Landscapes in flux: the Baltic states

Simon Bell
Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and President of ECLAS, the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the three Baltic States and the only members of the EU which were once constituent parts of the Soviet Union. Over the course of the century since 1914 they became independent from the Russian Empire, were taken over by the Soviet Union, invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany, reoccupied by the Soviet Union and regained independence on the latter's collapse. The landscape which is visible today has many unique features as a result of these different phases.

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'Woods: Uses, Views, Landscapes'. A New Observatory Seminar

The upcoming observatory seminar will be focusing on forest landscapes. The talk will be held on Wednesday 17 September at the Espai Montseny de Viladrau, in Osona, close to the Montseny Natural Park and in one of the areas of Catalonia where the forestry sector is of the greatest importance. "Woods: Uses, Views, Landscapes" will analyse the different values and uses attributed to forestry and agroforestry in Catalonia and puts forward suggestions for new forms of management and intervention. The registration fee is 15€, lunch included.

Presentation of the book, Catàleg de paisatge. Terres de l'Ebre (‘Landscape Catalogue. Terres de l'Ebre')

On June 27th, the book dedicated to Terres de l'Ebre landscape catalogue was presented in Sant Carles de la Ràpita. Santi Vila, the Catalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Josep Poblet, the President of the Tarragona Provincial Council, and Joan Nogué, Director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The catalogue was written by the Landscape Observatory and approved by the Government of Catalonia in July 2010. The catalogue is technical in nature and defines the types of landscapes in Terres de l'Ebre, their value, state of conservation, the quality objectives they have to meet and proposals to achieve them. Those interested can consult the Catàleg de paisatge. Terres de l'Ebre on the Observatory's website

 

The Observatory's Website on Landscape and the Local Perspective is now in English

In September, the Observatory presented a website dedicated to landscape and local perspective in Catalan and Spanish. All contents on this website have now been translated into English in order to extend their readership. This digital product has in fact aroused a great deal of interest throughout Europe, as it is one of the issues currently creating widespread debate. In collaboration with Civilscape, a version in German is even in progress.

The Provincial Government of Girona and Territory and Sustainability are working together on the Publication of the Landscape Catalogue for the Counties of Girona

In May, the Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Santi Vila, as President of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the President of the Provincial Government of Girona, Joan Giraut, signed a participatory agreements on the publication of the Landscape Catalogue of the Counties of Girona. The provincial government's contribution will allow the publication of 800 editions of the catalogue, which has been created by the Observatory and which was approved in 2010. This is the fourth catalogue published after those covering ‘Les Terres de Lleida' ‘El Camp de Tarragona' and ‘Les Terres de l'Ebre'.

The Landscape Observatory and the Lluís Coromina Foundation strengthen their Cooperation

In March, the Landscape Observatoryand the Lluís Coromina Foundation signed an agreement to strengthen the work they already carry out together. The text was signed by Joan Nogué, the Director of the Observatory and Lluís Coromina, the President of the Foundation, in the presence of Santi Vila, the Minister for Territory and Sustainability, having previously inaugurated the Landscape Documentation Centre at the Hospici of Olot. The agreement with the foundation, which carries out activities in the areas of the arts, personal care and the preservation of nature, animals and the landscape, plans to create a joint website on art and the landscape.

The First Activities of the Landscape Documentation Centre in Olot

The Landscape Documentation Centre in Olot, was opened last March in the presence of Santi Vila, the Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability. On 29 May the centre held its first public activity with the presentation of the book "13 itineraris i 31 propostes per conèixer i viure el territori" (13 Routes for Getting to Know the Area) - while, new activities have been planned with respect to autumn. On 1 October, Xevi Bayona will be showing his own experience of art in the landscape, as part of the Changing Tracks Project ,while on 12 de November a book presentation and the opening of an exhibition on ‘The Landscape and Legend of Count Arnau".

Joan Nogué tackles 'Rediscovering Locations' at Conferences in Granada

Joan Nogué, the Director of the Observatory, dealt with the theme of rediscovering locations at the ‘Cultural Heritage and Landscape' conferences, which were held this June in Granada. The event, which was coordinated by the Hispania Nostra organisation, took place as part of the 23rd Reunion of Associations for the Defence of Cultural Heritage, with the participation of organisations from throughout Spain. "There is a renewed interest in places related to daily life and people want a major role in this process. Local identities are being reclaimed and demands are being made for places to be better maintained" explained the Observatory's director in Granada.

The Observatory reveals Policies on Catalan Landscapes at the Baltic Landscape Forum

The Observatory took part in the Baltic Landscape Forum, which was held on 24 and 25 April in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The event, which was organised for the second year – the first being held in 2013 in Vilnius (Lithuania) – formed part of the regional forums held throughout the continent under Civilscape, an international association that brings together organisations from civil society devoted to the protection, management and planning of the landscape in Europe. One of the reasons for holding the Baltic Landscape Forum in Estonia was that it is one of the few states on the continent that is yet to ratify the European Landscape Convention. The involvement of the Estonian Government was however significant, with the attendance of the Minister for the Environment at the opening ceremony.

