The French approach towards the safeguarding of historic urban landscapes

French experience in the field of architectural and urban heritage preservation is a recognized reference in Europe and in the world. In the course of time, France has actually produced a legislative apparatus of the most comprehensive and articulated, supporting the evolution of heritage concept, from the monument to the architectural ensemble, from the historic centers to the urban landscape including its tangible and intangible components. More recently, traditional urban planning tools also consider heritage issues, trying to bring them into line with the main factors of urban development. In line with the recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, adopted on November 10, 2011 by UNESCO’s General Conference, the idea of “heritage safeguarding” strictly combined with that of “quality of life” is now increasingly at the core of French cultural concerns. The objective is to build a perennial great project through the implementation of stable, innovative and dynamic policies, able to integrate urban heritage values and their vulnerability status into a wider framework of city development. Based on the analysis of the most important tools, this work intends to show the efforts carried out by France to ensure the safeguarding of historic urban landscapes.