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Mosaic

Compilation of the different news that appeared in the section 'Mosaic' of the Landscap-e newsletter.

: PaHisCat: Discover the history of Catalan landscapes; Issue 33, April-June 12; Knowing about the past means better planning for the future. This is the primary objective of PaHisCat, a pilot project on the historical evolution of landscape promoted by the Landscape Observatory in collaboration with the University of Lleida History Department. PaHisCat aims to understand and inform about traces of the past (old roads, lots, farmhouses, canals, etc.) which can still be seen in contemporary Catalan landscapes. It also aims to set guidelines for territorial and industrial planning. The project serves to complement the Landscape Catalogues providing a historical perspective. In this sense, it has thus far worked on four of the landscape units defined by the Catalogues: Conca de Poblet, Horta de Pinyana, Terraprims and Vall Cerdana. The project strives to contribute to our understanding of landscapes as a reality formed by centuries of different generations who have lived there. In addition, it aims to provide an instrument with which to manage and plan the territory, as well as to serve as information to endow landscapes with more value as a reality of our heritage, something which can also be applied to areas such as tourism and education. The methodology used, inspired by Anglo-Saxon experience, is another of PaHisCat's contribution to future projects aiming to trace the historical roots of landscapes.
: The Ministry of Territory and Sustainability and the Observatory present in Vielha the Landscape Catalogue dedicated to Alt Pirineu and Aran before its initial approval; Issue 33, April-June 12; The preparation of the Landscape Catalogue dedicated to Alt Pirineu and Aran is nearing the end pending approval by the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Territory and Sustainability. One of the last steps was its presentation on Tuesday, February 21st in Vielha (Val d'Aran), organised by the Institute for the Development and Promotion of Alt Pirineu and Aran (IDAPA), the Ministry of Territory and Sustainability, and the Landscape Observatory. The Landscape Catalogues were created as a result of the Law on Landscapes, and their aim is to catalogue the landscapes and prepare quality objectives for each of the pre-defined areas in Catalonia. The Catalogue of Alt Pirineu and Aran will be approved in short and will then be exhibited to the public as a prior step to its definitive approval by the Government of Catalonia.
: The educational website, City, Territory, Landscape, translates a part of its materials into Spanish and English; Issue 33, April-June 12; City, Territory, Landscape has recently activated the Spanish and English versions of 12 files in this educational project. The aim is to spread this innovative initiative fomented by the Catalan Ministries of Education and Territory and Sustainability and the Landscape Observatory, an initiative also recognised by the Council of Europe. The project was launched in 2008, and its goal is to update Catalan secondary school students' knowledge about the city and territory concepts as well as to raise their awareness about landscapes. It also aims to reinforce the basic competencies defined for this age group.
: The Chilean organisation, Patrimonio y Paisaje ('Heritage and Landscape'), is developing a perceptual language methodology for landscapes; Issue 33, April-June 12; The Chilean organisation, Patrimonio y Paisaje, a not-for-profit organisation, is working on developing a perceptual language methodology for landscapes. Through simple and clear steps, it registers and systematises the sensorial, visual, auditive, taste, tactile and olfactory stimuli provoked by each landscape and which are stored in communities' collective unconscious. Data is obtained from the inhabitants of each area, thus also raising their awareness in the process. The data can also be used to define new planning and intervention programmes for their territory. For more information here.
: Latest framework agreements signed by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia; Issue 33, April-June 12; With the aim of furthering cooperation, the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between the Landscape Observatory and other Catalan institutions, the Observatory has signed framework agreements over the last few months with the Geological Institute of Catalonia (to exchange knowledge and share experiences), the University of Girona (as regards the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Campus and to offer internships to students in the School of Humanities), Pompeu Fabra University (also for internships for students in the School of Humanities), and with the International University of Catalonia (to collaborate on educational projects of mutual interest and to offer its students internships, amongst other activities).
: Portugal begins the process of applying the European Landscape Convention at the local level; Issue 33, April-June 12; The town of Torres Vedras is 40 km to the north of Lisbon and has become one of the first in Portugal to apply the stipulations included in the European Landscape Convention (entered into by Portugal in 2005) at the local level. After drafting a general document to include the question of town planning, the process has begun to catalogue Torres Vedras' landscapes for their protection and management.
: The Government of Galicia publishes its Study Guide on Landscape Impact and Integration; Issue 33, April-June 12; The Government of Galicia's Ministry of the Environment, Territory and Infrastructures has published its Study Guide on Landscape Impact and Integration whose aim is to become the reference document when preparing studies of this kind. It is an instrument stemming from the 2008 Law on Landscape and includes all the elements projects have to include in their environmental impact studies.
: Andalusian Government approves its Landscape Strategy; Issue 33, April-June 12; On March 6th, 2012, the regional Government Approved its Andalusian Landscape Strategy, a document which establishes the criteria to use when defining landscape policy over the next few years. The approval of this Strategy implies that Andalusia thus fulfils the European Landscape Convention and that it sees landscapes as natural and cultural heritage and as a resource which contributes to the region's development and competitiveness.
: The Catalan Parliament supports Priorat's candidature to UNESCO; Issue 33, April-June 12; On Wednesday, April 11th, the Catalan Parliament's plenary session issued a declaration in support of Priorat's candidature to UNESCO. In the declaration, the Parliament gave faith to the Catalan county's wish to present its candidature to UNESCO for its Mediterranean, agrarian and cultural mountain landscape. This initiative arose from the grassroots level, based around the PRIORITAT association which represents the county's socio-economic, cultural and associative organisations. The proposal has also been supported by the County Council, the Council of Mayors and other institutions above the county level. Landscape, understood as a whole and global entity which rises from the permanent sum of memories, knowledge and practices, represents the materialisation of sedimentation and evolution. In Priorat, the close secular relationships between human activity and the territory that bears this activity and condition it have forged a rural and urban landscape, a first-order representative mosaic of our collective history.
: Publication on landscapes of the periphery; Issue 33, April-June 12; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just recently published the book entitled Franges. Paisatges de la perifèria ("Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery"), the fifth work included in the "Plecs de Paisatge" Collection. This new text is the result of the international seminar with the same name held in Olot in November 2010 and which received support from the CatalunyaCaixa bank and its social foundation. The publication aims to propose new, alternative readings to hegemonic and traditional views, new landscape references, and new means of intervention and management of these spaces in order to not abandon daily peri-urban landscapes from public policies in keeping with the European Landscape Convention. These areas are often neglected or suffer from chaotic growth. The book will be officially presented on June 21 at 7 pm at La Pedrera building in Barcelona. It can be purchased from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia along with the other collection publications.
: New location for the Landscape Observatory's Documentation Centre; Issue 33, April-June 12; The Landscape Observatory's Documentation Centre has moved to the second floor in the same building, now occupying a part of the La Garrotxa County Archive. It now has greater space available for documentation, and the area for consultations is more than adequate. The Documentation Centre is an informational space providing free consultations to everyone. Its constantly expanding documentary archives consist of nearly 3,000 documents in diverse formats (monographs, periodicals, unpublished documents, audiovisual material, etc.). The Centre's focus is landscapes, in a broad sense and especially in terms of landscape planning and management.
: New photo gallery on the Observatory's website; Issue 32, January-March 12; The Landscape Observatory's website now includes an image gallery which features all the photos appearing on our homepage. They represent a selection of photos from some of the leading photographers in Catalonia. Currently, photos by Jordi Bernadó and Rafael López-Monné are available. The list of photographers is expected to increase in the future.
: 130 people participated in the seminar on landscape cartography held in Tortosa; Issue 32, January-March 12; Approximately 130 landscape cartography professionals took part on September 29th and 30th in the international seminar entitled "Challenges in mapping the landscape: territorial dynamics and intangible values" held in Tortosa (Tarragona). The seminar was organised by the Landscape Observatory in collaboration with the Baix Ebre and Montsià Counties' Agro-Environmental Services Consortium (CODE) and Tortosa Town Hall. Throughout the seminar, speakers and participants debated on the best technological and imaging innovations to obtain maps for their use in territorial and industrial planning as well as to raise awareness about landscapes. The results from this seminar will be published by the Landscape Observatory in 2012 as part of its collection "Plecs de Paisatge".
: Unescocat presents a methodology to inventory intangible cultural heritage; Issue 32, January-March 12; The UNESCO Centre of Catalonia, Unescocat, has developed a methodology to inventory Montseny mountain range's (Barcelona) intangible heritage. This methodology includes preparing a list of all the traditions, customs, knowledge, techniques, festivals, etc., which make up Montseny's cultural intangible heritage and identify those which may contribute to sustainably develop the area. The initiative aims to contribute to preserve this heritage, promote the area's sustainable economic development, strengthen social cohesion and ties to the territory and become a model to prepare similar inventories around the world.
: The Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche has dedicated five years to identifying places of value for the population; Issue 32, January-March 12; The Italian foundation, Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, dedicated to landscape knowledge, management and planning, has been working on its Luogo di Valori for five years. Inspired by the European Landscape Convention principles, the initiative aims to understand the bonds people in a community have to their landscapes and, at the same time, raise awareness, regardless of people's social and cultural origins and daily needs, encouraging them to become involved in preserving and managing those landscapes. The initiative includes a yearly call amongst the people in Treviso Province to describe the places in the province they consider to be valuable, providing photos and descriptions detailing why they feel it is important. The idea is not only to identify pretty landscapes but, rather, those which are important for the population because of their symbolic and emotional importance. The material sent is then included in a public exhibit, and various informative sessions and debates are organised. In the five editions help up to now, the initiative has sparked great interest as is demonstrated by the number of participants responding to the calls, the number of visitors at the exhibits and participation in the related sessions.
: Art in favour of preserving and restoring the environment; Issue 32, January-March 12; On October 20th, a sculptural project by the Japanese artist, Kan Masuda, was inaugurated in Parc de la Serra de Collserola (Barcelona), using roots from different trees found in the park. The strong wind storms in January 2009 and heavy snowfalls in March 2010 severely affected more than 200,000 trees in the park. Many were uprooted, exposing their roots. The park's state after these storms stunned the prestigious sculptor who began working with the roots to create the project entitled Mensaje del bosque: voz de raíz ("Message from the forest: the voice of roots"). The artist's aim is for his wooden sculptures to serve as a warning bell about the need to preserve the environment and create closer connections with nature. This initiative is an example of the role art can play in raising awareness about the need to preserve the environmental value and landscape of a place.
: Andorra ratifies the European Landscape Convention; Issue 32, January-March 12; The Andorran government's Council of Ministers approved the ratification of the European Landscape Convention on November 16th. The signing of this Convention, the prior step required before its ratification, was approved on October 6th, 2010. On March 23rd, 2011, the Principality's ambassador and permanent representative before the Council of Europe proceeded with its signature in Strasbourg. Ratification by the Andorran Government is the first step in the process which culminates with the ratification by the General Council and the Co-Princes of Andorra. The European Landscape Convention was adopted in Florence in October, 2000. Since then, 39 European countries have signed it, and 36 have ratified it, including Spain. Worth remembering is the fact that the Catalan Parliament adhered to the Convention in December, 2000.
: Roger Serrat-Calvó wins the Beca Olot-Fotografia grant, dedicated to landscapes; Issue 32, January-March 12; The Beca Olot-Fotografia grant, organised by the Cultural Institute of the City of Olot and the Association Olot-Fotografia, with support from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Girona Provincial Council, was dedicated this year to landscapes. The 4,500-euro grant was awarded to Roger Serrat-Calvó to carry out his project entitled, Leisure time. The aim of this project is to use photography as a means to reflect on areas used for leisure activities and the related landscapes as well as on the attitudes and behaviour society adopts during concrete periods in these particular spaces. The grant was a success in terms of participation, with 86 projects presented. The jury consisted of Manel Esclusa (photographer), Pere Sala (Technical Coordinator, Landscape Observatory of Catalonia) and David Santaeulària (Head of Olot's Contemporary Creation Area).
