International Conference: Landscape of Everyday Life

Yves Luginbühl
Agronomist and geographer, research director emeritus of the French National Centre for Scientific Research

Where do most people live? In general, they do not live in those landscapes that appear on lists of the most beautiful places in the world, as in the case of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most people live in landscapes that have been transformed by social activities, industry, housing, services and modern, intensive farming.

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International Conference: Landscape of Everyday Life, Organized by the French Government in Collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia

On 16 to 18 March 2011, the international conference Landscape of Everyday Life will be held in Perpignan and Girona. It will provide an opportunity to exchange different approaches towards research and action. The conference is organized by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing and the French Institute of Research on Environmental Sciences and Technologies (CEMAGREF) with the collaboration of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. It is aimed at a wide range of professionals, including experts in the social, human and natural sciences, landscape professionals, and politicians and technical experts from different public administrations. Most are from European countries, but countries from the rest of the world will also be represented. The first day of the event will be on Wednesday, 16 March, at the Perpignan Conference Centre. Field trips will be organized the next day (17 March) for the on-site analysis of specific landscape management and development initiatives on both sides of the French-Spanish border. On Thursday afternoon, theory sessions will be held at the Girona Conference Centre. The third and final day of the event (18 March) will also be held at the Girona venue.

The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia Wins Real Fundación de Toledo Awards

It was recently announced that the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is the winner of an award granted by the Real Fundación de Toledo, whose objective is to recognise outstanding actions in the defence of historic heritage. Each year, the foundation grants four awards for candidates in the Toledo area and two for candidates in the rest of Spain or the rest of the world. The awards ceremony will be held on June at Teatro de Rojas in Toledo with the presence of King Juan Carlos I. The Real Fundación de Toledo is a non-profit organization whose aim is to contribute to the preservation and revitalization of the historic city of Toledo by participating in activities designed to help make it a better place to live, and to protect, study and provide information on its heritage.

City, Territory, Landscape Project is finalist for Council of Europe Landscape Award

The educational project City, Territory, Landscape, promoted by the Catalan Government's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Territory and Sustainability and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, is one of the 14 finalists for the 2011 Landscape Award of the Council of Europe. The project was chosen by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs from among a variety of different initiatives around Spain to participate in the biennial competition, which was set up in order to recognize exemplary initiatives implemented by signatory countries to the European Landscape Convention. The project, which began in 2008, aims to update the knowledge of secondary-school students in relation to urban landscapes and territory, and to raise awareness about the landscape. It is also designed to strengthen the key skills students are meant to acquire at this stage of their education. More than 450,000 secondary-school students in Catalonia between 12 and 16 years of age participated in the project between 2008 and 2009, while the three bodies promoting it organized training programmes for teachers during the same period. The pioneering project is one of the first in Europe to make the concept of landscape and the transformation of territory a part of secondary-school education.

Four States and two Regions test the future European Landscape Convention Information System of the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe has selected France, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, the Wallonia region of Belgium and Catalonia, to develop a pilot test of the application of the new European Landscape Convention Information Service (ELCIS). The ELCIS will allow for monitoring of the application of the European Landscape Convention by all the countries that ratified it. The work to apply the new ELCIS tool will be carried out from March to April 2011. The ELCIS is organized as a powerful database with input from the members of the Council of Europe and contains information on the landscape policies being implemented in the different countries and regions of Europe. Once the system is operating, it will be possible for institutions, organizations, professionals, universities and the general public to access key information and experiences on protection, management and development of landscapes in Europe, while also facilitating exchange and cooperation between countries and regions in the application of the European Landscape Convention.

