Urban heritage is a powerful driver of development and the promotion of identities, both locally and internationally (Dormaels, 2012; Heinich, 2009; Veschambre, 2008; Di Méo, 1996). It is also a driver of the tourism economy (Gravari-Barbas & Guinand, 2017; Ferréol, 2010; Berthold, 2012) and of numerous aspects of metropolitan spatial planning (Bandarin & Van Oers, 2012; Djament-Trang & San Marco, 2014). However, the preservation of urban heritage within the urban landscape remains precarious and requires the involvement of various stakeholders, both public and private (Bandarin & Van Oers, 2012). On the one hand, preserving built heritage can address sustainable development challenges and regenerate existing areas (Appendino, 2024; Labadi & Logan, 2016; Versaci, 2016; Albert, 2015; Auclair & Fairclough, 2015; Queneville, 2012; Rodwell, 2007). On the other hand, the value of preserving, maintaining, improving, and managing this historic heritage must be considered in light of social, technical, legal, and financial constraints (Häringer & Tornare, 2022; Skrede & Berg, 2019; Guinand, 2015; Appert, 2008; Jacquot, 2007; Gravari-Barbas, 2005; Garat et al., 2005). Furthermore, the regeneration of historic built heritage raises questions about the balance of power between private and public interests and the forms of cooperation between stakeholders (Brown & Malbrel, 2024; Gigot, 2020; Rojas, 2020; Lai & Lorne, 2019 ; Berg, 2017; Rosato et al., 2010).

The workshop entitled “Rehabilitation of heritage in old city centers: metropolitan players in times of climate crisis “' was organized in May 2025 at ESPI Bordeaux, on the initiative of a Franco-Québecois consortium of researchers formed as part of the HerEntrep project, 'Heritage Entrepreneurs', in which the rationales behind the regeneration of historic city centres in Bordeaux and Québec are examined. ESPI is a partner in this program, which is funded by the French National Research Agency (2024–2027).

This workshop, organized by the ESPI2R research unit, brought together international practitioners and researchers. It sparked discussions on the following questions: What legal, technical, and financial tools are available to public authorities to support or encourage the restoration of UNESCO-listed heritage? Who are the stakeholders involved in the restoration of built heritage, and what motivates them? Does the climate emergency accelerate restoration, or does it pose a threat to the preservation of historic built heritage? The event brought together interdisciplinary contributions from urban planners, architects, geographers, and sociologists in particular, who came from Paris, Québec, Marseille, Edinburgh, Turin, and Bordeaux. A round-table discussion was also part of the event, with practitioners in the field taking part (local authorities, developers and architects). The subject of the study was discussed and experienced firsthand during an urban walking tour organized by Bordeaux Métropole and the City of Bordeaux.

The opening lecture, delivered by Maria Gravari-Barbas, examines the three paradigms of the heritage city—the city of stone, the city of its inhabitants, and the frugal city—which overlap and sometimes clash. The “city of stone“ harnesses built heritage as a vehicle for urban development, but produces paradoxical effects—gentrification, museumification, and façade-ism—which reduce it to an aesthetic façade disconnected from its social functions, as illustrated by Le Marais in Paris and Covent Garden in London. The “city of its inhabitants“ considers intangible heritage, such as social networks, local shops, and neighborhood atmospheres. The protection of these features is challenged by neoliberal logic and the inadequacy of available regulatory tools. Finally, the “frugal city “ is emerging in response to the climate crisis: demolition is no longer a neutral option, but rather an act with significant environmental and social implications. Rather than succeeding one another in a linear fashion, these three paradigms overlap and come into tension with one another, revealing the deeply political issues involved in shaping heritage cities within a neoliberal context.

A socio-historical analysis of the transformation of Old Quebec into a historic district since the 1950s is offered in the paper by Kim Pawliw, Étienne Berthold, and Maryse Boivin. Originally a mixed-use neighborhood with a population of around 11,000, the area has gradually been redeveloped due to the combined effects of conservation policies, tourism, and property development. The restoration of Place Royale in the 1970s, followed by grant schemes for private restoration in the 1980s, marked milestones in the process of heritage designation that profoundly altered the neighborhood’s residential and commercial functions. Designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 accelerated growth in tourism, increasing visitor numbers from 700,000 in 1957 to 2.8 million in 2004, but this came at the expense of local shops. Researchers demonstrate how public regeneration policies—initially focused on public spaces, then extended to private property—generated a dynamic of residential displacement, the shift toward the service sector, and rising property values, leading to the emergence of a heritage premium in the property market.