: Periodic update of the Atlas de Paysages methodology; Issue 32, January-March 12; France has promoted its Atlas de Paysages for fifteen years as a tool to classify landscapes in that country, adopting the European Landscape Convention principles as promoted by the European Council and orienting public policies. Catalan Landscape Catalogues represent a similar instrument, though with some minor differences. Atlases are created for almost the whole of France and have to be reviewed every ten years. The French Ministry of the Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, responsible for the production of the atlases, has expressed its with to publish again their methodology. During the last meeting to this end held on December 8th, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia was invited to present its procedures in defining the landscape quality objectives in its Catalogues, fomenting the exchange of experiences and methodologies.
: 4th Argentine Landscape Network meeting; Issue 32, January-March 12; The 4th Argentine Landscape Network meeting was held from November 2nd to 5th, 2011, in the city of Rosario (Argentina), with participation from all network members around the country. The aim of this meeting was to summarise the different actors' problems and solutions in peripheral urban areas. The network is a space for landscape professionals and scholars to meet and share their knowledge. It is organised by nodes, with different Argentine cities participating in the network. In the city of Mendoza, the Observatorio Mendocino del Paisaje (Landscape Observatory of Mendoza) was recently created to prepare three landscape catalogues on three areas in the province. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has been collaborating with the Argentine network for two years and participated in this 4th meeting, offering a presentation entitled "Periferias urbanas: perspectivas desde el Observatorio del Paisaje de Cataluña" (Urban peripheries: perspectives from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia).
: Presentation of the Landscape Catalogue dedicated to Alt Pirineu and Aran held in a Sort and Seu d'Urgell; Issue 32, January-March 12; On December 15th, two public presentations were held in Sort and Seu d'Urgell (Lleida) to present the new Landscape Catalogues dedicated to Alt Pirineu and Aran (IDAPA). These presentations were organised by the Catalan Government's Department of Territorial Policy and Sustainability and the Landscape Observatory for local town halls, institutions and entities. The presentations served to inform about the goals of the Catalogues and the results achieved thus far. After the Government of Catalonia's Department of Territorial Policy and Sustainability approves the new Catalogue, the full version will be available on the website.
: 2011 IFLA Americas regional conference; Issue 32, January-March 12; On October 27th to 29th the IFLA Americas regional conference held its regional conference in Punta del Este (Uruguay), attracting more than 200 scholars, professionals and students from around the world. The subject of debate was emerging landscapes, representing a great opportunity to find out about the work being carried out in different fields and different countries. Conference contents can be consulted here. The Landscape Observatory participated in the conference with a presentation entitled "Identifying emerging landscapes. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia's experience."
: Granollers, a laboratory for the application of landscape quality objectives at the local level; Issue 32, January-March 12; Granollers (Barcelona) has become a laboratory at the local level for the application of the landscape quality objectives. After a workshop organised in this area as part of the Master in Landscape Management for Land Use and Environmental Planning offered by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), three other initiatives were held this past November: the presentation of the local initiative, El Plan de Paisaje de Granollers. El paisaje como estrategia para el desarrollo sostenible ("Granollers landscape plan. Landscape as a strategy for sustainable development") at the 5th CONAMA Local Congress; the Smart City Expo World Congress; Granollers will be the subject of the study, Els objectius de qualitat paisatgística per l'escala local. Un instrument de foment del desenvolupament comunitari a través del paisatge ("Landscape quality objectives for the local level. A tool to foment the community's development through landscapes.") by Míriam Valdelvira, winner of the 7th Premi Josep Maria Rueda awards. The latter are organised by the Barcelona Provincial Council's Social Welfare Area and are granted every two years at the national level, serving to recognise and reward intervention and research projects related to community action initiatives.
: The Landscape Observatory hosted a 'learning camp' conference; Issue 32, January-March 12; Furthering knowledge about the landscape concept was the primary objective of the conference held on December 20th in Olot (Girona) for teaching professionals from around the country. The Landscape Observatory hosted this conference and presented teachers with the various resources that the Landscape Catalogues and the City, Territory, Landscape project materials have available. The latter educational project was recently recognised by the European Council. This initiative is jointly promoted by the Government of Catalonia's Department of Education and the Landscape Observatory. These camps d'aprenentatge, CdA ("learning camps") translate into a series educational services provided by the Department of Education to teachers and schools, giving them the possibility of carrying out projects to study and experiment on 18 unique settings in Catalonia. In this respect, the task of "reading" the landscape is a fundamental element of this activity. As such, the conference aims to provide teachers with new theoretical and computer tools, but also real experience in the field.
: The Landscape Observatory collaborates with the conference, Escultures transitables in Banyoles; Issue 32, January-March 12; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia collaborated with the conference Escultures Transitables ("Passable sculptures") held on December 16th in Banyoles (Girona). The initiative is organised by El Puntal, Laboratori de les Arts, Lluís Vilà Showroom, Aspecte Paisatge and Bonart Cultural. Its aim is to further explore the relationship between art, landscape and the territory. In fact, the objective is to transcend strict artistic limits to see landscape in all its entirety and transversal nature. Activities began with a guided visit of the "Escultures transitables" exhibit by Martirià Figueras and Lluís Vilà, origin of the initiative. The fundamental aim is to reflect on the concept of public sculptures, architecture and landscape, taking as a reference the restoration of the Croscal volcano in Garrotxa, which received the FAD award in 1994. The main consisted of a roundtable discussion entitled, Art, paisatge, intervenció ("Art, landscape, intervention") moderated by Joan Nogué, Director of the Landscape Observatory. Other participants included: Pep Admetlla, sculptor; Martirià Figueras, landscape architect; Josep Fuses, architect; and Lluís Sabadell, artist and curator.
: The Foro Estatal de Custodia del Territorio ('State Forum for Territorial Custody') launched; Issue 32, January-March 12; On November 3rd, the inauguration of the Foro Estatal de Custodia del Territorio, FECT ("State Forum for Territorial Custody") was held at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPN). The forum's aim is to motivate and coordinate its member networks and entities which work at the national level to consolidate the care for the territory. Currently, FECT consists of 14 founding organisations, 7 territorial custodial networks, 3 custodial entities and 4 organisations which support the initiative. FECT has already been working for 5 years as an informal group, contributing to the spread of territorial custody, promoting conservation and the active management of natural resources, as well as their responsible and sustainable use, and raising awareness about custodial strategies and sustainable management of the territory.
: Paisatge i educació Book Available in Digital Edition; Issue 31, October-December 11; The full text of the book Paisatge i educació (Landscape and Education), originally published as part of the collection Plecs de Paisatge by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, is now available on the Observatory's website. The book deals with landscape education in Europe in the framework of the European Landscape Convention and includes contributions from authors from different countries and different disciplines. The publications section of the website provides access to all the publications of the Observatory as well as some jointly published works.
: The City, Territory, Landscape project receives a special mention in the Council of Europe's Landscape Awards; Issue 31, October-December 11; The educational project City, Territory, Landscape, developed by the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Territory and Sustainability together with the Landscape Observatory, has received a special mention in the Council of Europe's Landscape Awards. 14 projects from different parts of Europe, chosen by their respective countries, reached the final stage. Two other projects received special mentions, while first prize went to a project to restore the landscape in the former mining locality of Carbonia in Sardinia. During the Landscape awards ceremony the City, Territory and Landscape project was commended for 'aiming to forge a new territorial culture and a feeling of responsibility vis-à-vis the landscape'. It was also referred to as an excellent model for similar schemes elsewhere in Europe. The members of the jury emphasised the importance of understanding landscape as constantly evolving, pointing out that 'an educated public will be better able to face the challenges of the future'.
: New publication Theory and landscape: reflections from interdisciplinary perspectives; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Catalan Landscape Observatory has published the book Theory and landscape: reflections from interdisciplinary perspectives, which is available only in digital format. The book is published jointly with Pompeu Fabra University and is a record of the presentations at the seminar of the same name held in February 2010 at the Department of Humanities of Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Different chapters deal with methodological and epistemological questions concerning the concept of landscape from a multidisciplinary viewpoint. Unlike other publications by the Observatory, the papers are published in the language of the original presentation at the seminar (Spanish, English or French). The text can be found on the Landscape Observatory website.
: Newspaper library of the Landscape Observatory has more than 3,200 items; Issue 31, October-December 11; The digital newspaper library of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has been updated and now it has more than 3,200 items on landscape appeared in the various written communication media from around the world. News items can be browsed by date, by free text, by subject, by geographical area or by type (interview, article, report...). The newspaper library contains all the news items that the Landscape Observatory has been issuing weekly since June 2005 through the Dietari de paisatge (to receive the Dietari newsletter, sign in through our website).
: The Observatory's website incorporates photographs by Rafael López-Monné; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Landscape Observatory has always promoted the use of photography as a tool for information, communication and awareness raising in the field of landscape policy. The institution's home page carries a selection of photographs by leading Catalan landscape photographers. After Jordi Bernadó, the page now features a selection of landscape photographs by Tarragona photographer Rafael López-Monné. In the near future a photograph gallery will be added to the website including all the photographs that have appeared on the home page.
: Wikipedra passes 5,000-hut mark; Issue 31, October-December 11; The world of dry-stone construction was featured in 'Espai Internet' during TV3's midday news programme on Sunday September 4. The spot highlighted Wikipedra, the website promoted by the Landscape Observatory with the support of CatalunyaCaixa's social programme Obra Social and the active participation of the Drac Verd Association, as a web 2.0 meeting point for all those interested in dry-stone construction in Catalonia. The portal currently lists over 5,000 dry-stone huts. As well as the Wikipedra website, the Landscape Observatory's digital dossier of dry-stone constructions was also featured.
: Launch of the Cornwall Landscape Observatory; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Cornwall Landscape Observatory will start its activity on November 30th with an exploratory project addressed to understand and implement the idea of appreciating landscape as an asset to help children and young people integrate into their disadvantaged neighbourhood, and secure access to their social rights. The project was conceived by CERES at the Council of Europe's Cultural Heritage Division and born of our longstanding association with the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLARE) and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. Students from a variety of disciplines and age groups will introduce their perspectives on landscape followed by plenary sessions at this one-day seminar.
: The 16 Gates of Collserola, in Barcelona; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Deputy Mayor for Urban Habitat of the Barcelona City Hall has presented the project "The 16 Gates of Collserola", aimed at rearranging and connecting the city and the Collserola Natural Park through 16 green corridors and equipments. This city renaturalisation project is a part of a wider strategy to turn Collserola into the central park of the Barcelona city area. The actions planned for the 16 connections will be chosen through public ideas competitions, where the participant teams will be evaluated mostly based on their multidisciplinary nature.
: The Olot-Fotografia Scholarship, focused on landscape; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Olot Culture Institute and the Olot-Fotografia Association have awarded once more the Olot-Fotografia Scholarship, aimed at promoting and fostering photographic creation. This year's scholarship, supported by the Landscape Observatory and the Girona Province Council, is for the first time focused on landscape, seen as an area, as perceived by the people, the character of which is the result of the dynamic interaction of natural and human factors. Follow this link to read the terms.