Presentation of New Project on Dry Stone: Wikipedra

The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia will present the new website Wikipedra on 5 April 2011 at 7 p.m. at the Pedrera in Barcelona (Passeig de Gràcia 92). Wikipedra is a new interactive 2.0 version of a GIS application for uploading, viewing and consulting information on dry-stone constructions in Catalonia. This project is supported by CatalunyaCaixa savings bank with the participation of the Associació Drac Verd, among other organizations that defend the dry-stone heritage in Catalonia. Wikipedra will make it possible to access maps, photos and heritage data sheets on the dry-stone huts in Catalonia. The website will also allow anyone to upload new information on dry-stone huts and other constructions. The objective is to provide up-to-date information on as many dry-stone constructions as possible. Wikipedra is complemented by the dossier Dry Stone Landscapes created by the Landscape Observatory in 2008.

Videos from International Seminar, Fringes: Landscapes of the Periphery

On 11 and 12 November 2010, the international seminar, Fringes: Landscapes of the Periphery, was held in Olot. The event was organized by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia in collaboration with the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC) and the Institute of Culture of the city of Olot, and generated considerable interest among the 130 people who participated. For this reason and, given that it is standard procedure for Observatory activities, the speakers were filmed on video. These recordings can now be consulted on the seminar website. The results of the event are also expected to be published towards the end of 2011 in the collection "Plecs de Paisatge".

The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia in Social Networks

Few weeks ago, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is participating in social networks. Specifically, it has opened a Twitter account in Catalan (@catpaisatge), Spanish (@catpaisatge_es) and English (@catpaisatge_en), and now has its own Facebook page in Catalan, Spanish and English. The aim is to take advantage of the potential of these tools to spread the news about the work done by the Observatory in terms of consulting for the Catalan public administration and raising public awareness about the landscape.

Landscape Observatory Collaborates with Exhibition

The Jaume Morera Art Museum in Lleida and the Santa Mònica Arts Centre in Barcelona are organizing the exhibition "Catalunya Visió, Ton Sirera, Ferran Bosch i Jordi Verrié" in collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The exhibition provides an overview of the Catalunya Visió book collection, which used texts and photos to describe the physical and human landscape of the counties of Catalonia from 1968 to 1978. In addition to texts, the exhibition includes an extensive selection of new photos that were made from the original negatives of the photos that appeared in the publications. The improved quality of the photos helps viewers appreciate the work done by the photographers at the time and makes it easier to use the photos as highly valuable documentary sources to study the landscape of Catalonia. The exhibit is expected to travel around Catalonia. Specifically, it will be at Jaume Morera Art Museum in Lleida from 10 March to 12 June 2011, and then at Santa Mònica Arts Centre in Barcelona. It will be on display at the Garrotxa County Museum in Olot from 25 November 2011 to 22 January 2012.

Catalan Minister Lluís Recoder, President of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC)

On 31 January 2011, Lluís Recoder, the Catalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability, was appointed president of the RECEP-ENELC for the next four years. The European Landscape Convention was signed in Florence in 2000 with the aim of promoting the protection, management and development of European natural and urban landscapes. The signatories to the Convention, which include the Catalan government, undertake to implement measures in this direction and to make landscape planning a part of regional planning, social policies, education and citizen awareness. As the Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Lluís Recoder is also the President of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. He was appointed President of the RECEP-ENELC at the organization's fifth General Assembly. The Vice Presidents appointed at the same time were Alfonso Sanz (Basque Country), Ana Marzon (Tuscany, Italy) and Lars Nordström (Västra-Gotäland Region, Sweden). The Landscape Observatory is also one of the representatives on the RECEP-ENELC Executive Board and Technical Coordination Board and is in charge of defining the priority actions of the Network.

Participation and Agreement Stages Begin for Priorat Landscape Accord

In February 2011, the participation and agreement stages began to draw up the Priorat Landscape Accord in order to agree on the objectives relating to landscape quality for Priorat County. The participatory stage began at Teatre de l'Artesana in Falset on 17 February so that any resident or organization could obtain information on what the Priorat Landscape Accord involves and how to participate. The following week saw the start of the agreement stage, in which a number of organizations and associations were invited to take part in the first round of workshops set up to discuss the objectives regarding landscape quality. The workshops were held in three different locations in different municipalities: the Castell del Vi in Falset on 21 February, the Sala de la Societat in Cabacés on 22 February, and Cornudella de Montsant town hall on 24 February. On 28 February a final workshop was held in Teatre de l'Artesana in Falset to close the first round of workshops. During this workshop the list of objectives regarding landscape quality was drawn up and included the aims established and agreed upon by those involved in the process. Information and documentation on the Priorat Landscape Accord can be found here.

