The World Conference of Historical Cities Held in Kyoto
Tomoyuki Tanabe, Mayor of Kyoto City, Teiichi Aramaki, Governor of Kyoto Prefecture, Yoichiro Inoue, President of the Kyoto City Assembly, Koichi Tsukamoto, President of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Soshitsu Sen, Heian-kyo 1200th Anniversary Projects' Managing Director, and members of the public on April 24, 1994, welcomed delegates from 44 cities across the world to the Fourth Conference of Historical Cities at the Kyoto International Conference Hall. Following a performance of traditional Japanese music by Kyoto Hogaku Group, the foreign delegates greeted each other and members of the audience in their native languages. Greeting from "Namaste" to "Anyaseyo" to "Bonjour" echoed around the hall.. The mayor of Katmandu wore a Tibetan hat. Norman Irons, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh sported a kilt.
Kyoto Mayor Tanabe, delivered the keynote speech, acting in his capacity as chairman of the World Conference of Historical Cities Council. He welcomed the mayors and representatives of cities as far removed as Accra and Xian, Guadalajara and Hanoi, to Japan's former capital and foremost historical city. Currently celebrating its 1200th anniversary, the city is hosting the second such meeting, inaugurated here in 1987 with the avowed aim of helping to "build a peaceful world community." Successive conference were held in Florence, Italy in 1988, and Barcelona and Girona, Spain in 1991. Reiterating the theme expressed at the Barcelona/Girona conference that "every city has its own history and an historical city may be defined as a city which fosters its own past as its cherished character," the Kyoto Mayor emphasized the need for historically rich cities to take an active role in fostering peace worldwide.
The mayor introduced the theme of this year's conference as the "Quest of the Wisdom of Historical cities," explaining his belief that the time has come for the accumulated wisdom of historical cities to benefit the whole world. Pointed out that developments in science and technology have brought untold benefits to mankind, the mayor also commented upon the negative effects. The depletion of environmental resources, social problems, excessive population growth and most recently, regional conflict are all issues that historical cities have to face. Mayor Tanabe expressed the hope that historical cities, in their ability to transcend national boundaries and national conflicts, can help solve some of the difficulties facing the world as it heads into the twenty first century. Specifically, he proposed setting up a League of Historical Cities to explore and share the "accumulated centuries of wisdom that could guarantee our children's future."
The governor of Kyoto Prefecture, Teiichi Aramaki, praised the achievements of the previous conferences and jointed Mayor Tanabe in the call to set up a League of Historical Cities. He emphasized the need for historical cities not only to preserve their pasts but also to look toward the future. He cited Kyoto as an example of an area that is keen to preserve its historical identity whilst planning for the future with the development in the south of the prefecture of the Kansai Science City.
President of the Kyoto City Assembly, Yoichiro Inoue, brought greetings to the delegates from the 4.6 million citizens of Kyoto. Following the welcoming speeches, the audience were introduced to the delegate's cities, including Boston, Chiang Mai, Dublin, Edinburgh, Isfahan, Jerusalem, Kaesong, Katmandu, Melbourne, Montreal, Nanjing and Ulan Bator. Kyoto sister cities Paris, Cologne, Boston, Florence, Guadalajara, and Kiev were also profiled. Finally members of the audience were treated to a performance of Noh by the Iwao Kongo and the Kongo School of Noh.
Speaking of the Special Symposium
Norman Irons, Lord Provost of Edinburgh
Speaking at a special symposium at Kyoto Kaikan on April 26, 1994, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Norman Irons, outlined some of the problems facing his city in the 1990s and how it seeks to resolve them. Like many relatively prosperous European cities, explained Irons, Edinburgh suffers from urban sprawl, whereby groups of poorer citizens find themselves trapped in areas on the periphery of the city, distanced both literally and socially from the heart of the community. Edinburgh seeks to foster town planning with and for the community, to create sustainable communities through economic independence, and ensure that peripheral communities are integrated not isolated. The Lord Provost encouraged participants in the Conference to emulate the Green Movement in "thinking globally, acting locally."