: Inauguration of the Vall Fosca viewing point network; Issue 31, October-December 11; On 31 July, the Torre de Capdella Town Council inaugurated the network of viewing points in Vall Fosca (which means dark valley in Catalan) in a ceremony attended by Eduard Rosell, Deputy Director-General of Land Use Planning and Landscape for the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Territory and Sustainability. Torre de Capdella has a network of six viewing points which have been built in various locations in the municipality since 2008. At each viewing point natural and landscape features and points of interest to tourists are described on information panels.
: Landscape Character Assessment Course completed successfully; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Heritage Council in Ireland organized a new edition of Landscape Character Assessment Course that took place on 21 and 22 September 2011 at Spanish Point and Tulla (County Clare, Ireland) in collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and several Irish organizations. The course aimed to bring together experts on urban and regional planning from the fields of geography, architecture, archaeology, ecology and engineering to discuss how to perceive, assess and plan the different facets of the Irish landscape. The course, awarded by the Irish Landscape Institute (ILI) in 2009, introduced the participants to the methodologies used in Landscape Character Assessment. As in previous years, the public-participation procedures used by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia when drafting the landscape catalogues of Catalonia were introduced in the course by the X3 Environmental Studies team.
: Galician Landscape Strategy; Issue 31, October-December 11; In August, the Government of Galicia presented the Galician Landscape Strategy for the years up to 2016, which envisages three types of action in its implementation: instruments of protection, management and supervision; strategies for landscape integration; and measures for awareness raising, training and publicity regarding landscape issues. The first instrument, which is already available, is the Map of Galicia's Major Landscape Areas, which is a basis for the production of landscape catalogues and guidelines for landscape policy.
: The Swedish National Heritage Board presented a proposal for implementation of the ELC in Sweden; Issue 31, October-December 11; The Swedish National Heritage Board, which works under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, presented last March a draft proposal for a framework for implementation of the ELC in Sweden. According to the text, the Swedish authorities concerned should be independently responsible for implementing the ELC within their respective competences, as well as for follow-up and evaluation of the Convention. The Swedish National Heritage Board is proposed to be the chair of the group, with a coordinating role for periodic reporting to the Government and to the Council of Europe. On the other hand, the County Administrative Boards could be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the ELC at a regional level.
: Observatory Takes Part in Workshop The Collective Construction of Our Landscape (Argentina) by Videoconference; Issue 30, July-August 11; Pere Sala, the coordinator of the Landscape Observatory, took part in the workshop The Collective Construction of our Landscape on 29 April. The workshop was organized by the Nodo Mendoza Association of the Argentina Landscape Network. Participation was by means of videoconference, which could be watched from the 22 offices of the Federal Investment Board (CFI) in Argentina, from Buenos Aires to Salta and San Luis, and, naturally, Mendoza. Sala demonstrated the experience of the Landscape Observatory and the Catalan landscape policies just when the process of starting up the Mendoza Landscape Observatory was getting under way. The project to implement the Mendoza Landscape Observatory, which has received funding from the CFI, aims to create an institution that provides a forum for all the actors that carry out landscape policies in order to perform studies in this field in terms of economic, environmental and social development, raising awareness and education.
: Results of the Third Edition of the Changing Landscapes International Workshop; Issue 30, July-August 11; Between 3 and 15 June 2011, the Greek city of Volos hosted the third edition of the international workshop Changing Landscapes. Mediterranean Sensitive Areas Design. The workshop was organized by the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria and directed by Daniela Colafranceschi, a professor in the university's Faculty of Architecture. For 12 days, 140 participants (including students and professors) from 14 architecture and landscaping schools around the world (but especially from Europe) debated and shared a wide range of ideas, strategies, policies, solutions and intervention methodologies from a contemporary perspective, in order to bring quality and a sense of place to five landscapes of the Volos region, including different sections of its seafront and riverfront, industrial facilities, and the island of Trikeri. The areas studied can be seen here and the results of the workshop can be seen here. In this third edition, Changing Landscapes has consolidated its position as a leading event in landscape research, design and intervention in degraded Mediterranean areas, while applying the principles of the European Landscape Convention.
: Programme of the International Seminar Challenges in Mapping the Landscape: Territorial Dynamics and Intangible Values; Issue 30, July-August 11; Landscape mapping is opening up new horizons with real future challenges throughout Europe. Drawing up the catalogues of the Catalan landscape involved a tremendous amount of innovation and imagination to inventory, interpret and map out the elements, values and dynamics of the landscape, and to represent landscape quality goals on a map, without many models to follow. How do you map intangible values related to the landscape? Can values that correspond to one's sensorial (not merely visual) and emotional perception of a specific landscape be represented or symbolized? How do you represent the changing and extremely rapid dynamics of the urban peripheries? How do you use maps to identify and explain the new landscape identities that are emerging in certain territories? How can you map the aspirations of a group of people for a specific landscape? These and other questions have led the Landscape Observatory to organize the International Seminar Challenges of Landscape Mapping: Spatial Dynamics and Intangible Values, which will be held on 29 and 30 September in Tortosa. The seminar received support from the Consortium of Agro-Environmental Services of Baix Ebre and Montsià Counties (CODE) and the Tortosa City Council, and the programme is available here.
: White Paper on the Landscape of the Basque Country; Issue 30, July-August 11; In April, the Department of the Environment, Territorial Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Country started the public-information period of the preliminary white paper on the landscape of the Basque Country. The white paper adapts Basque law to international terminology in terms of landscape, as defined by the European Landscape Convention (to which the Basque Autonomous Community formally adhered in 2009), which aims to recognize the diversity of landscapes as a resource and common heritage of general interest from an environmental, cultural, social, historical and economic-development perspective. The white paper consists of three chapters. The first chapter establishes the object of the law by referring to the integration of the landscape in land-use and urban-planning policies, and in industry policies that affect it. The second chapter creates landscape catalogues, landscape guidelines, landscape action plans and landscape-integration studies as instruments for protecting, managing and organizing the landscape. The third chapter includes the creation of the Basque Landscape Observatory as an organization to provide support for and cooperate with the authorities in matters relating to drafting, applying and managing landscape policies. The white paper is currently in the phase of issuing responses to comments received by the government.
: Landscape Observatory Receives Award from Royal Foundation of Toledo; Issue 30, July-August 11; On 28 June, the Catalan Landscape Observatory received the prize in the national category at the 15th edition of the Awards of the Royal Foundation of Toledo. The event brought together more than 250 people at the Rojas Theatre in Toledo. The prize was accepted by Joan Nogué, the director of the Landscape Observatory. The jury awarded the prize to the Landscape Observatory for its work in studying, protecting and managing the landscape, and for becoming a leading centre of ideas and action in this area throughout Spain and abroad. The jury's ruling made special mention of Nogué, who, in addition to being the director of the observatory since its creation in 2005, holds the Chair of Human Geography at the University of Girona; the Catalan Department of Territory and Sustainability; and all the institutions and associations that form part of the observatory's consortium for their effort and care in studying the landscape, drafting proposals and raising awareness of the need for it to be organized in the context of sustainable development.
: Landscape Charter of Priorat Enters Phase Three; Issue 30, July-August 11; In June, the Priorat County Council, a sponsor of the county's landscape charter, collected, defined and organized the actions and commitments proposed by organizations in the county for the management, organization and protection of its landscape. A first draft of the management programme has been prepared and is also available on the website; this draft contains the proposals made by the organizations in the county during the workshops. This is not a final document, as it will be modified as new proposals are received. One of the latest achievements of the sponsors of the charter is the opening of a forum for open dialogue on the Priorat Landscape Charter among professionals from different disciplines.
: New 'Vallesos' Magazine Joins Other Outreach Magazines on Landscape Heritage of Catalonia; Issue 30, July-August 11; In recent years, there has been a proliferation of outreach magazines that have become a written testimony to the cultural, natural and ethnological heritage of different parts of Catalonia; these magazines use written documents and individual experiences to provide a thoughtful treatment of different topics related to the local landscape heritage with a necessary look at the past and from a profound sense of belonging. The latest of these magazines to appear is Vallesos. Gent, terra i patrimoni. Published by Gent i Terra, the magazine was founded to become a tool for knowledge, dissemination, conservation and claiming rights to spaces in La Plana del Vallès, Sant Llorenç de Munt, La Serra de l'Obac, Els Cingles de Bertí, Gallifa and El Baix Montseny. The new magazine now joins others that are already well-established around Catalonia. Gavarres, which was founded in June 2002, was one of the first of its kind. Its publisher, Editorial Gavarres, also currently publishes Cadí-Pedraforca, Les Garrotxes and Alberes.
: Assessing the UK's natural environment and ecosystem services; Issue 30, July-August 11; The UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) has published its Synthesis of the Key Findings, reporting on its analysis of the UK's natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and continuing economic prosperity. The report is an independent and peer-reviewed assessment of the state and value of the UK's natural environment and ecosystem services, identifying the drivers of change observed in the natural environment and the services it has provided over the last 60 years, and what may drive change in the future. It includes an investigation into the monetary and non-monetary value to the economy, society and individuals from various ecosystem services, including how some of these may change in future. The UK NEA has used new approaches to estimate the value of the natural world by taking account of the economic, health and social benefits we get from nature. The report shows that the tendency to focus only on the market value of resources we can use and sell, such as timber, crops and fisheries, has led to the decline of some ecosystems and habitats through pollution, over-exploitation, and land conversion. It strengthens the arguments for protecting and enhancing the environment and will be used by the government to direct policy in future.
: YUL-MTL: Moving Landscapes International Ideas Competition; Issue 30, July-August 11; The Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at University of Montreal (CPEUM) has been commissioned by the Québec Ministry of Transport to coordinate an international urban design ideas competition for the gateway corridor linking Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to its downtown area (MTL) along Autoroute 20, and underlying collaborative planning process bringing together the main public and private actors responsible for this territory. The 17 km gateway corridor, which is mostly made up of transport infrastructures and brownfields, is witnessing a large number of development infrastructural projects, thus offering considerable urban innovation potential. The International Ideas Competition wants to seize this re-qualification opportunity to propose planning options to structure a coherent vision aiming at creating an expressive gateway based on Montreal's identity as a UNESCO City of Design, a designation of which Montreal is celebrating the 5th anniversary in 2011. The proposals should revolve along three work streams: An evolving and emblematic landscape project for the metropolitan area; A scenographic composition of the corridor experiences; A collaborative approach to sustainable urban development. To attain this goal, contestants should reflect on design elements as much for the corridor as for the adjacent areas. The resulting vision will offer coherent guidelines for the different interventions to come by ensuring a better-balanced interaction between transport infrastructures and the adjacent living environments. More information here.
: Landscape Museum Takes Shape; Issue 30, July-August 11; The Catalan Landscape Museum, which will be housed in the Olot Hospice building, is beginning to take shape. A full-size (1:1) model of a room of the future facility can be visited until 31 July. This is a pilot programme that brings together the different resources that will be used (audio-visual displays, texts, works, files, video modules, seats, etc.), so that future visitors can get a sense of the museum and contribute their suggestions. Participation is a key element for the sponsors of the Landscape Museum, which will involve renovation of the current Garrotxa County Museum. For this reason, they have set up a website with the aim of providing a space for reflection and information regarding the future centre. All contributions can be sent to an e-mail address (queenpenses@museudelpaisatge.cat). The Landscape Museum, which is under the guidance of the Landscape Observatory, will be a Catalan national museum specializing in the landscape with a highly cross-disciplinary approach.
