IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A

Abstract

Under the name “Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of arts and sciences”, a new cultural landscape located in Madrid (Spain) was inscribed in the World Heritage List in July, 2021. This cultural property includes the tree-lined Paseo del Prado, the Parque del Retiro, and the neighborhood between them, known as Barrio de los Jerónimos. Among the several controversies of its inclusion within the List, one is especially relevant for a critical inquiry: Madrid’s proposal decided not to define a buffer zone, since the urban plan (PGOUM-1997) already protects the central area of the city, which includes the property, alleging that it works as an actual buffer zone. However, ICOMOS rejected such explanations and claimed for a specific buffer zone around the cultural property, according to UNESCO’s guidelines. Finally, the voting lead to including the property within the list assuming thus the area proposed by Madrid, yet ICOMOS insisted that a buffer zone should be defined in the future. Using Madrid’s example as a lens for discussing the very idea of buffer zone, this contribution asks: What is a buffer zone, or what should it be according to UNESCO? Are its goals usually satisfied? How does a buffer zone affect the cultural property throughout the time? Is there any case that could be used as a model? And, ultimately, what can we learn from the case of Madrid?