Leonid Kosakivskiy, Mayor of Kiev
Leonid Kosakivskiy, Mayor of Kiev, took the opportunity following the Lord Provost's speech, to congratulate Kyoto on its 1,200th anniversary, and bring greetings from the citizens of Kiev to the people of Kyoto. Mayor Kosakivskiy pointed out that much as Kyoto was the cradle of Heian culture, Kiev may be said to be birthplace of Slavic culture. The capital city of the newly independent Ukraine is today trying to balance industrial and scientific development with preservation of its vast areas of green park land. The Mayor thanked Kyoto for its offer of assistance following the Chernobyl disaster, and expressed the sincere hope that the world will someday see the complete abolition of nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
Josef Lassota, Mayor of Cracow
Josef Lassota, Mayor of Cracow, thanked Kyoto officials for the opportunity to participate in the Conference of Historic Cities, at which the Polish city is represented for the first time. Citing the wealth of historical sites in the University city and one-time Polish capital, the Mayor said that the city is itself a monument. Like Kyoto, Cracow escaped damage during the second world war, said Lassota, but in the post-war years the city suffered from the adverse effects of industrialization. "We made mistakes," he candidly admitted. The siting of Poland's largest steel works in the city was an environmental liability. However, Cracow still retains the atmosphere of a Medieval city, with some 1,000 historical sites already restored, said the Mayor.
Wisdom of Inhabitants Keep Cities Alive
The first session of the Fourth World Conference of Historical Cities opened April 26, 1994, at the Kyoto International Conference Hall, as delegates addressed the topic of "Citizens' Wisdom of Life in Historical Cities," The meeting, presided over by Cui Lin Tao, Mayor of Kyoto's Chinese sister city, Xian, and Kyoto University Professor Emeritus, Dr. Koji Nishikawa, heard speeches from representatives of sixteen historical cities. Delegates from Amsterdam, Bratisslava, Bordeaux, Boston, Budapest, Chiang Mai, Cracow, Cuzco, Kyoto, Kyongju, Lisbon, Melbourne, Montreal, Nanjing, Tashkent and Yogyakarta took the opportunity to introduce their respective cities, and express their views on the special needs and roles of the world's historical cities.
Robert Apell, Amsterdam
The Amsterdam representative, Robert Apell, began the meeting with a description of how his city developed as sea transport gave way to the advent of railway communication and subsequently the automobile. He warned against historical cities becoming complacent, lamenting that his city's budget for urban preservation in 1993 was only a third of that in 1980. He also stressed the need to involve the private sector in preservation projects.
Peter Kresanek, Bratislava
The Mayor of Bratislava, Peter Kresanek, explained that his city's inhabitants felt little in the way of historical responsibility, as no single ethnic group has managed to continuously inhabit the city. He too regretted the lack of funds to preserve Slovakia's cultural venter.
Daniel Estrada Perez, Cuzco
Daniel Estrada Perez, Mayor of Cuzco, proposed the setting up of an economic "safeguard and protection fund" to assist countries, particularly in the third world, in preserving their heritages.
Josep A. Accbillo, Barcelona
Josep A. Accbillo, delegate for Barcelona, argued that whilst it is essential for cities to preserve their historical landmarks, radical urban preservation should not be allowed to hinder future city development. The conflict between the need to modernize and the desire to preserve tradition was a theme touched upon by most of the delegates.
Morihiko Komoda, Kyoto
Kyoto representative, Morihiko Komoda, stressed that historical cities must seek to allow their citizens to lead lives that they perceive as rich and rewarding. Unprecedented economic growth, he argued, it worthless if people's daily lives are not enriched.
The first session closed with a speech by Kyoto University Professor Emeritus Dr. Koji Nishikawa, who saw the common thread of the meeting as the need to preserve cities' heritage in the face of modernization. Dr. Nishikawa observed that cities, like people, are organic entities that are born, live and sometimes die. He emphasized the need to keep replenishing, resuscitating, reviving the spirit of historical cities. The wisdom of the inhabitants keeps our cities alive, he argued. As long as we live in a period of extended peace, he added, we must take the opportunity, to pass on the accumulated knowledge of the world's historical cities to future generations.