: 2011 FAD Award for Thought and Criticism; Issue 30, July-August 11; The jury of the 2011 edition of the FAD Award for Thought and Criticism has recognized the publishing careers of Fundació Caixa d'Arquitectes, Editorial Lampreave and Dafne Editora. It also made several mentions, including the Land&ScapeSeries collection of Editorial Gustavo Gili, which is run by the architect Daniela Colafranceschi, and the publication Tormenta e ímpetu (catalogue of the 5th European Biennial of Landscape), published by the executive committee of the European Biennial of Landscape in the framework of the Arquia Temas collection, published by Fundació Caixa d'Arquitectes. In both cases, the jury valued the commitment to broaden and connect the landscape with other disciplines in a critical and rigorous manner. This year, the jury also awarded a special prize to Editorial Gustavo Gili for its continuous work over more than a century publishing and promoting art, design, architecture and culture in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America.
: 2011 Thinking the Landscape Research Grants; Issue 30, July-August 11; The Beulas Foundation, through the Centre for Art and Nature (CDAN), has issued its second call for grant applications for the Thinking the Landscape research project, with the aim of promoting theoretical studies on the landscape. The grants are aimed at researchers in the European Union and Latin America who are interested in all aspects of landscape (artistic, historical, geographic, aesthetic, patrimonial, economic, territorial, etc.). The deadline for submitting applications is 3 October 2011. For more information, click here.
: Dutch Government Donates Books to Landscape Observatory; Issue 30, July-August 11; A few weeks ago, the documentation centre of the Landscape Observatory received a donation from the Dutch government of 26 documents, all related to landscape management and planning. This type of donation helps to enrich the stock of the documentation centre with materials that are otherwise hard to come by due to their source, topic or distribution. The documents were received as part of an exchange of working methodologies and experiences that took place in May between the Landscape Observatory and different government institutions and bodies in the Netherlands.
: Restoration of Tudela-Culip (Club Med) Area of Cap de Creus Natural Park Wins Counties of Girona Architecture Award; Issue 30, July-August 11; The Restoration of the Tudela-Culip (Club Med) Area of Cap de Creus Natural Park by Martí Franch was one of the works to win a Counties of Girona Architecture Award. At this 14th edition of the awards, the other two winners were the new offices of the Catalan government on the site of the former Santa Caterina Hospital in Girona and the paving of Pujada de Can Barris in Maçanet de Cabrenys. In an attempt to bring architecture closer to society, a new award was created in 2010 that involved professionals from the world of communication and cultural management in the province of Girona by asking them to give their opinion on the selected works and to choose one of them. These professionals used their votes to ensure that the 2011 Jury Prize for Culture was fairly and justly awarded to two works: "Tudela-Culip (Club Med) in Cap de Creus Natural Park" and "Parc de les Aigües and the Urban Development of Les Hortes de Vilabertran, a New Neighbourhood in Figueres".
: Conclusions of 3rd Congress of Art, the Wine-Growing Landscape and Wine Tourism; Issue 30, July-August 11; Subirats and Vilafranca del Penedès hosted the 3rd Congress of Art, the Wine-Growing Landscape and Wine Tourism on 2 and 3 June, respectively. The aim was to create spaces for reflection and for sharing different experiences related to the landscape, art and wine tourism. The Observatory was also present at the congress in the inaugural address given by Joan Nogué, director of the Catalan Landscape Observatory. The papers and conclusions of the congress are now available online.
: Tramuntana Mountain Range in Majorca Declared World Heritage Site; Issue 30, July-August 11; UNESCO declared the Tramuntana Mountain Range in Majorca a World Heritage site on 27 June in the cultural landscape category. The World Heritage committee of the international body recognized the unique landscape of this Majorcan mountain range, formed over centuries by the presence of different generations and cultures and by the balance between society and nature. Notable features include terraces for olive groves and vineyards, irrigation channels that use hydraulic systems to create vegetable-growing areas, and dry-stone elements. The Council of Majorca began the process to obtain this declaration in 2008. Alongside the institutional procedures, 40,000 signatures were obtained in support of the initiative and several educational outreach projects were carried out in primary and secondary schools to highlight the importance of protecting and conserving the Tramuntana mountain range and having it declared a World Heritage site (http://whc.unesco.org/).
: Publication on Landscape and Education; Issue 29, May-June 11; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just published the book Paisatge i educació (Landscape and Education), the fourth in the Landscape Observatory's Plecs de Paisatge collection. The book will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 26 May 2011, in Catalunya Caixa's La Pedrera building in Barcelona. It is the result of the international seminar of the same name, which was held in Barcelona in November 2009 in collaboration with the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Territory and Sustainability and the Ministry of Education of the Catalan government, the European network RECEP-ENELC and the Catalunya Caixa Charitable Trust. This publication, which is the first interdisciplinary work in the collection and includes contributions from authors of different nationalities, deals with the subject of landscape education in Europe within the framework of the European Landscape Convention. This book and the other publications in the collection can be ordered from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The full text will also be available on the website of Landscape Observatory.
: Landscape Catalogue of the Counties of Girona Wins SCOT Planning Award; Issue 29, May-June 11; On Thursday, 28 April 2011, the Landscape Observatory was presented with the Catalan Territorial Planning Society (SCOT) Planning Award for creating the Landscape Catalogue of the Counties of Girona. The award, which is presented every two years and is currently in its second edition, recognizes the best plan, project, initiative or analytical study in the field of regional planning or management completed during the preceding two years (i.e. 2009-2010) in Catalonia. The award was presented alongside the Institute of Catalan Studies Sant Jordi Prizes, whose objective is to "strengthen Catalonia's cultural and scientific level". The aim of the SCOT Planning Award is to recognize and encourage the efforts of specialists, the public administration and other organizations in the innovation of tools and processes used for analysis and regional planning and management. With that in mind, the panel of judges highlighted the catalogue's innovative character, its value as a model, its conceptual interest and relevance. The SCOT considered the project "a key element in assessing and intervening in landscapes and in good regional planning and management". The Landscape Observatory was also praised for its citizen-participation processes, interinstitutional specificity and team interdisciplinarity when drafting the catalogue. The Landscape Catalogue of the Counties of Girona benefited from the knowledge and experience of the Laboratory of Landscape Analysis and Management (LAGP) at the Universitat de Girona, the Barcelona Centre for Landscape Research and Projects (CRPPb) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the X3 Environmental Studies team. The Landscape Observatory would like to extend a special thank you to the many organizations and people, the connoisseurs and lovers of the region's landscapes, for their involvement and collaboration in the project.
: International Seminar on the 'Challenges of Landscape Mapping: Spatial Dynamics and Intangible Values'; Issue 29, May-June 11; Landscape mapping is opening up new horizons that pose real challenges for the future throughout Europe. Without going into too much detail, drafting the landscape catalogues of Catalonia represented a major effort in innovation and imagination in terms of creating inventories and cartographically interpreting and representing the elements, values and dynamics of the landscapes, and in terms of capturing quality landscape objectives on a map, without many previous references. How do we map the intangible values of a landscape? Can we represent or symbolize the values that correspond to the sensory (not only visual) and emotional perception of a particular landscape? How do we capture the rapidly changing dynamics at the edges of urban areas? How can we identify and explain by means of cartography new landscape identities that emerge in certain regions? How can cartography represent a population's aspirations for a particular landscape? These and many other questions led the Landscape Observatory to organize the International Seminar on the "Challenges of Landscape Mapping: Spatial Dynamics and Intangible Values", which will be held on 29 and 30 September 2011 in Tortosa (the capital of Montsià County). During the seminar, there will be discussions about the technical innovations and graphical representations required in order to create new landscape maps that can incorporate all of these elements and fulfil planning and sector policies, as well as raise awareness about the landscape.
: Olot City Council Joins European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC); Issue 29, May-June 11; On Wednesday, 20 January 2011, Olot City Council board of governors came to an agreement that the city of Olot would join the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP/ENELC), established in 2006 in Strasbourg at the instigation of the Council of Europe. The aim of Olot City Council is to actively participate in everything relating to the landscape in order to strengthen the city's position as a point of reference for Catalonia as a whole. Examples of its involvement in this field include its participation in the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, which is based in Olot, and the conception of the forthcoming Landscape Museum of Catalonia. The network currently consists of 36 members from seven European countries: Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Romania and Slovakia, and Olot City Council is the first city council in Catalonia to become a member.
: Award Presented to César Manrique Foundation; Issue 29, May-June 11; In March 2011, the Association of Spanish Geographers and the Official Association of Geographers presented the New Regional Culture Award to the César Manrique Foundation. Joan Nogué, the director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, was responsible for outlining the reasons for presenting the award to the Foundation (read the full speech here), which is continuing the project started by Canary Island artist César Manrique (1919-1992) to preserve the landscape values of the island of Lanzarote. The director of the Observatory described Manrique's creative project, which linked landscape, public art and tourism, as "the only one of its kind" in Spain. He said, "If we are still able to enjoy what Lanzarote has always had to offer and what has become its greatest attraction, it is down to the legacy of this ‘total' artist, a term he used to describe himself." He went on to talk about the artist's "extreme sensitivity", which has been adopted and promoted by the foundation that bears his name.
: National Heritage Council in Ireland Organizes Two New Editions of Landscape Character Assessment Course; Issue 29, May-June 11; The Irish organization The Heritage CouncilThe National Heritage Council is organizing two new editions of the Introduction to Landscape Character Assessment training course, in collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and various Irish organizations, which aims to bring together experts on urban and regional planning from the fields of geography, architecture, archaeology, ecology and engineering to discuss how to perceive, assess and plan the different facets of the Irish landscape. The first course will take place at Spanish Point and Tulla (County Clare, in the west of Ireland) and the second course will take place on 21 and 22 September 2011 in the same locations, (registration is open). The course received an award from the Irish Landscape Institute (ILI) in 2009 and will introduce the participants to the methodologies used in Landscape Character Assessment. As in previous years, the public-participation procedures used by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia when drafting the landscape catalogues of Catalonia will be included in the course and presented by the X3 Environmental Studies team.
: Publication of Abstracts of Presentations from Landscapes of Everyday Life International Conference; Issue 29, May-June 11; The International Conference Landscapes of Everyday Life: Intersecting Perspectives on Research and Action was held from 16 to 18 March 2011 in Perpignan and Girona. The conference organizers, the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing and the French Institute for Research on Environmental Sciences and Technologies (Cemagref), have published abstracts of the presentations, as well as a list of the poster sessions. The event, which brought together some 250 participants from 20 European countries, was organized in collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The theme of the conference was based on the premise that, although a large majority of Europeans currently live in urban and suburban areas, their landscapes have not received any special care. The aim of the conference was therefore to reconsider these landscapes that are home to millions of people in terms of the improvement projects implemented there, taking into account the values assigned to them by the interested parties and populations and the efforts made by others to redevelop these landscapes.
: Andorra Signs European Landscape Convention; Issue 29, May-June 11; Jordi Torres, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Andorra to the Council of Europe, signed the European Landscape Convention on 23 March 2011 in Strasbourg, thus complying with the government resolution of 6 October 2010. The government's spokesperson, Bruno Bartolomé, explained that signing the agreement would enable Andorra to enter networks with other countries and international organizations in order to establish policies to regulate landscape preservation in the broadest sense.
: Five years of RECEP-ENELC; Issue 29, May-June 11; The next meeting of the Executive Board of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC), which will be held in Florence on 1 and 2 July 2011. This meeting coincides with the fifth anniversary of RECEP. An excursion will be organized by the hosting authorities and RECEP-ENELC for the members participating in the meeting on Saturday 2 July 2011.
: New 'Observer' Section on the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia Website; Issue 29, May-June 11; With the aim of highlighting the people who contribute to the Landscap-e bulletin as "observers", a new space has been dedicated to them on the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia website. "The Observer" is the bulletin's feature article and deals with a subject of interest. It is written by a specialist in landscape issues in Europe. This new section will be updated as the bulletins are sent out.
