals like Airbnb, pushing out local residents.
❌ The debate between cultural vibrancy and security-related restrictions.
❌ Noise, nightlife and over-tourism affecting neighborhood well-being.
❌ And the fear of turning the Historic Center into a “tourist theme park,” losing its everyday soul. 🏙️↔️🎭
👥 The event brought together a wonderfully diverse group: students of tourism and architecture, residents from El Vado and San Sebastián neighborhoods, officials from municipal areas like culture, heritage, and tourism, tourism associations, and university authorities. A full community coming together to imagine a better city! 🙌💙
🚀 What’s next? One of the highlights of the day was the official launch of a new project: “Balancing Tourism and Heritage: Glocal Indicators for Urban Sustainability in Cuenca’s Historic Center.” Building on everything learned, this new initiative aims to develop indicators to guide better planning and management of the Historic Center—thinking globally, acting locally. 📊🌎
🥗 The event closed with a shared lunch among participants. Because building a city also means coming together around the table. 😉
💬 Huge thanks to everyone who made this journey possible! Cuenca is built through dialogue, ideas, and the commitment of those who dream of a fairer, more vibrant, and sustainable city. 💚
Fotos: PREIT-tour
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