Spatial Planning as a Tool for Heritage Protection: Costa Rica Master Plans

Abstract

ABSTRACT Urban and regional planning in Costa Rica has been implemented through master plans, which are the main tool used by local governments for land management; however, these plans need to follow some national rules, and particularly tangible cultural heritage regulations. These plans give opportunities for conservation; nevertheless, they require to be adjusted to current regulation on historical monuments. The Sustainable Urban Development Research Program (ProDUS) of the University of Costa Rica has been working for many years in approaching this topic since the territorial diagnosis, where it is necessary to make an inventory of the monuments officially registered and those with potential to be registered in the future. The most significant contribution of ProDUS‘s work is the establishment of historical and architectural conservation areas into territorial legislation, which seek to protect the existing and potential assets, by implementing incentives to owners, as well as regulations relating to outdoor advertising, heights, etc. The proposal is the articulation of heritage with bikeways, pedestrianization and tourist attractions. These historical buildings could improve and provide identity to human settlements and its inhabitants. In brief, this paper aims to show an overview of the elements needed for making a diagnosis of the situation in a particular heritage place, the strategies used to incorporate it inside the land use regulations and its relationship to other elements of the master plan.