Unveiling the invisibilised: Treasuring the multi-faceted heritage of historic centers

Eduardo Rojas

Cartagena: one of the jewels of the Spanish crown

Post colonial developments

‘Touristification’ and the conservation of the heritage

The growing invisibility of Cartagena’s heritage

Meagan Kearney Proposal origin and approach

The Promenade goals and purpose

Target zones

Phasing

Description

Objectives PROTECTED AREA Historic Center

The political and institutional center of Cartagena. High concentration of museums, the

The political and institutional center of Cartagena. High concentration of museums, the ca-

cathedral, University of Cartagena, and local governmental offices. Tourism heavily

thedral, University of Cartagena, and local governmental offices. Tourism heavily dominates

dominates this sector with the most heavily visited section of the walls being the Balu-

this sector with the most heavily visited section of the walls being the Baluarte de Santo

arte de Santo Domingo

Domingo 1. Regulate and promote tourism flow between inside and outside the walls.

2. Restrict auto dominance by key wall openings.

3. Reactivate outside green space through recreational use.

4. Reconnect region to the Caribbean Sea through pedestrian access.

5. Restrict private, incompatible uses of the walls and open for public programming events.

San Diego

San Diego has historically been one of the center’s main neighborhoods of family

1. Reconnect region to outer wall green space and waterfront.

homes which are now turned into Airbnb’s.

2. Promote pedestrian access to and from periphery regions outside the historic center La Matuna

Mid-20th century modern development which sits upon a landfill. This area is discon-

1. Improve pedestrian access with San Diego, Getsemani, and Chambacu.

nected from the other historic center regions due to its difference in architectural char-

2. Reactivate underutilized public spaces.

acter, lower economic status, and inaccessibility. However, this region holds potential in its prime location of pedestrian and traffic flow into and out of the historic center. La Matuna also holds the remnants of the old, demolished railway track which had crossed over the lagoon to Chambacú.

Getsemani The last remaining area of local residential use within the historic center. However, the

1. Interpret the historic significance of the ravelin system and the lagoons.

area is undergoing a wave of night-time tourism activities and pushing residents and

2. Restrict private use and open bastions for community programming.

their traditional ways of living out of the center.

3. Create a children and family park space.

BUFFER ZONE Chambacu

Chambacu hosts the main transportation routes to and from the historic center and has

1. Promote pedestrian flow between Getsemani and Chambacu by formalizing access

the San Felipe de Barajas Fort (part of the World Heritage Site), the Cartagena mall,

routes.

and an informal settlement of workers within the tourist carriage industry.

2. Reconnect the San Felipe de Barajas Fort with the fortification systems of the historic center as it is currently “detached”.

Marbella

Marbella is characterized with beach side hotels that lead to the International Airport

1. Promote pedestrian access to the historic center and its walls from the region.

and is connected to both the Caribbean Sea and the Cabrero Lagoon.

Bocagrande A peninsula known for its beaches and beach resorts.

1. Formalize a waterfront pedestrian route from the historic center to the region.

Detailed Site Plans for Phase 1

Critical policies for the implementation of the Promenade

Urban impacts of the proposal

Management Structure

Paridhee Goel

Interpretation facilities

Signage

Connections and impact

Shae Sphale

The contribution of water-based transportation

State of transit and accessibility to the historic center

The proposed water-based transportation system

Public transit docks

Implementation

Interactions

Transcaribe BTR The city-run bus system that began service in 2016. The system serves the major transit corridors of the city through “mainline” and “feeder line” buses.

The main line buses circulate along the main roadways while the feeder lines serve neighborhoods, connecting them with the mainline at transit stations.

Figure 2.3.3 TransCaribe buses. Photo: TransCaribe Local buses The local buses, identifiable by their colorful exteriors, operate similarly to taxis, but on a neighborhood circuit, often identified on the front window. Riders hail the bus and call out their stop. Though this system is more flexible and accessible than TransCaribe, such buses overpopulate the roads around and in the historic center, significantly contributing to the strain on the historic fabric and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts for road space.

Figure 2.3.4 Local buses. Photo: El Universal Taxis and private cars The city has several versions of private and semi-private transportation. Taxis operate as private rider or shared services, similar to small local buses. Local hotels own and operate private cars to transport guests. After their assigned fare is complete, they may operate as taxis. The Uber rideshare app is popular among tourists in the historic center, and Uber cars are available at all hours.

Finally, mobility in Cartagena is heavily reliant on personal vehicles; however, due to lack of parking and dwindling residential population in the historic center, there is a low rate of personal vehicles operating within the historic walls.

Figure 2.3.5 Taxis and private cars. Photo: Saba 2023 Moto-taxis Besides buses and cars, Cartagena has several unique forms of transit. Moto-taxis are small 1-driver/1-rider taxis operated on motorcycles and scooters.