In the face of escalating climate risks, urban heritage is at a pivotal point due to growing environmental, social, and cultural vulnerabilities. In their paper, researchers Mesut Dinler and Francesca Giliberto examine the role of heritage governance in building urban resilience to flooding, drawing on the European AGREE (Advancing Cultural Heritage Governance for Resilient Climate Adaptation) project. Assuming that disasters are not solely natural phenomena, but rather the consequence of long-term governance and territorial changes, the project adopts UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape approach to reposition heritage as an active resource for climate adaptation. Through two comparative case studies of Moncalieri (Italy) and Hull (United Kingdom), and a methodology combining institutional analysis, geographic information systems (GIS) tools, and stakeholder engagement, the findings reveal persistent fragmentation between heritage policies, urban planning, and adaptation strategies. This investigation highlights the importance of using inclusive and collaborative management strategies that can tap into traditional knowledge and communal recollections to more effectively tackle environmental issues in historic urban areas.

With a particular emphasis on the Marseille case, in the aftermath of the 2018 collapse of buildings in the Noailles district, Margot Berger examines the “demonstration blocks“ model as part of the ANR Sustherit project, which represents a pioneering approach to catalyzing more extensive regeneration of the housing stock. The project's governance structure is unique and complex, uniting the Metropolitan Authority, the City, and the State within a local public development body of national interest. The “land recycling“ model aims to transform dilapidated private buildings into social housing while improving the bioclimatic qualities of Marseille’s traditional architecture. However, the scheme is proving ineffective in the face of growing speculative pressure, a lack of available public tools to protect vulnerable residents, and phenomena such as gentrification and touristification. Beyond the pilot schemes, the actual scope of the anticipated leverage effect on the private housing stock is questioned by the paper, against a backdrop of rising rents and insufficient regulatory tools to guarantee sustainable access to housing for current residents.

To address these issues from an operational perspective, an elected representative responsible for urban planning, a property developer specializing in regeneration, and an architect with expertise in building height increases were brought together in the round-table discussion so that their practical experiences in Bordeaux and elsewhere could be compared. They all agree on one point: given the scarcity of land, the climate emergency, and the target of zero net land take, the regeneration of existing buildings is the inevitable future of urban development. However, numerous obstacles remain: high and unpredictable costs, regulations ill-suited to older buildings, a complex tax system, small-scale projects, and funding difficulties that impede the scaling up of projects. The discussions highlighted the following concrete avenues for action: the “Bâtiment Frugal Bordelais“ label as an incentive framework, adding storeys as a means of gentle densification, digitally identifying potential for vertical development, and establishing new forms of public-private cooperation based on trust and transparent financial reporting. Stakeholders are calling for a fundamental shift in the economic model that focuses on positive externalities, use value, and the long term rather than short-term profit.

To conclude the workshop, Anne-Laure Moniot and Marion Belleville (Bordeaux Métropole and the City of Bordeaux) led an urban walking tour that highlighted the inclusion of Bordeaux’s historic center on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. This area is considered a living laboratory for exploring climate adaptation in a protected urban environment. The walk illustrated how the city combines heritage preservation with environmental resilience through several recent initiatives. The removal of hard surfaces from Place Stalingrad (4,200 m²) and the redevelopment of Place des Capucins demonstrate a greening strategy aimed at creating pockets of coolness along a north-south green corridor. At the neighborhood level, the Dorignac community garden shows how inner courtyards can be reclaimed through the targeted demolition of substandard buildings. Rue Kléber, a “garden street“’ resulting from the [Re]centres project, shows how public spaces can become common goods embraced by residents. Finally, the “Bâtiment Frugal Bordelais“ label embodies a philosophy of sustainable regeneration (bio-based materials, natural ventilation, and rainwater harvesting) applied to historic buildings in accordance with heritage requirements, and the first projects under this label are due to be completed in 2025.