: International Conference: Landscape of Everyday Life, Organized by the French Government in Collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Videos from International Seminar, Fringes: Landscapes of the Periphery; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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".
: Presentation of New Project on Dry Stone: Wikipedra; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Landscape Observatory Collaborates with Exhibition; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Conclusions of Conference Empordà: Landscape as an Economic Asset; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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 Landscape Observatory of Catalonia in Social Networks; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Four States and two Regions test the future European Landscape Convention Information System of the Council of Europe; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Catalan Minister Lluís Recoder, President of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC); Issue 28, March-April 11; 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; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: The Council of Majorca Gives Final Approval for Five Landscape Intervention Areas; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: City, Territory, Landscape Project is finalist for Council of Europe Landscape Award; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Research Project 'Landscape Quality in Moianès' Wins 2010 Young Researcher's Prize; Issue 28, March-April 11; 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.
: Joan Nogué, the Landscape Observatory Director, wins the Joan Fuster Award for his essay relating landscape to identity; Issue 27, January-February 11; The Director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and Professor at the University of Girona, Joan Nogué, was granted the Joan Fuster Essay Award during the 39th edition of the Premis Octubre awards. Nogué was distinguished for his work, Paisatge, territori i societat civil (Landscape, Territory and Civil Society) which relates landscape to identity. Within the context of globalisation, landscape enables people to feel rooted to a specific place and identify with it. Paisatge, territori i societat civil also emphasises landscape as a cultural construction, affected by both ethical and political concerns. In the jury's own words, Nogué has written an essay which is both "enjoyable and timely about the landscape and the cultural, ethical and political questions which contribute to its definition and particular evolution." The Premis Octubre awards are organised annually by the Fundació Ausiàs March and Edicions 3i4. This last edition was held on October 30th at the Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània in Valencia.
: The Documentation Centre's new bibliographic catalogue can now be consulted on the Landscape Observatory website; Issue 27, January-February 11; The Landscape Observatory's Documentation Centre now offers a new service: a bibliographic catalogue which can be consulted through the Observatory's website. The catalogue lets users consult the documents contained and see the front covers of those documents included. The Documentation Centre is an open and free space for information and consultations, accessible to the public at large. The constantly growing number of documents includes more than 2,000 documents thus far and all in different formats (monographs, periodicals, unedited documents, audio-visual material, etc.). The focus of all these is landscape in a broad sense and, in particular, landscape management and planning in Catalonia, the rest of Spain and the world. The catalogue can be consulted here. The following services are available free via the Documentation Centre: help with consultations; online press; inter-library loans; recommendations regarding publications in the online newsletter, Landscap-e, and on the website; copying documents in accordance with current legal stipulations; and the exchange of information and documentation between diverse organisations, institutions and researchers.
: Definitive approval of the Comarques Gironines Landscape Catalogue; Issue 27, January-February 11; Last November 23rd, the Government of Catalonia definitively approved the Comarques Gironines Landscape Catalogue, the fourth of the seven catalogues the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is preparing. This approval came by means of the Edict dated November 30th on the resolution for the definitive approval of the Catalogue, published in the official gazette, DOGC, number 5776, on December 16th, 2010. The content of this catalogue can be consulted on the Landscape Observatory's website. The Landscape Observatory delivered the Comarques Gironines Landscape Catalogue to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) on February 26th, 2010. The DPTOP then made it available to the public for consultation from September 6th to October 6th that year.
: Anniversary of the Vall de Camprodon Landscape Charter; Issue 27, January-February 11; More than one year has passed since the Vall de Camprodon Landscape Charter was signed, a strategic document designed to protect and develop the valley and the result of collective agreement between the different entities responsible for the valley's management. The Charter reflects their shared willingness to work towards the rational development of the economic activities carried out there, bearing in mind the sustainability of the initiatives and their impact on the landscape, establishing guidelines for how it should be planned, and proposing specific actions which, in and of themselves, should improve the environment. Since its signing, two lines of actions have essentially been implemented: the catalogue of landscape assets and a study to recuperate pastures and high-mountain fields. These are two of the 16 specific commitments the various public and private agents assumed when signing the Charter to be completed before 2014.
: Andorra develops its National Landscape Strategy; Issue 27, January-February 11; This past October 6th, the Government of Andorra enacted a Governmental Agreement to sign and later ratify the European Landscape Convention. A result of this commitment is the Government's decision to move forward on its National Landscape Strategy, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, a strategy which has to serve as the country's framework for landscape preservation, management and planning for the next 10 years. This strategy is based on the Mapa de les unitats de paisatge ("Map of landscape units") and the Catàleg dels paisatges d'Andorra ("Catalogue of landscapes in Andorra") prepared between 2007 and 2009 by the University of Barcelona's Landscape Service. One of the Government's first steps in this vein has been the organisation of its National Landscape Strategy Forum in November and December, 2010, which attracted more than 60 participants from both the Government as well as the Communes and other professionals, including engineers, consultants, independent technicians and others from numerous fields. This Forum served as the ideal space to debate and agree on the quality objectives to establish for Andorran landscapes and to define the necessary actions to achieve these goals. You can consult the document introducing the Strategy here and the results from the Forum's debate here. The next steps involve the Government of Andorra approving this National Landscape Strategy, the latter's publication and carrying out the actions foreseen.
: The current state and future of landscape research in Europe; Issue 27, January-February 11; The European Science Foundation, which has promoted quality science in Europe since 1974, has dedicated the 40th edition of its journal, Science Policy Briefings, to the question of research on landscape with an article entitled, "Landscape in a Changing World–Bridging Divides, Integrating Disciplines, Serving Society." This article can be consulted here. This edition reveals the fundamental points of landscape research in Europe and how its results can help politicians, professionals and society in general overcome the primary global challenges we face. The Landscape Observatory is also mentioned in a list of 15 European organisations which, according to the European Science Foundation, have the greatest potential in this area of research. Each edition of Science Policy Briefings is dedicated to fomenting the debate on key scientific and academic questions around Europe.
: International conference Landscapes of Everyday Life; Issue 27, January-February 11; The French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Territorial Planning, CEMAGREF (the French Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies) and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia have organised the international conference entitled, Landscapes of Everyday Life. Crossed Perspectives on Research and Action to be held in Perpignan and Girona from March 16th to 18th. The colloquium begins with the premise that, though the majority of Europe's population currently lives in urban or peri-urban spaces, the landscapes in which they live have not received special attention. The goal of this colloquium is to re-evaluate these landscapes in which millions of people live, all in terms of the improvement projects which they may have been subject to and bearing in mind the values the various actors and populations attribute them as well as the efforts carried out by one and another to renew them. The colloquium is aimed at a wide range of professionals, from experts in social sciences to landscape professionals and politicians and diverse administration experts primarily from Europe but also from the rest of the world. You can consult the programme here.
: Peripheral landscapes in photos and paintings; Issue 26, November-December 10; From November 6th, 2010, to January 30th, 2011, you can visit the exhibit, "Landscapes in the periphery. Crossed perspectives", at the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa museum in the city of Olot. This collection has been organised as a complementary activity to the International Seminar on Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery organised by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The exhibit juxtaposes the idyllic and bucolic landscape portrayals found in late 19th century and early 20th century paintings (including work by Joaquim Vayreda, Josep Berga i Boix, Ramon Casas and Enric Galwey) and the contemporary vision of peripheries as depicted by photographers such as Jordi Bernadó, Albert Gusi, Rafel López-Monné, Aleix Plademunt and Llorenç Rosanes. The aim is to reflect on different landscape representations and, at the same time, take note of how these landscapes have changed over the last few decades. The exhibit is also a good opportunity to visit the museum's permanent collection, all preceding its upcoming reconversion into the Landscape Museum of Catalonia.
: The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, selected for the 3rd Mediterranean Landscape Prize; Issue 26, November-December 10; The participatory process launched by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia to prepare its landscape catalogues has been selected to take part in the 3rd Mediterranean Landscape Prize. This award serves to raise awareness about the role of landscapes in defining territorial cultural identities and to improve the quality of life of its people. With this aim, the best initiatives, plans and programmes, architectural projects and awareness campaigns, amongst others, are selected across Europe for the special attention they pay to landscapes. The selection process begins at the regional level. It is here when the Regional Selection Committee chose to nominate the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia for the participatory process it created while preparing the Catalan landscape catalogues from 2006 to 2009. The Steering Committee and then the International Jury's decisions will determine the final winners. However, all the candidates selected at the regional level will be included in the Catalogue of Good Practices whose aim is to help raise awareness about these landscape concerns and the creation of a common landscape culture.
: New Director of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities (RECEP); Issue 26, November-December 10; This past September 30th, the eighth meeting of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention's (RECEP) Executive Committee met in Ploiesti (Prahova County, Romania). One of the Committee's primary decisions was to name Oriol Porcel to head the Network for the next four years, substituting Riccardo Priore in this post. Luminita Iatan, the representative for Prahova County in the Network was named Deputy-Director. Other decisions refer to the new activities the Network will undertake over the coming months as well as its new communications and financing strategies. The Network, whose legal headquarters are found in Strasbourg (France), is a non-governmental international organisation consisting of 35 local and regional public entities across Europe, including Catalonia. RECEP's primary objectives are to raise awareness about and apply the European Landscape Convention at both the local and regional levels and foment the exchange of landscape-related experiences and knowledge amongst its members. Through the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, the Autonomous Community plays a leading role in the Network, though the Government of Catalonia is the Community's political and institutional representative in RECEP.
: Results from the 6th International Congress on Spatial Planning; Issue 26, November-December 10; More than 300 people participated in the 6th International Congress on Spatial Planning (VI CIOT) held from October 27th to 29th in Pamplona and organised by Fundicot. The title of this year's congress was "Moving towards a commitment to the Territory". The Congress' topic areas focused on: 1) "Experiences and good governance with regard to spatial planning. New challenges in times of crisis"; 2) "Cities and global change; towards a new territorial paradigm"; 3) "Coastal and inland tourism and the effect of the second home on territorial development. The need to adapt basic sectors of our economy"; 4) "Rural development and biosphere reserves. New horizons of hope"; 5) "Landscape and territorial heritage. Values to develop and conserve"; and 6) "Infrastructures and territory. The need for change to achieve effective and efficient productive territorial capital". The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, through its technical coordinator, has taken part in the Congress' Scientific Committee. More information about the Congress is available at this website and the conclusions here.
: Landscape policies in Catalonia, protagonists during the 10th anniversary celebration of the European Landscape Convention; Issue 26, November-December 10; A conference was held on October 19th and 20th in Florence to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Council of Europe's European Landscape Convention approved in 2000 in the same Italian city. This conference served to examine the progress made in protecting, managing and planning European landscapes over the last decades as well as to analyse the new challenges to the Landscape Convention's application. Information is available on the Council of Europe's website regarding this celebration. Catalonia was the European region chosen by the Council of Europe to explain its landscape policies over the last ten years to the more than 300 political representatives and technical experts from numerous European institutions, universities and organisms. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, a member of the group responsible for the European Landscape Convention's information system, was also present during this event. The European Landscape Convention, which entered into force in March, 2004, was the first international treaty giving legal recognition to landscape. To this date, more than 31 Council of Europe members countries have ratified the Convention. The Catalan Parliament adhered to the Convention in December 2000, just two months after its initial approval in Florence.