These small taxis zip through crowded streets, further complicating the relationship between pedestrians and vehicles as they often compete for space.

They operate as micro-Uber and one-rider taxis, callable through the Uber app and in person. Walking through the streets of the historic center, especially in the evening, it is not uncommon to see dozens of moto-taxis parked along sidewalks waiting for riders.

Figure 2.3.6 Moto taxis. Photo: El Universal Horse-drawn carriages Cartagena’s historic identity as a Spanish Colonial city frozen in time is upheld by the ongoing, though controversial, presence of horse-drawn carriages.

These carriages immensely complicate the use of the limited space between buildings as they often block tight roads waiting for their next rider. Additionally, multiple parties, both in the city and internationally, have raised concerns over the welfare of the horses in the hot climate.

Figure 2.3.7 Horse-drawn carriages. Photo: El Universal Charter boats Charter Boats and Shuttle Boats. Several companies offer tourist experiences on the waters around Cartagena, including shuttles to nearby islands, mangrove tours, and day charters. While these businesses' price points and intended audience are prohibitive to locals, the boating culture they have cultivated in tourist areas has resulted in many public docks and large private marinas along the coastlines of Boca Grande and the historic center. These extant docks could form the starting infrastructure to create and expand a water-based public transit system.

Figure 2.3.8 Charter boats. Photo: Tripadvisor

Fort Kochi Water Metro Fort Kochi, located on the southwest coast of India, was India’s first European colonial port. Under colonial rule, it passed from Portuguese to Dutch to British rule, resulting in a uniquely diverse array of colonial architectural styles concentrated in the port city. Fort Kochi provides a valuable precedent in its colonial history, like Cartagena’s. The Fort Kochi Water Metro (KWM) began service in 2021 as a city-led initiative to alleviate traffic in the historic port city. The KWM operates between 7 am and 8 pm. Transit lines are still in the expansion stage of implementation, but current lines carry anywhere from 50 to 100 passengers at a time. The Kochi Water Metro operates under a cooperation agreement with the Fort Kochi city government and the local railroad. KWM utilizes electric and electric-hybrid Catamarans—dual-hulled boats stable in shallow and open ocean conditions.

Figure 2.3.13. Source: Fort Kochi Water metro Venice Vaporetti Venice, located off the northeastern coast of Italy, is built atop a series of small islands connected by canals. For centuries, gondoliers have served as the taxi service of Venice. The first Vaporetto began service carrying passengers along the Grand Canal in 1881. To avoid competition with gondoliers, the Vaporetti became a water bus system, serving longer transit routes and connections to the mainland. In contrast, the gondoliers served the narrower canals between the islands. The local transit system (ACTV) operates the Vaporetti system and utilizes flat boats—with V-shaped hull—designed to operate in shallow waters. The Venice precedent provides a valuable example of a water bus system that has been successful for over a century and coexists with more flexible forms of transit.

Figure 2.3.14. Source: Wikipedia Bangkok Water Transit The City of Bangkok, founded as a fishing village in the 15th century, has served as the capital city of the region through several reigns, revolutions, and reconstitutions. Today it is the capital of Thailand and the largest city in the country. It provides a valuable precedent for Cartagena due to its economic, geographic, and climatic similarities. The Bangkok Water Transit system comprises an array of transit options, including ferries, water buses, tour boats, and water taxis. The city oversees the Chao Phraya Express Boats, a system of 5 transit routes operated by river buses. A designated tourist route is one of the five transit routes that stop at many main attractions along the water. The Express utilizes several boat types including catamarans, bay boats, and flat boats.

Figure 2.3.15. Source: Wikipedia

Weilin Fu

The heritage values of La Matuna Assessment

The current dilemma

Reconnecting and rehabilitating La Matuna. Goals and interventions

Leo Wagner and Mansha Kohli

The site and its potential

The Proposal

Urban Regulations

Implementation

In sum

Frances Murray and Anusha Khansaheb

The context

Scope of field observations

Proposals for Carrera 10

Proposals for Calle 28

Final remarks

Derek Deitsch and Yanjie Zhang

Traffic circulation Objectives

Pedestrianizing the Core

Implementation strategy

Future considerations

Daren Johnson

The opportunity

Local impacts of tourism on the housing situation in Getsemaní

The proposal

Management and financing

Yanbing Zhao and Chenxi Zhu

Existing Conditions

Public and private actors’ interactions

Public-private cooperation. Establishing a Business Improvement District in Cartagena.

Summary

Eduardo Rojas

Cartagena and its region

City development

Cartagena a World Heritage Site

Heritage conservation and the current situation

Recent developments

Heritage conservation challenges

Heritage preservation regulations and institutions

The future

Yanjie Zhang

Public spaces on the streets

Public spaces on the Plaza de la Trinidad Public spaces in the courtyards

In sum

Public spaces in the Centenario Park