Cities Need to Renew Themselves Every 100 Years
The second session of the Fourth World Conference of Historical Cities began addressing the theme of "Facing Our Common Problems." Delegating from Alexandria, Cologne, Dublin, Edinburgh, Fez, Hanoi, Isfahan, Jerusalem, Kiev, Kyoto, Rome and Quebec highlighted some of the problems facing their cities, and suggested ways in which members might benefit from each others' experience.
Norbert Burger, Cologne
Mayor of Cologne, Norbert Burger, noted that all historical are subject to periods of prosperity and periods of decline. He quoted British historian Albert Toynbee, who proposed that cities will survive and prosper only as they meet the challenges of the current age. He encouraged the participants to preserve their cities not as museum pieces, but as living entities. He maintained that cities need to renew themselves every hundred years, a point not lost on the Kyoto participants whose city has been destroyed by fire at more frequent intervals.
Tomas MacGiolla, Dublin
Tomas MacGiolla, Lord Mayor of Dublin, gave thanks for the fact that his city has escaped the ravages of war to which cities like Cologne and Osaka have been tragically exposed. However, he did recall that his city had suffered terribly during the great famine, and during the subsequent years of depopulation as his countrymen fled to America. He described Kyoto's decision after the war to replace its traditional wooden housing with more modern concrete buildings as undoubtedly " a traumatic one," but praised the host city's decision to put the safety of its citizens foremost. About all, he urged, historical cities must plan for peace.
Norman Irons, Edinburgh
Echoing the Dublin Mayor's sentiments, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Norman Irons, praised the peaceful climate in which his city has been able to become "one of the world's most beautiful cities." He explained how his city has managed to resolve conflicts between tourism, residents, business and traffic regulation by the implementation of an "action plan" reviewed yearly by his city government. He also praised the city High Building Policy dating from 1967 that protect's Edinburgh's historic skyline.
Ahmed Moufdi, Fez
Mayor Ahmed Moufdi of the Moroccan city of Fez, described his city as !a light house and a source of intellectual radiance," and welcomed the conference as a "true qualitative leap" in the efforts of the world's historical cities to fight decay and disappearance.
Shunichi Uchida, Kyoto
Kyoto delegate, Shunichi Uchida, also had decay and disappearance firmly in mind as he proposed measures to regenerate central Kyoto. One of the effects of the so-called Bubble Economy, he explained, was to see the disappearance of traditional Kyoto dwellings, or "Machiya." He also pointed out that the population of the city has declined since the first conference of Historical Cities in 1987 from 1.47 million to 1.45 in 1994. In addition, industries have made an exodus from the city, he explained, scared away by tough building restrictions and prohibitive costs. Uchida expressed fears that Kyoto is experiencing a life-crisis, losing its variety, and nearing the end of its longevity as a wooden city. He emphasized that Kyoto, however, is no stranger to change and renewal, having been destroyed by fire in 1708, 1788 and 1864. He proposed that Kyoto must revitalize itself by introducing modern, low-cost high-quality housing by encouraging manufacturing industry to return to the city; and by stimulating the universities whose employees and students constitute 10 percent of the city's population. One of the great advantages of life in Kyoto. Uchida pointed out, is the human size of the city. Apparently, a man who spends his whole life in Kyoto can expect to spend 600,000 hours less in traveling than his Tokyo counterpart.
Jean Paul L'allier, Quebec
Jean Paul L'allier, Mayor of Quebec and Chairman of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, told of the Canadian city's experiences in rebuilding the downtown historical center, which he explained was, by the Seventies, "in pretty poor shape." Residents had left for suburbs, as had the University. Ugly signs and billboards, and utility poles disfigured the landscape. However, assisted by national government, Quebec city embarked upon a project to beautify and restore the area, which was so successful that in 1985, UNESCO included the area on their World Heritage List. Mayor L'allier pointed out that would never have been possible without the 75 billion dollars it received from national governments.