: Exchange of experiences between the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and Chilean and Argentine institutions; Issue 26, November-December 10; Last October, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia was invited by the Spanish Cultural Centre in Santiago de Chile to describe its activities and exchange experiences with other institutions and entities from that country. The conference, "Landscape and Citizen Participation", held within the framework of the Citizen Empowerment and Participation cycle of conferences, represented the start of two days of meetings with experts from the Chilean Government's Geo-information Heritage Unit and other Ministries to find out about their respective activities in the landscape area and debate jointly on future challenges. The Chilean capital also hosted a conference with representatives from the Argentine Landscape Network which is present in 19 Argentine cities and has been working for the last two years on the creation of landscape observatories at each of its respective hubs. These observatories share very similar objectives to those of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. Lastly worth noting is the extraordinary social work carried out by the Fermín Vivaceta School and Workshop of Crafts in favour of urban landscapes and heritage in the historic Yungay neighbourhood.
: First research grant 'Thinking Landscape 2010'; Issue 26, November-December 10; The CDAN has awarded the first of the research grants "Thinking Landscape 2010" to the project "Landscape experience in China during the Song dynasty", by Antonio José Mezcua López. The panel was formed by specialists in different fields: Joan Nogué, director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia; Javier Maderuelo, professor of Landscape Architecture in the University of Alcalá de Henares; Manuel García, professor of Art History in the University of Zaragoza; and Teresa Luesma, director of the CDAN of the Beulas Foundation. The project by Antonio Mezcua presents a methodological approach to the landscape in China that encompasses all fields where the concept of landscape is present. The members of the panel highlighted the large number of projects (170) as well as the high professional quality of the researchers involved, belonging to different fields. In their works, they applied a wide array of methodologies and perspectives when approaching the idea of landscape, ranging from the study of specific situation from general theoretical analysis.
: 5th Anniversary of the Catalan Law on Landscapes; Issue 26, November-December 10; On June 8th, 2005, the Parliament of Catalonia approved the Law on landscape protection, management and planning in Catalonia. Inspired by the European Landscape Convention, the Catalan Law on Landscape begins with a global and integral view of landscape and is pragmatic and tangible in nature. It also gives preference to providing incentives rather than applying sanctions. With the 5th anniversary of this Law's approval, the Government of Catalonia has published La política de paisatge a Catalunya which summarises the diverse initiatives enacted in this field. Over the last five years, the Law has been developed as foreseen, all the instruments specified in the Law have been applied and concrete actions have been taken as a result of each. Concretely in terms of territorial planning, a process has been launched to develop and apply the landscape catalogues and guidelines and the studies and reports on landscape impact and integration. As foreseen within the Law, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has also consolidated its role as an international reference in the landscape field and has carried out intense labour to communicate and raise awareness about this important issue. Specifically, in this last respect, the Landscape Observatory has fomented the use of landscape files and the incorporation of landscape as an additional academic subject within Catalan schools. Lastly, various annual and open calls for proposals to finance initiatives aimed at improving landscapes have been organised through the specific fund dedicated to protecting, managing and planning landscapes.
: Inventory of Andalusian landscape resources; Issue 26, November-December 10; Since 2009, the Andalusian Landscape and Territory Study Centre has been working to create and inventory landscape resources in that autonomous community. Its aim is to move forward on identifying, categorising and qualifying landscapes in accordance with European Landscape Convention principles and with the objective of joining the Andalusian Network of Environmental Information (REDIAM). Based on the methodology used to evaluate landscapes in England and Ireland, amongst others, this inventory aims to implement and coordinate the primary sources and technical procedures necessary to respond to the growing demands from both public and private sectors to protect, manage, plan and make use of landscape resources. The tool is based on a semi-automatic process to identify, catalogue and qualify landscapes and aims to be generalisable in terms of territorial planning at different levels. Thus far, the Andalusian Landscape and Territory Study Centre has applied this inventory to the Sierra Morena mountain range, used as the pilot area. This project was initiated at the behest of the Directorate General on Sustainable Development and Environmental Information within the Government of Andalusia's Ministry of the Environment and framed within the Andalusian Landscape Strategy.
: The project to renovate the Tel Aviv port awarded the Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize; Issue 26, November-December 10; The project to renovate the Tel Aviv port awarded the Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize
The 6th European Landscape Biennial, held in Barcelona from September 30th to October 2nd, attracted nearly 800 participants to debate on and exhibit their creations around the topic of "liquid landscapes." The Biennial also served to announce the winner of the Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize which serves to recognise the best landscape projects over the last four years. On this occasion, the award was given to the Tel Aviv port project in Israel designed by Mayslits Kassif Architects. This project represented a non-aggressive landscape intervention initiative from an architectural point of view in comparison to previous projects in this area of the port. This year's Biennial was organised by the Illustrious College of Architects of Catalonia, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya's (UPC) Master's Programme in Architecture and Landscape, the association "Friends of the UPC" and the Government of Catalonia's Directorate General on Architecture and Landscape with support from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs.
: The Proxectoterra education project receives the National Urban Planning Award; Issue 26, November-December 10; The Spanish Department of Public Works has awarded the II National Urban Planning Award to the education project Proxextoterra, fostered by the Galician Architects Association. The project was launched ten years ago, in January 2000, and was aimed at promoting the improvement of the education on Galician land, architecture and landscape. The contents are structured around text books, exercise booklets, audiovisual materials and comic strips and are complemented by different activities, all adapted to the different levels of compulsory education and available for teachers, students or the general public. All contents are available at their website: http://proxectoterra.coag.es/. The Proxectoterra is one of the experiences mentioned in the new book edited by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, a selection of the papers of the International Seminar on Landscape and Education held in November 2009.
: Results from the Paisatge i Cooperació per al Desenvolupament Conference; Issue 25, September-October 10; The Jornada Paisatge i Cooperació per al Desenvolupament ("Landscape and Development Cooperation Conference"), was held on June 18th in Barcelona, organised by the Catalan Landscape Observatory with support from the Government of Canada. More than 100 participants from Catalonia, the rest of Spain and several other European countries took part. The conference served to create a space in which to debate on the role of landscapes in cooperation projects for development, especially in terms of the possibilities landscape provides to improve the quality of life of those societies receiving developmental aid. The various presentations given during the conference will be published in the Landscape Observatory's "Documents" collection in 2011.
: International Seminar on Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery programme and registration; Issue 25, September-October 10; 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), is organising the "International Seminar on Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery" to be held in Olot (Girona) on November 11th and 12th, 2010. The objective of this seminar is to propose new ways of intervening in and managing peripheral areas, providing new landscape references and alternative readings of spaces found between different territorial realities. The programme, which is available for consultation on the Observatory's website, offers interesting presentations in different disciplines.
It's worth noting that presentations will be provided in Catalan, Spanish and Italian and that registration began on September 15th. To complement these presentations, the Landscape Observatory and the City of Olot's Culture Institute have organised a series of additional activities to study these fringes through photography, cinema and plastic arts.
: The Landscape Observatory publishes its document, Paisatge i participació ciutadana, into English; Issue 25, September-October 10; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just translated its recent book, Paisatge i participació ciutadana, into English: Landscape and Public Participation, available on the Observatory website. With this translation, the Observatory has launched a new line of publications offered completely in English in keeping with its goal of informing about the landscape-related experiences in Catalonia. In this case, this document describes the participatory processes carried out to prepare the Catalan landscape catalogues, processes which, due to their pioneering and innovative nature at the European level, represent a significant initiative with which to begin publishing in English. Landscape and Public Participation can be downloaded free of charge on the Observatory's website.
: Definitive approval for the Terres de l'Ebre Landscape Catalogue; Issue 25, September-October 10; On July 22nd, the Government of Catalonia gave definitive approval to the Terres de l'Ebre Landscape Catalogue, the third such catalogue within the seven being prepared by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. Said approval was issued via the Government Edict dated July 22nd regarding the resolution to definitively approve said catalogue (published in the official gazette, DOGC, number 5684 on 08/03/2010). Those interested can consult the content of this new catalogue at the Landscape Observatory website. The Landscape Observatory delivered the Terres de l'Ebre Landscape Catalogue to the Catalan Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) on July 23rd, 2010, which made the Catalogue available for public consultation from November 10th to December 10th, 2009.
: Guides and documents to improve landscape quality; Issue 25, September-October 10; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has created a new section on its website called "Guides and documents to improve landscape quality", featuring diverse texts issued by Catalan, European and other international bodies proposing specific criteria and guidelines with which to integrate diverse infrastructures (such as roads and telecommunications infrastructures, wind farms, and economic activity areas, amongst others) into the landscape as best as possible. The aim of this new section is to make this set of guidelines and best practices available to public administrations, developers, and landscape and regional planning professionals.
: The content of the Comarques Gironines Landscape Catalogue is available to the public for consultation; Issue 25, September-October 10; The Catalan Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works has provisionally approved the Comarques Gironines Landscape Catalogue, making it available to the public for consultation for a period of one month as of the due notification of this via the official gazette, Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC). The aim of this consultation is for people to raise any concerns they might have, in accordance with the edict published in the DOGC on August 23, 2010, to guarantee maximum participation, transparency and proximity to Government initiatives. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia delivered the Comarques Gironines Lanscape Catalogue to the Catalan Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works on February 26th, 2010. The full content of this new landscape catalogue can be consulted on the Landscape Observatory's website.
: Publication of 'Guia d'estudis d'impacte i integració paisatgística'; Issue 25, September-October 10; Landscape impact and integration studies are instruments foreseen within Catalan landscape and planning legislation to promote the proper insertion of diverse activities within landscapes. Their application, however, is still not consolidated and requires a set of references. This is one of the motives behind the Directorate General for Architecture and the Landscape having published its Guia d'estudis d'impacte i integració paisatgística ("Guide to landscape impact and integration studies"). The goal of the latter is to provide methodological guidelines when preparing diverse studies, orientate different types of interventions, and provide a wide range of technical and informational resources to specify and implement these initiatives.
: Celebrating the tenth anniversary of the European Landscape Convention's approval; Issue 25, September-October 10; This coming October represents the tenth anniversary of the Council of Europe's approval of the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in Florence, Italy. The ELC is the first international treaty which gives legal status to landscapes. The Council of Europe and the Government of Italy have organised diverse celebrations to commemorate the European Landscape Convention's tenth anniversary on October 19th and 20th. The goal of these celebrations is to review the progress made in protecting, managing and planning landscapes in Europe and to promote the application of the law. The ELC entered into effect on March 1st, 2004. To date, 31 Council of Europe member countries have already ratified the Convention: Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. In addition, seven countries are Convention signatories: Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Malta, Serbia, Sweden and Switzerland.
: The Council of Europe develops a European-wide information system on the European Landscape Convention; Issue 25, September-October 10; Since January 2009, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has been collaborating with a working group in the Council of Europe to create a European-wide information system to be able to keep track of the European Landscape Convention. This system will be presented at the upcoming Florence Conference in October, organised to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the European Landscape Convention's signing. This information system is based on a powerful database with information provided by the Council of Europe member states. This database will include information about the different policies enacted by the respective governments and regional authorities. Once fully operational, the system will allow institutions, entities, professionals, universities and the public at large to have access to the leading information and experiences regarding landscape protection, management and planning throughout Europe, all the while encouraging exchange and cooperation between countries and regions to apply the European Landscape Convention.
: Registration to be opened soon for the ''International Seminar on Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery''; Issue 24, July- August 10; On upcoming September 15th, registration opens for the "International Seminar on Fringes. Landscapes of the Periphery." The detailed programme for this event can be consulted here. This seminar will be held in Olot (Girona) on November 11th and 12th, 2010, and is organised by the Catalan Landscape Observatory in collaboration with the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities (RECEP-ENELC) and the City of Olot's Culture Institute (ICCO). Speakers cover a wide variety of fields, including Geography, Sociology, Architecture, Art, Music and Literature. Together, they will attempt to propose new ways of intervening and managing these transitional areas between different territorial realities, providing new landscape references and untraditional, alternative readings. The seminar also includes a series of parallel activities to complement the speakers' presentations.
