Land use, environmental and urban planning
When it comes to safeguarding the historic heritage, spatial planning and urbanism are aimed at rehabilitating and revitalizing urban areas, within the context of protecting the listed heritage and enhancing natural and landscape values.
It is up to the DGPC to monitor and develop territorial management instruments particularly focusing on safeguarding and enhancing the listed cultural heritage. This is done by convening technical committees and other meetings and by issuing technical advices.
Policy making and the exercise of rights for safeguarding and enhancing the cultural heritage involve entities from the central, regional and local administration. Implementation is ensured by the corresponding territorial planning management instruments.
Whereas on a national scale we have the National Programme for Spatial Planning Policy, Sectorial Plans and Special Spatial Plans, at a regional scale we have the Regional Spatial Plans and at municipal level we have the Inter-municipal and Municipal Spatial Plans, Urban Plans, Detail Plans and Detail Plans for Urban Rehabilitation.
Regional Plans for Spatial Planning set out the strategies and policies for safeguarding and enhancing cultural tourism at a regional level. They also influence the preparation of Municipal Spatial Plans, including Municipal Master Plans, Urban Development Plans and Detail Plans.
Municipal Master Plans set down the model for spatial structure of municipal territories, including national and regional options. They lay down the systems for protection of values and natural resources of the architectural and archaeological heritage.
Regarding Detail Plans, attention should be drawn to the Detail Plan for Urban Rehabilitation and the Detail Safeguard Plan.
The Detail Safeguard Plan focuses directly on the preservation and enhancing of listed property and their buffer zones in case of a high concentration of heritage values in urban settlements combined with property development.
Whenever the Detail Plan for Urban Rehabilitation includes or coincides with immovable assets that have been listed or are awaiting listing and their buffer zones, it will pursue the protection objectives of the detail safeguard plan, thereby replacing it.