CATPAISATGE 2020: An Observatory Presentation at a Seminar in the Czech Republic

In early June, the Observatory presented the new CATPAISATGE 2020 roadmap at an international seminar in the Czech Republic. ‘People and Landscape III. European Landscape Convention in Practice' was held in Lednice, a city in the region of South Moravia, close to the Austrian border. Both countries share the ‘Cultural Landscape of Lednice and Valtice' area, which is recognised the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The experience of the Observatorywas included in the section "Best Practices for Landscape Management and Planning" in a seminar co-organised by Civilscape and Uniscape, in addition to two Czech universities.

The Landscape Observatoryis taking part in the Organisation of a Conference on Landscape and Sustainability in Buenos Aires

The Landscape Observatoryof Catalonia, participated in the organisation of the twentieth Paisajeurbe Conference, which was held on 29 April at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires. This participation forms part of the agreement made between the Catalan organisation and the Buenos Aires node of the Argentina Landscape Network. This twentieth Paisajeurbe-Observatoryon the Landscape was entitled "Landscape, Territory and Sustainability" and considered ‘the landscape as a social construction and part of the model of sustainable development". Changes were proposed in the relationship between territory, state, the public and new models of interaction between society and nature.

 

The Olive Trees of Senia: A European Award

The historical landscape of ancient olive trees in ‘El Territori del Sénia' was given the 2014 Europa Nostra Award, 2014 by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, a network of organisations that defend the cultural and natural heritage of the continent. The awards panel was ‘impressed' by the images of the ancient trees and their numbers in the area of El Territori del Sénia, which is formed by 27 municipalities in the counties of El Baix Maestrat, El Montsià and  El Matarranya.

A Key Year for the Candidacy of the El Priorat as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Seven years ago the ‘Priorat' association began promoting the area of El Priorat as the first candidate as a cultural landscape in Catalonia, for UNESCO World Heritage status. The promoters of the initiative have stated that 2014 will be a crucial year, as in May last year, the Catalan Government adopted the proposal and assigned it to the Historic Heritage Council, which will now have to decide on whether to include it on its list; a step required before presenting the suggestion to UNESCO.

The MedScapes Project: Identifying and Mapping the Landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean

The MedScapes Project has been launched in order to identify and map the landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean. The project has European financing through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) for initiatives between the EU and other Mediterranean countries. It began in January 2014 and ended in December of the same year. In one of the first meetings held, the Landscape Observatoryof Catalonia was invited to attend. MedScapes brings together eight partners from four countries; Cyprus, Greece, Jordan and the Lebanon. Each state is represented by an NGO and a university. The body is governed by a Cypriot foundation.

The Paisaje Transversal Group – re-evaluating Olot's Sant Miquel Neighbourhood

The ‘Paisaje Transversal' (Transversal Landscape) Group is developing the "Olot+B" Project, with the city's council in order to help re-evaluate the Sant Miquel neighbourhood, which has some of the largest social problems in the region's capital. The initiative seeks to use participatory and enjoyable techniques to detect those urban features that require improvement. The "Olot+B"Project was created after members of Paisaje Transversal attended a seminar organised by the Observatory.The initiative may be applied to other neighbourhoods in its second phase.

The University of Valencia is promoting a Project promoting the Awareness of the European Landscape Policies

The University Valencia (UV) is promoting the E-Clic project together with research centres from Spain and five other European countries. The initiative seeks to inform the public on the landscape policies of the European Convention and includes a project competition at a state level. Winners will take part in an international conference that will be held in 2015 in Estonia. The Spanish contest covers the areas of:the regeneration of burned forest landscapes, the urban restoration of decaying landscapes and solutions for coastal landscapes with respect to urban planning criteria.

The Observatory's website includes a gallery of Carma Casula's images

The Landscape Observatory's website incorporated a gallery of images belonging to the photographer, Carma Casulá. Casulà's gallery joins those dedicated to Jordi Bas, Carlos Albalá and Ignasi López, Jordi Bernadó, Rafael López-Monné, Aleix Plademunt and Jorge Yeregui which have been available on the website for several months. From the outset, the Landscape Observatory has seen photography as an other means to provide information, communicate and raise awareness about landscape policies.

Landscape Observatories in Europe (I Quaderni di Careggi. Núm. 5)

Publication of the results of the seminar Landscape Observatories in Europe from the ELC recommendations to the local initiatives (June 2013, Florence)

Microcatalunya

A project that seeks to compile all the information created by Catalan villages and small towns (micropobles) that occupy 35% of the region. The web features a directory with 4,000 links in the 328 files on these municipal areas and photographs of the towns using the Instagram social network.

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