Doc. 11336

27 June 2007

Protecting Europe’s historic urban landscapes from new tall buildings

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Zingeris and others

Throughout Europe, but in particular in the new economies of Central and Eastern Europe including Russia, the current rapid pace of economic and urban development, as well as real estate speculation, is leading to a marked increase in the number of tall buildings being constructed in large and medium-sized towns, many of which possess historic centres of European or even world significance.

The Assembly is aware that tall buildings can in specific cases bring solutions to planning problems and may add to the architectural development of certain urban landscapes. However, it also believes that their significant, and often negative, impact on the integrity of Europe’s historic city centres is not sufficiently taken into consideration in decision making on town planning.

The Assembly strongly advocates that adequate measures should be taken at all appropriate levels of policy and decision making to ensure preservation of historic urban landscapes in Europe. These should include specific measures aimed at a regulated construction of tall buildings in designated areas and at keeping the impact of those buildings on the historic urban landscapes within acceptable limits.

The Assembly calls on the competent authorities in Member States to take urgent action on this issue. It welcomes and supports the initiatives Europa Nostra is undertaking by drawing attention to and raising public awareness of this problem and the involvement of civil society in bringing pressure to bear.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed ¹:

ZINGERIS Emanuelis, Lithuania, EDG

DAČIĆ Ivica, Serbia, SOC

FOMENKO Alexander, Russian Federation, UEL

FREIRE ANTUNES José, Portugal, EPP/CD

HOOPER Gloria, United Kingdom, EDG

HURSKAINEN Sinikka, Finland, SOC

HUSEYNOV Rafael, Azerbaijan, ALDE

İNCEKARA Halide, Turkey, EPP/CD

JIVKOVA Evguenia, Bulgaria, SOC

LEGENDRE Jacques, France, EPP/CD

MARQUET Bernard, Monaco, ALDE

MELO Maria Manuela, Portugal, SOC

MUTTONEN Christine, Austria, SOC

O'HARA Edward, United Kingdom, SOC

POLLOZHANI Azis, ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC

RAU Zbigniew, Poland, EDG

SAAR Indrek, Estonia, SOC

SMITH Geraldine, United Kingdom, SOC

SUDARENKOV Valeriy, Russian Federation, SOC

WALTER Robert, United Kingdom, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group