: New digital soundscape dossier; Issue 24, July- August 10; Landscapes have traditionally been associated to sight; however, sound, small, taste and touch can also be as or more important than sight when experimenting and living a given landscape. Based on this idea, the Catalan Landscape Observatory has created a digital dossier on soundscapes available in Catalan, Spanish, English and French, a dossier which can be easily updated due to its digital format. Compiling this dossier has three objectives: inform about soundscapes, their diversity and importance; gather, classify and organise the main information available on Internet to make it easier to consult; and become a reference on soundscapes for both specialists and the general public. This dossier stems from the Catalan Soundscapes Conference organised by the Catalan Landscape Observatory, Fundació Bosch i Gimpera/Universitat de Barcelona and Obra Social de Caixa de Catalunya held in November 2008 at the Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre (CCCB).
: The DPTOP and the Catalan Landscape Observatory publish the book, Catàleg de paisatge. Les Terres de Lleida; Issue 24, July- August 10; The Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia have jointly published the book Catàleg de paisatge. Les Terres de Lleida ("Landscape Catalogue. Lands of Lleida"). This represents the first of seven catalogues that the Landscape Observatory has prepared and presented to the DPTOP, concretely on October 31st, 2006. At the same time, it is the first landscape catalogue approved by the Government of Catalonia on September 10th, 2008 (by virtue of the Edict published on that same date). The book is 530 pages long and represents the diversity and wealth of the landscapes in this area, its value, its threats and opportunities. The numerous photos accompanying the text belong, amongst others, to renowned photographers such as Oriol Alamany, Jordi Bas, Ernest Costa and Rafael López-Monné. Further information about this book is available here.
: Definitive approval of the Camp de Tarragona Landscape Catalogue; Issue 24, July- August 10; On May 24th, the Government of Catalonia definitively approved the Camp de Tarragona Landscape Catalogue, the second of seven catalogues being prepared by the Catalan Landscape Observatory. This catalogue was approved by virtue of Edict of May 28th, 2010, based on a resolution by the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works to definitively approve the Camp de Tarragona Landscape Catalogue. The content of this catalogue can be consulted on the Landscape Observatory's website. The Landscape Observatory forwarded the Camp de Tarragona Landscape Catalogue to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) on October 31st, 2006 and the DPTOP made it available to public commentary and consultation from July 31st to October 31st, 2007.
: New landscape integration guide; Issue 24, July- August 10; The Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) has published a new guide entitled Guia d'integració paisatgística de les construccions agràries ("Guide to Agrarian Construction Landscape Integration"). Edited jointly with the Illustrious College of Agricultural Engineers and Agricultural Technical Experts of Catalonia and the Fundació Agrícola Catalana, this guide aims to serve as a practical reference to orientate landscape improvement projects affecting agrarian constructions. It addresses issues such as the reconciliation between functional concerns and landscape in order to achieve better cared for and more competitive rural areas. It consists of four chapters: general landscape integration issues; a diagnosis of common problems with agrarian constructions and guiding criteria; management issues; and 10 key ideas as a synthesis. It also includes various annex documents with recommendations on material, finishes, and plant species, amongst others. You can consult the full guide here.
: The magazine, Descobrir Catalunya, continues exploring Catalan landscapes; Issue 24, July- August 10; The Catalan Landscape Observatory continues to collaborate with the section "El paisatge del mes" ("Landscape of the month") in the magazine Descobrir Catalunya. This initiative aims to inform about a selection of 135 different landscape units in Catalonia. Landscapes highlighted thus far include the Altiplà de la Terra Alta (Terres de l'Ebre), in May, 2010; Terraprims (Comarques Gironines), in June; and the Conca d'Alforja-Vilaplana (Camp de Tarragona), in July. Descobrir Catalunya is a monthly magazine which has been offering special reports on different towns and areas throughout Catalonia, the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the Balearic Islands since 1997.
: The educational project City, Territory, Landscape in municipalities with a landscape charter; Issue 24, July- August 10; The City, Territory, Landscape project is innovative at both the Catalan and European levels. It's aimed at secondary school students and teachers in Catalonia, and its objective is to raise knowledge about Catalan landscape heritage and student's awareness about the need to protect landscape values and the impact human actions have on the territory. The teaching materials consist of three elements: a folder with 12 wall charts representing the diversity of landscapes found in Catalonia; the City, Territory, Landscape website with interactive activities, and an online teaching guide which orientates teachers and provides them the necessary tools to work with their students, track their progress and evaluate them. The project is the result of a collaborative effort between the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and Ministry of Education and the Catalan Landscape Observatory. Since early 2010, the Government of Catalonia with support from the Landscape Observatory is fomenting the project's implementation in areas where landscape charters are being created, in particular the Vall de Camprodon Association of Municipalities, Priorat, Alt Empordà, Penedès and the Vall del Tenes Association of Municipalities.
: Presentations at the 1st Insular Conference on Landscapes; Issue 24, July- August 10; Last February 24th and 25th the 1st Insular Conference on Landscape (Jornadas Insulares del Paisaje) was held in Tenerife, entitled Situación y oportunitades del paisaje de Tenerife ("Status of Tenerife landscapes and opportunities"). This conference was divided into four sessions, a roundtable discussion and two applied sessions. Topics included the conceptual and legal landscape framework in Tenerife and Spain as a whole, social landscape management, territorial custody, landscape characteristics, numerous examples of landscape protection and management in Tenerife and urban and transitional zone landscape improvement. The conferences' various documents can be consulted here.
: 6th International Conference on Territorial Planning; Issue 24, July- August 10; On October 27th, 28th and 29th the 6th International Conference on Territorial Planning (VI Congreso Internacional de Ordenación del Territorio, VI CIOT) will be held at the Navarra Congress Hall and Auditorium in Pamplona. Organised by Fundicot, this conference has been held periodically since 1989. This edition's objective is to provide a space for debate on the need to find new means of intervention to adapt territorial models, cities, the economy, infrastructures and landscape to the new demands arising from the current global crisis and its consequences, as well as demands from an increasingly globalised society and from the fact that the ability to transform it is increasingly conditioned by external circumstances. The conference's specific subject blocks are: 1) experiences and good governance practices in territorial planning; new challenges arising from the crisis; 2) cities and global change; towards a new territorial paradigm; 3) interior and coastal tourism and the impact of vacation homes on territorial development; the need to adapt basic sectors of our economy; 4) rural development and biosphere reserves; the hope for new horizons; 5) landscape and territorial heritage; values to be developed and preserved; and 6) infrastructures and territory; the need for change to encourage effectiveness and efficiency in territorial production capital. The deadline to send proposals for presentations is September 15th, 2010. This conference is sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, and the Governments of Catalonia, Navarre, the Basque Country and Asturias.
: Call for the 3rd Mediterranean Landscape Award now open; Issue 24, July- August 10; The Government of Catalonia, through the PAYS.MED.URBAN project in which it participates along with other European regions, is jointly working on this call to select diverse landscape plans, programmes, projects, work and communication activities to be included in the catalogue of good landscape practices while opting, at the same time, for the 3rd Mediterranean Landscape Award. Submissions should address one or more of the following six subject blocks: the existence of a sufficient number of well-managed urban spaces, with special attention to agriculture in transitional areas; the offering of well-designed areas in terms of landscape to attract new companies or economic sectors; the visual quality of access to urban areas; landscape integration in new residential areas within transitional areas; the visual and environmental quality of peri-urban areas; and, lastly, the protection and improvement of urban identity and image. The deadline to present candidatures is July 31st, 2010. For further information, please contact the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works.
: The Landscape Observatory publishes the book 'Paisatge i participació ciutadana'; Issue 23, May-June 10; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just published the book entitled Paisatge i participació ciutadana: L'experiència dels catàlegs de paisatge de Catalunya ("Landscape and Citizen Participation: The Experience of the Catalan Landscape Catalogues"), thus inaugurating the collection Documents. Paisatge i participació ciutadana describes the participatory instruments used to prepare the landscape catalogues in Catalonia, identifying and analysing the key factors which have to be taken into account when carrying out a participatory process such as this one. Given that there is no single, universally recognised (nor tested) participatory methodology for landscape planning and management, citizen participation in preparing these catalogues has been pioneering and experimental, making this publication especially interesting. Documents, the Landscape Observatory's new collection of texts, has been designed to provide readers with shorter readings than those in the collection Plecs de Paisatge ("Landscape Texts"). A copy of Paisatge i participació ciutadana can be obtained from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, like the rest of the institution's publications. You will shortly find the full text on our website.
: Seminar on Landscape and Development Cooperation; Issue 23, May-June 10; The territorial dimension, in the broadest sense, has always been extraordinarily important in the development cooperation area. Issues such as the environment, energy resources, tourism or cultural patrimony, amongst others, have been the guiding themes for many concrete cooperation experiences. Precisely for this reason, these subjects have been debated to greater or lesser extent in different forums. Inexplicably, however, the same is not true with landscape, a concept which better expresses the dialectical and often contradictory relationship between nature and culture and, at the same time, allows us to access the complex world of collective imaginary. Landscape is, thus, especially ideal for international development cooperation. Convinced of its potential in this area, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, in collaboration with the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, has decided to organise the seminar Landscape and Development Cooperation, aimed at studying the structuring role of landscape in international projects. Special attention will be given to the possibilities landscape offers in terms of improving the conditions of life in those societies the object of cooperative efforts. This conference will be held in Barcelona on June 18th of this year.
: International Seminar on Fringes: The Landscapes of the Periphery; Issue 23, May-June 10; Suburbs are like fringes, cross-over areas between different geographical realities and landscape layouts. They are not only the (often unexpected and undesirable) result of a centre that grows and needs to expand wherever and however. Suburbs are more than just the outer perimeter of a centre: they are also (especially) a border between different territorial realities and play an increasingly important role. More often than not, these peripheral areas offer disordered and unfinished landscapes with negative connotations for the population. This fact, as affirmed in the European Landscape Convention, has repercussions on society's wellbeing since quality of life is directly related to landscape quality. To understand their logic and idiosyncrasies, different highly varied perspectives are needed: from art to literature, from music to films, from photography to architecture, from geography to sociology and from urban planning to ecology. Based on this multidisciplinary perspective, 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), is organising an international seminar called Fringes. The Landscapes of the Periphery to be held in Olot (Spain) on November 11th and 12th, 2010. The goal of this seminar is to propose new management and intervention methods along with new landscape references and alternative interpretations to the hegemonic and habitual ones.
: The magazine ‘Descobrir Catalunya' to spotlight 12 of Catalonia's 135 landscapes; Issue 23, May-June 10; With the aim of publicising the wealth and variety of Catalonia's landscapes, since April 2010 the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has been contributing to the new section "El paisatge del mes" or "Landscape of the month" of the magazine Descobrir Catalunya. Over the coming year, this publication will cover a selection of the 135 landscapes of Catalonia. The first landscape was published in No. 144, corresponding to May 2010, and featured the Altiplà de la Terra Alta, in Terres de l'Ebre. The second landscape to be published, currently in preparation, will be that of Terraprims, in Comarques Gironines. Descobrir Catalunya ("Discover Catalonia") is a monthly magazine which has reported on villages and places throughout the length and breadth of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands since 1997.
