{
  "id": 5004847,
  "title": "Cartagena, Among the 10 Most Sustainable Heritage Cities in Europe and Latin America",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/cartagena-among-the-10-most-sustainable-heritage-cities-in-europe-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T03:38:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/01/cartagena-among-the-10-most-sustainable-heritage-cities-in-europe-and-latin-america/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cartagena de Indias, a city renowned for its rich history, architecture, and culture, has recently been recognized as one of the top ten most sustainable heritage cities in both Europe and Latin America. This distinction was made possible through a unique balance between preserving its historic legacy and fostering economic development, social well-being, and environmental sustainability.\n\nMartin Sebastian Rondon Raigoza, a statistician with a master's degree in Economic Sciences from the National University of Colombia (UNAL), devised an efficiency model to measure the sustainability of these cities. The model evaluated 105 heritage cities in Latin America and Europe, ranking Cartagena in seventh place, just behind Cuenca (Spain), Camaguey (Cuba), Morelia (Mexico), Bern (Switzerland), Krakow (Poland), and Lyon (France).\n\nAlthough Cartagena does not solely rely on tourism, it maintains a vibrant cultural scene and diversifies its economy around heritage. This approach ensures that the city remains a living space that actively involves its residents, rather than just a destination for visitors. The capital of the Bolivar department has an overall score of 0.96 out of 1, one of the highest in the study.\n\nRondon Raigoza identified that many heritage cities focus on preserving buildings or attracting tourists, but few successfully balance this with the quality of life for inhabitants, economic activity, social inclusion, and environmental protection. He assessed four dimensions: cultural, economic, social, and environmental.\n\nWhile Latin American cities excel in the cultural dimension with an average score of 0.658, European cities lead in the social (0.816) and economic (0.927) dimensions, reflecting higher levels of employment, income, security, and access to services. However, Rondon Raigoza emphasizes that heritage cities should not merely preserve their historic buildings but also generate economic opportunities, offer decent living conditions, protect the environment, and keep their heritage alive through community use and appropriation.\n\nOne of the main challenges facing Latin American cities, as highlighted by the study, is the persistence of higher labor informality, less productive diversification, and limited employment opportunities compared to their European counterparts.",
  "summary": "Cartagena de Indias is not just a heritage city, that is, a city that stands out for its great historical, architectural and cultural value for society. It is also a World Heritage city, an official and global title that UNESCO grants only to places with exceptional value that belong to all of humanity. But now, […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Cartagena, Colombia, named one of 10 most sustainable heritage cities globally.",
    "Martin Sebastian Rondon Raigoza developed efficiency model to assess heritage cities.",
    "Cartagena scores 0.96/1 for sustainability, excelling in cultural dimension."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}