This article makes a critical reflection, questioning the notion of historical urban landscapes as a conceptual paradigm used for the basis of urban conservation in the twenty-first century. The study begins with a brief summary of the origins and subsequent evolution of this concept, highlighting the two key reference milestones: the Vienna Memorandum (UNESCO, 2005) and the Paris Recommendation (UNESCO, 2011). Subsequently, the focus of attention will be on highlighting the problems and difficulties posed by the management and protection of historic urban landscapes today. In this sense, the focus of attention will be placed on the assumption that change is an inherent part of the urban condition, since there is no consensus on what the limits of acceptable change in historic urban landscapes should be. It also emphasizes three factors that make this more difficult: (1) the reminiscences of the doctrines of the Weberian administration in the current models of government; (2) the subjective nature of the systems of indicators applied to the scope of historic cities; and (3) the opportunism of tactical urbanism, which, despite its shortcomings, is becoming an outstanding alternative for the methodological development of the historic urban landscapes.

In this article, a critical reflection is made that involves questioning the notion of historic urban landscapes profiled in the Memorandum of Vienna (UNESCO, 2005) and the Paris Recommendation (UNESCO, 2011) as a conceptual paradigm on which to base urban conservation in the 21st century. Its limited methodological development and the assumption of change as an inherent part of the urban condition constitutes the source of many of the problems and difficulties posed by management and protection of contemporary cities, since there is no consensus as to what the acceptable limits of change should be in historic urban landscapes - difficulties that become ever more apparent, given the background of Weberian administrative doctrines present in current governance models. Likewise, the concept of Buffer Zones as a landscape management tool is analyzed, with the aim of establishing new methodological proposals that enable spatial organization to be regulated by defining areas of harmonization that are made up of flexible and multifunctional spaces for cooperation where territorial scale comes into contact with modernization of the historical fabric.

Durante varias décadas, la noción de paisaje ha sido instrumentalizada por diversos campos de estudio y con los puntos de vista e intereses más diversos. Esta es una noción que reúne todas las características de los espacios liminales, áreas caracterizadas por su naturaleza mediadora. Sin embargo, el éxito y la rápida extensión del concepto de paisaje aún no ha experimentado un desarrollo similar en el campo metodológico ni está logrando un consenso suficiente para ser aplicado al ámbito administrativo. En esta contribución, ajustaremos nuestra reflexión en torno a la idea de paisajes urbanos históricos, destacando la necesidad de abordar el enfoque de "gestión del cambio" exigido por las ciudades del siglo XXI. Con este fin, profundizaremos en algunas nuevas iniciativas de gestión urbana, en las que la "prosumer citizenship" comienza a ser un elemento clave en la construcción de la identidad de los espacios habitados. En la misma línea, también se discutirá el alcance y el contenido de la disciplina emergente del urbanismo táctico, prestando especial atención a las limitaciones del "pensamiento de diseño" en los centros históricos de las ciudades; áreas afectadas por ambientes que frecuentemente son problemáticos, donde entran en juego las complejas regulaciones de tutela individual o colectiva que requieren los bienes culturales. Durant diverses dècades, la noció de paisatge ha estat instrumentalitzada per diversos camps d'estudi i amb els punts de vista i interessos més diversos. Aquesta és una noció que reuneix totes les característiques dels espais liminar, àrees caracteritzades per la seva naturalesa mediadora. No obstant això, l'èxit i la ràpida extensió del concepte de paisatge encara no ha experimentat un desenvolupament similar en el camp metodològic ni està aconseguint un consens suficient per ser aplicat a l'àmbit administratiu. En aquesta contribució, ajustarem la nostra reflexió al voltant de la idea de paisatges urbans històrics, destacant la necessitat d'abordar l'enfocament de "gestió del canvi" exigit per les ciutats de segle XXI. Amb aquesta finalitat, aprofundirem en algunes noves iniciatives de gestió urbana, en què la "prosumer citizenship" comença a ser un element clau en la construcció de la identitat dels espais habitats. En la mateixa línia, també es discutirà l'abast i el contingut de la disciplina emergent de l'urbanisme tàctic, prestant especial atenció a les limitacions del "pensament de disseny" en els centres històrics de les ciutats; àrees afectades per ambients que freqüentment són problemàtics, on entren en joc les complexes regulacions de tutela individual o col·lectiva que requereixen els béns culturals. For several decades, the notion of landscape has been instrumentalised by various fields of study and with the most diverse views and interests. This is a notion that brings together all the features of liminal spaces, areas characterised by their mediating nature. The success and rapid extension of the concept of landscape, however, has not yet seen a similar development in the methodological field nor is it achieving sufficient consensus to be applied to the administrative scope. In this contribution we will adjust our reflection around the idea of historic urban landscapes, highlighting the need to address the “change management” approach demanded by 21st-century cities. To this end, we shall delve into some new urban management initiatives, in which the “prosumer citizenship” is beginning to be a key element in the construction of the identity of the spaces inhabited. In the same vein, the scope and content of the emerging discipline of tactical urbanism will also be discussed, paying special attention to the limitations of “design thinking” in historic city centres; areas affected by environments that are frequently problematic, where the complex regulations of -individual or collective- tutelage that cultural assets require come into play.

Urban areas in historic cities resemble a living organism that evolves in parallel to social transformation processes, shaping the material substrate that expresses identity and collective memory. In the twenty-first century, exponential population growth, globalization and the information society have resulted in many of these socio-economic processes accelerating, with consequences that we are not yet able to discern in their entirety. In this context, cities need to adapt to the general dynamics of urban development by incorporating the environmental, economic and social aspects of the "sustainability paradigm". With good planning, urban heritage is a key sustainable resource that needs promoting as part of the existing territorial competitiveness in a scenario marked by an increase in rivalry between cities. This requires the development of a conceptual framework that, based on a global, holistic and integrative approach, covers equity and social justice, respect for human rights, the gender perspective, public health and environmental quality, among other aspects. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to study the concept of landscape applied to urban planning in greater depth, paying special attention to the analysis of the notion of Historic Urban Landscapes from a critical point of view, since the economic pressures arising from the reality of today's globalized world pose a serious threat that hinders their custody and protection, complicating this new comprehensive approach: how to bring this new systemic and transversal concept to the current regulatory framework in order to achieve real legal protection and effective governance models in urban areas? What should be the acceptable limits to ensure that "managing this change" does not result in public spaces being at the service of the interests of financial capitalism? These, along with many other questions, make the work of the professionals in charge of urban conservation more challenging in their aim to establish a sustainable dialogue to clear the complex equation between historical city and development. With a view to try to answer these and other questions, this paper sets out need to design comprehensive urban policy and legislative frameworks coordinated, and sets out proposals regarding the development of acceptable change limitation methods and indicators, and the application of the concept of buffer zones to the conservation of urban heritage that can become the basis for urban management policies and models.