Sustainable Models of Heritage Conservation and Revitalization
protecting the traditional mountain villages as an invaluable part of cultural heritage. This has often been conducted in collaboration with international partners. A selection of initiatives related to our project are as follows:
1.6 Regulations • A new law is currently being drafted aimed at strengthening regulations protecting cultural heritage nationwide. Part of this law includes provisions for the establishment of a Care National Fund of Cultural Heritage, which would help finance the protection of tangible cultural heritage. The draft law currently proposes new tariffs and other financing instruments that would help raise money for the fund (Council of Ministers 2016). • In 2016, the Council of Ministers, following on the proposal by the Institute of Cultural Monuments, declared Vuno and Qeparo (alongside Himara and Dhermi) as “Historical Centres.” They produced a series of guidelines and regulations designed to protect the integrity of these centres and establish a framework for their administration (Council of Ministers 2016b and 2016c). • The local planning commission for the Himara municipality has also taken measures to preserve village integrity, including limiting the unplanned and sprawling growth of new developments, and providing a set of morphological guidelines for the mountain villages (Municipality of Himare 2012).
1.7 Projects
Image 13: Outdoor Festival
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• The state-led “Roof Repair and Facades Programme” (2011-2014) allowed residents to apply for reimbursement of 70% of the cost accrued in the repair of the roofs and facades of their homes (Image 13) • The Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and National Territorial Planning Agency issued a series of design competitions in 2014 and 2015 to create ideas for development initiatives in the southern coastal region.
• The renovation of Vuno’s main square by the Himara Municipality. • The renovation of selected squares and alleyways in Qeparo. • The restoration of the Church of St. Spyridon and St. Mary’s Church by the Institute for Cultural Monuments. • Through the Albanian Development Fund, a number of restoration, conservation, and research projects were developed last year. The restoration project carried out in Vuno was implemented in St. Michael’s Church.
1.8 Studies Commissioned and Conducted • The GIZ-commissioned report, The Potential of Tourism Oriented Development in the Villages of Himara Municipality, while focused on a more holistic view of regional development, includes a specific study that stresses the need for conservation, adaptive re-use, and the development of public space and infrastructure (Herrle and Nebel 2015b). • Also commissioned by the GIZ, the Systematic Analysis of Urban Conservation Approaches in the Southern Coastal Region of Albania report details and evaluates many of the projects undertaken in the region by the government and international partners in recent years. (Pashako 2015) • The research document produced by Son Group in 2016 on behalf of the ADF contains a proposal for public lighting, the paving of paths and the restoration of Vuno’s main plaza. The study also contained plans for some private projects, such