Investing in the city’s cultural assets. The Local Economic Development Plan for Port Louis/Mauritius

The main target area to which is directed the Local Economic Development Plan is the city center of Port Louis.
This area, which extends beyond the currently defined buffer zones of the UNESCO World Heritage property, has been selected in accordance with the application of the principles of UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape recommendation.

Applying this recommendation to the context of the city of Port Louis means to propose an integrated vision of the historic urban landscape of the city that necessarily goes beyond the Aapravasi Ghat UNESCO World Heritage Property and its Buffer
Zones as the whole area comprises surroundings that are rich of development potential and heritage significance. They include the waterfront area with the modern Caudan Waterfront, the Company Garden, the historical and vibrant Central Market, China Town, the Citadel, and possibly the highest concentration of sites and buildings with historical
and architectural value.

The objective of the LED Plan is to foster economic development in line with the concerns of the local community regarding heritage properties of the city of Port Louis, and to offer opportunities for the consolidation and the development of economic activities in the city area. The goal is also to consolidate and improve the existing framework by directing development towards the preservation, enhancement and adaptive reuse of heritage while diminishing the threat of its demolition and degradation.