Integrated Management of Cultural Landscape in France

The Grands Sites de France Policy & Experience

Anne Vourc’h, Director, Réseau des Grands Sites de France

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The "Grands Sites”, iconic landscapes

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• Protected by a powerful law dating back to 1906 / 1930

Very well known and iconic landscapes in France

High tourism pressure

But the reality is often less beautiful …

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The crowd• congested sites• invasion of vehicules

Damages to the site• where is “the spirit of the place” ?• erosion• garbage• damaged landscapes

Inconvenience to local residents• traffic jam• disturbances• leisure / work

A reputation that benefits poorly local economy

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Grands Sites de France : a national policy

A policy launched by the state in 1976 - Rehabilitate degraded sites- Manage sites in an active way - Better reception of visitors, flow controle- Organise a more sustainable tourism - Generate local benefits for residents

Lauched by the ministry in charge of the environment

Partnership with local authorities

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Grand Site de France : the Label

Belongs to the State, created in 2002 and managed by the Ministry of Ecology

Recognizes the role of the local management body

A label of sustainable management / development

Only 14 sites officially awarded, others under process to get it one day

Given for 6 years only (renewable)

Protection and conservation with a special attention to values and the spirit of the site

Tourism flow management Open to large numbers of

visitors with a focus on interpretation

Need of balance between visitors (tourism) and inhabitants (daily life)

Contribution to the sustainable economic and social development of the area

Sustainable site management Partnership

A label of sustainable development

site

visitors inhabitants

Grand Site de France

Aven d'Orgnac, 2004

Sainte Victoire, 2004 Pointe du Raz, 2004

Pont du Gard, 2004

Bibracte Mont Beuvray, 2007

Puy de Dôme, 2008

Saint Guilhem le désert Gorges de l'Hérault (2010)

Marais Poitevin (2010)

Les Deux Caps Blanc-Nez Gris-Nez (2011)

Grand Site de France

Puy Mary – Volcan du Cantal (2012)Massif du Canigò (2012)

Baie de Somme, 2011 Massif du Canigo, 2012

Puy Mary Volcan du Cantal, 2012Solutré Pouilly Vergisson, 2013

Grand Site de France

Camargue gardoise, 2014

Grands Sites de France

Cartouches Aven d’Orgnac et Gorges du Gardon en cours de création

The Grand Site de France approach Elaborate a global territorial project from a protected

outstanding core

Proprose amenities respecting the identity of the place

Tourism flow management

Tourism that offers a particular experience of places

Beauty and quality of places, "accessible" for all

Inhabitants, fundamental actors of the project

To set up a partnership and perennial management / governance of the site

In reference to the 1972 World Heritage Convention (article 5 in particular)

Reminder : What we are looking for, our goals

1. To help each "Grand site" yo (re)discover its beauty, charm, value and all the qualities that motivated its protection

1. To bring them to landscape and environmental excellence

2. With a perennial and exemplary management from a sustainable development perspective

3. To make the public feeling the spirit of the place, to experience the site, to discover it in all its facets and to feel welcomed

4. To make it a leverage of sustainable local development, and of a territorial dynamic, in a shared governance.

Les sites “ponctuels”, propriété publique

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Aven d’OrgnacArdèche

Protected area : 390 ha Grand Site (project area) : 390

ha 2 municipalities

Attendance : 153 000 visitors

Pont du GardGard

Classified site : 407 ha Perimeter GS : 165 ha

3 municipalitiesAttendance : 1 200 000

visitors

Direct management of a public site Examples : Bibracte Mont Beuvray, Pont du Gard, Aven d'Orgnac

Les sites “territoire”

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Puy Mary, Volcan du CantalCantal

Classified site : 8 535 ha Perimeter GSF : 36 000 ha

13 municipalities500 000 visitors/year

Sainte-VictoireBouches du Rhône

Classified site : 23.337 ha Perimeter GSF : 35 000 ha

14 municipalities1 000 000 visitors/year

Governance of a large scale site / territory

Cultural landscape ...