Conclusions of Conference Empordà: Landscape as an Economic Asset

The conclusions of the first edition of the conference Empordà: Landscape as an Economic Asset were presented on 18 December 2010. The conference was held for a month and a half in different towns in the Empordà region with the aim of highlighting and analysing the Empordà landscape as a key asset for tourism. The conference was organized by the Institute for Empordà Studies, the weekly publication Setmanari de l'Alt Empordà and Via Pirena, with the collaboration of the town councils of Llançà, Pau, Palau-saverdera, Vilajuïga and Roses, the County Council of Alt Empordà, the DO Empordà and the wine cellars Espelt and Empordàlia. The event was held at the Terraza Hotel in Roses and the data were presented by Santi Coll, Magda Casamitjana and Joan Armangué. About fifty people connected to the different economic, social, educational and cultural sectors of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Northern Catalonia attended. The conclusions were the result of a beneficial public debate in which people from many different sectors participated. The aim is to keep this debate alive and to this end it was agreed, with the support of all the institutions, organizations and people involved, to hold the second edition of the conference in autumn 2011. The conclusions can be consulted here.

The Council of Majorca Gives Final Approval for Five Landscape Intervention Areas

In a meeting held in January 2011, the Council of Majorca gave final approval for the modification of the Territorial Plan of Majorca. One of the landscape-related features of the plan are the Landscape Intervention Areas (AIPs), defined as the areas in which intervention is considered necessary in order to improve the landscape. Specifically, the AIPs are the areas around Secar de la Real (Palma), Son Reus (Bunyola, Marratxí, Palma), the area linking Palma to Marratxí and the area around Torrent Gros, the area linking Son Cervera to San Llorenç (Cala Millor), and the old thermal power station in Alcúdia and the surrounding area (Alcúdia). The Council of Majorca will implement renovation and restoration projects in these five areas in collaboration with the local councils concerned. The work undertaken in the AIPs will be carried out within the framework of the Majorca Landscape Strategy, which was inspired by the European Landscape Convention to which the Council of Majorca became a signatory in 2008.

Research Project 'Landscape Quality in Moianès' Wins 2010 Young Researcher's Prize

In December 2010, Moianès Secondary School student Laura Fuente was awarded the 2010 Young Researcher's Prize, formerly known as the CIRIT Prize (the Catalan Government's Inter-departmental Ministry for Technological Innovation and Research), for her research project titled "Landscape Quality in Moianès". In her project the student, helped by teacher Juan M. Serra, examined the relationship between landscape and quality of life and applied to the case study of Moianès the methodology used by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia to produce its catalogues of the Catalan landscape. Specifically, Fuente studied the evolution of the landscape of the Moianès area throughout the 20th century and developed landscape-improvement proposals that would impact positively on the quality of life of the area's residents. The aim of the Young Researcher's Prize is to develop and promote scientific vocations. In order to achieve this, students are encouraged from their second year of secondary school onwards to get involved in scientific research by carrying out research projects in which they apply the knowledge gained in class. For more information on the research project, click here.

Camins ramaders i transhumància a Catalunya. Recomanacions i propostes

Collection of recommendations and proposals put forward by the Rural World Foundation to promote recovery of the herding paths of Catalonia, an economic, cultural, historic, architectural and landscape heritage that must be preserved. The text also includes the map ‘Herding paths of Catalonia, main axes', that had not been updated for more than 50 years.

Laboratorio del Paisaje Cultural

This department within the Documentation and Studies Centre in the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage works to raise awareness about rural and urban cultural landscapes with great value and to develop guidelines for their analysis, protection, intervention and use.

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