IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Havana is a Caribbean metropolis with a strong European influence that spared the damage of the global urban renewal and overdevelopment of the second half of the last century despite its impressive growth undergone during the first half of the 20th Century. Its unique and appealing spirit stems not only from the well-known quality of its music and rhythms, its vibrant street life, and its friendly ambience, but also from its built environment. Its intact urban fabric remains as the only and the best example of Hispanic American urbanism in the New World while the city boasts an impressive collection of buildings authored by world famous local and international architects that acknowledges the values of different urban layouts and inform them with the harmonious juxtaposition of their different architectural styles. Although Havana is a five-century old city resilient city with a strong cultural identity and a well-defined character, its current decay and abandonment, the critical state of infrastructure and housing and the official inertia, and the challenges posed by embracing tourism as the only survival economic mechanism, warns us of the need for a sensitive change and renovation in accord to sustainable principles. Thus, “A Master Plan for 21st Century Havana” conceived by the author and his team is aimed at preserving Havana’s urban and architectural heritage while creating new economic opportunities and preparing the city to tackle future urban issues such as the eventual sea level rising derived from climate change. The ten key concepts of the plan are rooted in both the geography, and the history of the city as well as the people’s idiosyncrasy. For the first time, Havana counts on a comprehensive long-term holistic vision able to become the place for its inhabitants and foreign visitors based on its tradition of excellence and the personal pride and sense of belonging of its inhabitants.