• "Combined works of nature and humankind"

• "A concrete and characteristic product of the interplay between a given human community, embodying certain cultural preferences and potentials, and a particular set of natural circumstances"

• Landscape management must consider the interplay between the values of nature and the values of culture

• " A management that integrates some activities, from the conception phase, all the ecological, economic and social factors linked to them "

• And for heritage site ?

• A management based on the cultural and heritage value of the places

• A holistic view of the sites

Integrated management ?

• To set up policies for the protection, conservation and presentation of heritage

• To give the heritage a function

• To develop studies and research

• To mobilize actors and civil society

• To share the values and knowledge about heritage

• Heritage and contribution to cultural, social and economical development

UNESCO : Convention Concerning the Protection of World Heritage (1972)

Council of Europe : Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage or Faro Convention (2005)• To promote respect for the integrity of cultural heritage• To define and promote principles for sustainable management• To promote high quality of interventions• To use the economic potential of the cultural heritage• To promote an integrated and well-informed approach by public

authorities • To develop innovative ways for public authorities to co-operate with

other actors• To take into consideration the value attached by each heritage

community to the cultural heritage with which it identifies• To take steps to improve access to the heritage• To encourage interdisciplinary research on cultural heritage

Integration…

• Values

• Different professional cultures

• Scales

• Stakes

of what ? with whom ? by whom ?

Integration ? ... Site values

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Visitor centre of Grand Site Sainte VictoireInhabitants talk about "their" Sainte Victoire

Integration ? … Professional cultures and skills

http://www.baie-mont-saint-michel.fr

Integration ? … Stakes (heritage protection, local development, rehabilitation & employment, social inclusion…)

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• Consider all aspects of the site management in a sustainable perspective

• Site knowledge (scientific studies)

• Site conservation

• Integration into the local economy

• Visitors reception, transmission

• Community involvement

A global consideration

• Preservation of the integrity of sites (urban pressure, overcrowding)

• Degradation of remains (atmospheric and human factors), and species

• Degradation of the environment of sites• Choice of relevant protection / restoration measures• Reception (quality of services, cultural content)• Local participation – the involvement of inhabitants• Economic and social impact of the site• Mobilization of ressources for site maintenance• The effectiveness of public action

Interests of integrated management

Les partenaires du gestionnaire

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➜ State (regulatory role, often owner and funder, often multiple : Culture, Tourism, Environment, Research ….)

➜ Local authorities (despite their historically low competence in the field)

➜ Civil society (local actors : heritage protection associations, environmental groups, tourist operators …)

➜ Scientific communities (that contribute to the knowledge of the site)

➜ National and international competence networks (UNESCO, ICOMOS, IUCN, site managers …)

➜ Site manager : the role of conductor

The manager and other stakeholders

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Missions :

Development of a strategy for the GS and implementation of OGS program

Management, maintenance of particular elements

Coordination of different public policies

Participation of residents

Knowledge and action, evaluation

“Grand Site de France” Management / local governance

Multidisciplinary team :

Skills suited to the type of heritage (landscape, archeology, history, ecology, agronomy, architecture…)

Mediation and heritage interpretation

Local development

Tourism

… sens of listening and dialogue

… and pragmatism

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Site manager, a "new" profession based on consultation to :

Exchange with national and local authorities and with local stakeholders in order to share the same values and to decide on the main guidelines➜ Steering groups, think-tanks …

Exchange with other site managers and experts to enhance their skills and improve their practices➜ Conferences➜ National networks (national associations of heritage sites)➜ International networks (ICOMOS, forum UNESCO-University…)➜ Training session➜ Twinning➜ Expert visits …

Pôle international francophone de formation et d’échanges des gestionnaires de sites

patrimoniaux

http://polepatrimoine.org

LE RESEAU INTERNATIONAL ET SES OUTILS Plateforme d'échanges echange@polepatrimoine.org - 93 membres de 28 pays Centre de documentation en français - environ 200 documents et liens

LA FORMATION pour les professionnels, en poste Formation internationale "Construire ensemble l'avenir des sites patrimoniaux : Elaborer et mettre en oeuvre une gestion durable" Ateliers de travail : France, Burkina Faso, Sénégal, Mali

LA COOPERATION Coopération décentralisée, entre sites Appui à la mise en place de politiques nationales