Within the context of the HUL application in Cuenca (Ecuador), took place a Visionary Conference lead by the Municipality of Cuenca, the University of Cuenca and WHITRAP (Shanghai). Local Stakeholders and community participants joined this event in order to debate together about how to integrate heritage conservation and development for the present and the future of Cuenca. The international experts Susan Fayad, Coordinator Heritage Strategy for the City of Ballarat (Australia), Muhammad Juma, Head of Conservation and Planning Division of the Stone Town of Zanzibar (Tanzania), Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage (Scotland), and Julia Rey Pérez, Coordinator of HUL Application Project in Cuenca, presented other cases of public participation and engagement within the HUL implementation process. This event was preceded by a series of meetings for consultation with different community groups and a photography concourse to enhance participation of local residents from different perspectives.

On May 7, 2015 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between these three institutions in order to apply the HUL approach, involving three main activities: join research, the organization of a Visioning Conference on Cuenca’s HUL for community consultation and publication of results. These will facilitate the decision-making process concerning conservation and development and enhance management effectiveness to be undertaken in this city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site.