Liverpool – After World Heritage

Thursday 23 June 2022, online

Lessons from the Loss of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site

A World Heritage UK International Online Conference, in association with The Heseltine Institute, University of Liverpool

In 2021 UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, acting on a report from its World Heritage Centre in Paris, decided to remove Liverpool from its list of World Heritage Sites. This was only the third time in history that a Site had been removed from the list. It is an incredibly sad loss, not just for Liverpool, but for the UK as whole as part of our national heritage, and was the subject of much immediate national and international press attention.

This online conference will be of immense value to cities and places around the world, whether they already have a World Heritage Site or are considering an application. It will bring out and explore the very real tensions between conservation and regeneration; the responsibilities and consequences of inscription; and the importance of effective communication between UNESCO, municipalities, state parties and other bodies.

This online conference will seek to:

• explain how and why the decision was taken

• explore the inescapable tensions between conservation and development in managing an urban landscape, especially in cities acutely needing regeneration

• consider what lessons might be learned for other cities and places, including those which already have a World Heritage inscription as well as those actively seeking one

• appreciate Liverpool’s immensely important role in world history and its continuing architectural and townscape inheritance

• look forward positively to assess how Liverpool’s astonishing inheritance might best be managed, understood and enhanced in the future

 The all day online event will feature an array of speakers from:

• Liverpool, including the City Council and the private and voluntary sector

• National and international heritage bodies, including DCMS, Historic England, ICOMOS-UK and UNESCO

• Other international cities, such as Bordeaux and Dresden – which are or were World Heritage Sites

The programme can be seen here.

Tickets are:

• Early Bird (available now until 30 Apr) £30
• General Admission (available 01 May to 22 Jun) £45

To book your ticket, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you online then.