The Sustainability of Urban Heritage Preservation: The Case of Valparaiso

This paper analyzes the Historic Center of Valparaiso, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. The city's vernacular urban fabric and its layout, infrastructure, and architecture characterize the seaport city, which respond to its unique geographical and topographical environment. In Valparaiso's case, the geographical conditions were so severe that the adaptation of building forms to the environment gave rise to an entirely original result.