The second session saw speeches from delegates of Accra, Prague, Lahore, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Tunis, Ulan Bator, Varanasi, Vienna, Xian and Zagreb.
Resolve Relations Between Old and New
The third session of the World Conference was presided over by Norbert Burger, Mayor of Cologne and featured slide presentations by the presenting cities, Guadalajara, Katmandu and Kiev.
Albert Mola Lopez, Guadalajara
Albert Mola Lopez, Mayor of Guadalajara, stressed the benefits of sister-city relationships in a slide presentation of the results of cooperation between his city and Kyoto. Through the efforts of both cities, an exact replica of a Kyoto garden has been constructed in Guadalajara. Mola pointed out that the difference between this effort and that, this was truly a joint venture in which Japanese and Mexicans worked together overcoming cultural and language barriers to achieve "A Dream Come True." Mola expressed his "Dreaming of continuing to make new ideas a reality, especially those that will last forever."
P. L. Singh, Katmandu
As the representative of Katmandu, Mayor P. L. Singh's presentation stressed the importance of cultural and religious presentation. His slides portrayed a long Buddhist heritage which continues to incorporate itself, in daily ritual. "peace and well-being can be hand by sharing and honoring each others cultural and religious heritage in the preservation of our historical cities," said Singh.
Leonid G. Kosakivskiy, Kiev
As Mayor of Kiev, capital of the Ukraine, Leonid G. Kosakivskiy stressed protection of the historical sites of this 1,599 year old city as being of primary importance. With cooperation between cultural, architectural and historical protection experts preservation regulations have been firmly established, including zones of limited construction. This is especially important in the wake of modern development. Kosakivskiy stressed the need "To preserve and protect the past shape of a city and resolve the relation between old and new."
As commentator, Toshio Yokoyama, Associate Professor of Kyoto University, proposed a stress of "Inter municipality" as an extension of internationalization. Moved by the many reports of dedication to the preservation of historical of cities, he views "their importance in the basic ethic and wisdom needed for peace and survival." Personally Yokoyama feels he belongs to a "global identity marked by a valuable heritage collected by mankind." Mayor Tanabe closed the session in the hopes that "we will not rest on our laurels of tradition - but use our varied cultures for mutual development." That is the mission of the establishment of the League of Historical Cities.
League of Historical Cities Inaugurated
The final day of the Fourth World Conference of Historical Cities got under way with a meeting of the Council's general Assembly led by Mayor Tanabe of Kyoto. Two items dominated the agenda, the site of the Fifth World Conference and the inauguration of The League of Historical Cities.
Xian, China was decided upon host the Fifth World Conference in 1996 and Cracow, Poland, the Sixth World Conference in 1998. The Mayor of Xian, Cui Lin Tao, expressed his appreciation of this decision and pointed out that as an ancient capital with a 3,100 year history and 12 dynasties Xian is most definitely a long established Historical Cities. As a prominent point on Silk Road route and as Director for the 100 city League of Historical Cities of China, Xian has long hosted international exchange. In a recent visit to Xian ex-Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa pledged assistance in the restoration the Tang Dynasty Palace. During the last 10 years, Xian has been increasingly opening to the world and foresees further developments by 1996.
Mayor of Cracow, Jozef Lassota reiterated the need for cultural preservation and cited Cracow as a pioneer of conservationist as a survivor of destruction of World War II, the people of Cracow can especially appreciate the value of the preservation of Historical Cities.
The establishment of a League of Historical Cities received unanimous support.
Mayor Tanabe proposed that the League of Historical Cities be a forum for day-to-day expansion of common links an reinforcements of cooperation not limited by boundaries. The League is his personal proposal for world peace and the overcoming of regional disputes.
The closing discussion was marked the establishment of the League of Historical Cities with a base of 25 member countries and headquarters in Kyoto.s
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