Every September 8, we come together to celebrate the founding of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). This day is an opportunity to highlight the richness of our network and the commitment of our member cities to bringing their historic centers to life.

In 2026, this celebration takes on special significance. With just a few weeks to go before the 18th World Congress in Marrakech, where the OWHC’s New Urban Process will be adopted, we wish to dedicate this day to habitability and dialogue with citizens.

“Engaging with citizens to keep our historic centers alive”

Our historic centers are not merely places to be preserved: they are living environments to be inhabited, passed on, and collectively reinvented. Throughout the network, cities are already implementing projects and initiatives to improve quality of life, strengthen residential functions, transform mobility, adapt public spaces, and harness heritage as a resource for the future.

This OWHC Day is therefore an opportunity to raise awareness of these actions, but also to listen to citizens and involve them in the transformation of their historic centers.

As we approach the Marrakech conference, let’s celebrate together this collective momentum and the ambition that unites us: building historic centers that are more favorable to habitability, more vibrant, and more sustainable.

Happy OWHC Day to everyone!

If your city has organized activities to mark this day, please send your posters, programs, photos, videos, or publications to Jules Morel, Communication and Visibility Project Officer, at [email protected].