: Second edition of the Landscape Award of the Council of Europe; Issue 23, May-June 10; The Council of Europe has made the call for entries to the second edition of the Landscape Award. The award arose out of the European Landscape Convention, signed in Florence in 2000 with the aim of promoting the protection, management and planning of the landscapes of Europe and contributing to citizens' quality of life. The award, addressed to regional and local governments and also non-governmental organisations, carries no monetary prize, but great prestige. The first edition of the Landscape Award, conferred in 2009, went to Parc de la Deûle, in the French city of Lille. In that same edition, Parque de Cristina Enea in San Sebastián won the jury's Special Mention. In the second edition, the Spanish candidatures will be coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. For further information on the second edition of the Landscape Award, consult the European Landscape Convention web site and our next newsletters.
: First call for papers now open for the closing conference of the Landscape and Sustainable Development programme; Issue 23, May-June 10; Some urban and periurban landscapes are often run-down or simply unpleasant, frequently associated to the stigma of social exclusion or deteriorated living conditions. This is precisely the topic chosen by the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, together with the Landscape Observatory, the Perpignan Urban Authority and the cities of Perpignan and Girona for the International Conference entitled, "Landscapes of Everyday Life. Intersecting Perspectives on Research and Action". This conference will be held jointly in the cities of Perpignan and Girona on March 16th – 18th, 2011, representing the culmination of the French Ministry's research programme, Landscape and Sustainable Development. Conceptually found between Social Sciences and Biological Sciences, the conference aims to unite and foment the debate on this topic within the academic, professional and institutional communities, in particular, among European countries. The call for papers ends May 31st, 2010.
: The treatise 'Boscos madurs. Riquesa ambiental' is published; Issue 23, May-June 10; With the aim of informing about the ecological and cultural value of old forests found in Girona counties, the Girona Provincial Council's Area of the Environment and Territory has just published the treatise Boscos madurs. Riquesa ambiental ("Old Growth Forests. Environmental Wealth") with the collaboration of the Fundació Caixa Girona. This publication explains what an old forest consists of, its importance and functions and illustrates the typical fauna found in these forests and explores some of the threats these spaces currently face. The treatise also dedicated time at the end to present a map of natural reserves in Girona counties which preserve old growth forests. This publication is a part of the Selvans Programme to protect and conserve unique old growth forests. This programme has also implied the Provincial Council signing 54 agreements this year to protect up to 563 hectares of forests on private lands. You will shortly be able to consult the publication at the Diputació de Girona website.
: Children to give their opinions about Barcelona landscapes; Issue 23, May-June 10; This Public Audience, organised by the Barcelona City Council, invites children to forward their landscape-related proposals to the city. This activity, whose aim is to encourage civic participation, consists of a period of reflection and debate for children ranging from 6th graders in elementary school to those in high school, leading to the preparation and adoption of a joint declaration. The conclusions they agree on will be presented during a public audience with the Mayor. Held annually, the 15th Public Audience is entitled, Barcelona millora el seu paisatge! Mesures per a la protecció i la qualitat del paisatge urbà ("Barcelona improves its landscapes! Measures to protect and improve the quality of urban landscapes"). Its objectives are to prepare a series of proposals related to urban landscape conservation and improvement. It began in October 2009 with an informational session for teachers. Since then, the subject has been addressed in different schools, and meetings have been organised between schools, leading to the final draft, that was presented to the Mayor on May 4th. The final phase consists of analysing the activity and following up on the agreements taken by the City Council.
: Third edition of the seminar Introduction to landscape character assessment; Issue 23, May-June 10; For the third consecutive year, the Heritage Council of Ireland is organising the seminar Introduction to landscape character assessment, with collaboration from the Landscape Observatory. The goal of this seminar is to bring together experts in urban planning and zoning all from diverse fields, including geography, architecture, archaeology, ecology and engineering, to debate on how to perceive, assess and plan the different factors related to Irish landscapes. This seminar will be held on May 26th and 27th, 2010, in Spanish Point and Tula (Ireland) and, based on the landscape character assessment methodology, it will explore landscape as a factor within European identity, the functions and benefits of this landscape character assessment and its relationship with historic characterisations as well as the importance of public participation in landscape management and planning. One more year, all the public participation mechanisms enacted by the Landscape Observatory to prepare its Catalan landscape catalogues have been incorporated as material for analysis.
: Feuilla en projet; Issue 22, March-April 10; The European Academy for the Culture of Landscape (PETRARCA) is organising a week of specialised workshops, from May 23th to 29th, in the village of Feuilla whose territorial identity is under threat. Feuilla is located within the Narbonne Regional Park, concretely within the Corbières Commune ("land of vineyards, forests and thickets"). With these workshops, the aim is for Feuilla to explore how to face the future regarding questions such as the disappearance of agriculture, especially that dedicated to grapes, the return of grazing, homes becoming vacation residences, the uncontrolled growth of forests and the development of a tourism industry which respects the territory's identity and one which actively seeks to maintain the continuity of the area's singular traits and characteristics. PETRARCA is an international research group dedicated to the landscape field. It consists of geographers, ecologists, agronomists, architects, etc., and regularly organises Landscape Weeks such as this one in Feuilla. The role of the organisation's experts is to accompany the participants in the different practical workshops to achieve a collective vision and a view to a future project for the territories.
: Land Use Planning of Alt Empordà Wind Farms; Issue 22, March-April 10; This past February 16th, the report, Ordenació territorial dels parcs eòlics a l'Alt Empordà (Catalonia) (Land Use Planning of Alt Empordà Wind Farms) was presented. The report was prepared by the Institut Cerdà and promoted by Figueres Town Hall, the Alt Empordà Area Council and the Local Initiatives Council for the Environment (CILMA). The aim of the study is to define and analyse models and implementation sectors for wind farms in Alt Empordà, studying the possibilities and requirements of the land, evaluating the potential amount of energy produced and proposing a region-wide management model to allow local administrations in Alt Empordà to define a wind power development plan. You may access this study here.
: Galicia Shore Management Plan; Issue 22, March-April 10; Through its Department of the Environment, Territory and Infrastructures, the Government of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia) has presented and submitted its Shore Management Plan (POL) to the public for consultation in order to establish the criteria, principles and general norms regarding the urban planning of the Galician shore. Sustainability criteria will be used as the basis for a new norm to guarantee the preservation, protection and appreciation for coastal areas. The plan encompasses 212,000 hectares of shoreline. A series of protection and planning measures will also be applied in terms of urbanisation, measures which will have an impact on the Galician landscape. The Xunta has created a webpage on the POL to guarantee Galicians access to information about the Plan and for them to send their feedback, doubts and suggestions. The Xunta's POL is now under consultation with the town councils and competent institutions responsible for urban planning until March 2010.
: The Council of Europe's 9th Workshop for the Application of the European Landscape Convention and the 3rd International Landscape and Infrastructures Congress; Issue 22, March-April 10; From April 15th to 17th, the Council of Europe and the Government of Andalusia's (Junta de Andalucía) Department of Public Works and Transport are organising the Workshop for the Application of the European Landscape Convention along with the 3rd International Landscape and Infrastructures Congress in Cordoba. Both events will consist of four workshops organised by subject blocks around the issue of infrastructures and landscape. The first workshop is called "European Networks and Landscape" and its aim is to systematise the complexity and wealth of European landscapes as well as citizens' mobility and transport quality, creating an ordered and integral vision to make sense of them and make their value apparent. The second workshop, "Infrastructures and Landscape in a Sustainable Model," will address infrastructures which lay the groundwork for social and economic dynamics in the territory and support sustainability. The third workshop, "Landscape Criteria for Infrastructure Design," will focus on infrastructure planning and design while bearing in mind landscape. Lastly, the fourth workshop, "Infrastructures for Creating and Reclaiming Landscapes," will examine the need for specific landscape infrastructures which positively and effectively draw society to the landscape issue, increasing society's appreciation for landscape and promoting a more sensitive and aware attitude in terms of its values. For further information here.
: Educational Programme Promoted by Natural England: Language of Landscape; Issue 22, March-April 10; Natural England is an organisation whose goal is to preserve and evaluate the natural environment in the United Kingdom in terms of its intrinsic value for the well-being and quality of life it can provide. In this respect it has launched an educational programme entitled the Language of Landscape aimed at eleven-year old students in England, Scotland and Wales. The project uses survey maps to capture students' attention and to encourage them to explore the landscape, not just in class with the map but also outdoors. This offers teachers the opportunity to, on the one hand, reinforce the educational value of maps and, on the other, strengthen students' knowledge and appreciation for landscapes (both urban and rural). The map serves to initiate this theoretical and practical exploration, while geography provides the context and knowledge to understand their exploration. This year, the British survey agency, Ordnance Survey, is working with Natural England to offer free access to their maps. It has also prepared additional resources for teachers, including a booklet created jointly with the Geographical Association, highlighting the objectives of each lesson, practical exercises and advice for working with the maps.
: Results of the international seminar; Issue 21, January-February 10; The international seminar "Landscape and Education", held on 19 and 20 November in Barcelona, at the Auditori Caixa Catalunya La Pedrera, was an occasion for experts from all over Europe to reflect on the importance of landscape education for improving quality of life in society and to speak about concrete experiences on landscape education at different levels of regulated and non-formal education. Around 200 people from Catalonia, the rest of Spain and different European countries attended the seminar. The high degree of interest it aroused prompted the Observatory to decide to make video recordings of the presentations, which are available on its website. Furthermore, in 2010 the seminar's results will be gathered in a publication with the same name, which will form part of the Observatory's "Plecs de Paisatge" collection.
: Debate sessions as part of the civic participation process for the Landscape Catalogue of the Comarques Centrals; Issue 21, January-February 10; As part of the process to create the Landscape Catalogue of the Comarques Centrals, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia organised three debate sessions directed at the most representative group possible of landscape stakeholders and people who know the Comarques Centrals region. The aims of these sessions were to contrast the work performed by the teams of experts and to reach a consensus on proposals for landscape planning and management in the Comarques Centrals with the main stakeholders involved in landscape management. The sessions took place in Igualada, Manresa and Vic on 10, 14 and 16 December, respectively. They were attended by 52 persons representing various local entities which had been called especially for the occasion. Minding the diversity of interests that come together in landscape issues, the debates enjoyed the participation of professional colleges, agrarian unions, town councils, county councils and bodies that manage protected spaces. The results of the three workshops will be taken into account by the landscape catalogue's drafting team, together with the proposals collected though the electronic consultation section on the Landscape Observatory's website.
Other tools of civic participation have already been used for drafting the Landscape Catalogue of the Comarques Centrals, such as information sessions and participation by the populace at large (June 2008), direct interviews with the main stakeholders involved in landscape management (January, February and March 2009) and online consultation, which will remain active until 1 March 2010.
: Theory and Landscape: Reflections from Interdisciplinary Perspectives; Issue 21, January-February 10; On Thursday 25 and Friday 26 February 2010, the Auditori Mercè Rodoreda at Pompeu Fabra University will host the international seminar Theory and Landscape: Reflections from Interdisciplinary Perspectives. The seminar begins with a concept of landscape as an interdisciplinary category rather than a single theoretical framework, understanding that it can only be approached with a new discourse created by crossing focal points. Some of the major topics to be discussed at the seminar include: the epistemological debate on the concept of landscape and its theoretical and practical applications; reviewing and updating the different currents of thought on the concept of landscape; the inflationary presence of the idea of "landscape" and the trivialisation of its content; and, finally, landscape in artistic discourse and contemporary artistic creation. The round table discussions will provide the ideal structure for the debate and exchange of ideas among the speakers and the public attending the congress. Since it is conceived with a theoretical and critical nature, the seminar is addressed first to universities and the academic public, and then to professionals in the fields of heritage management and artistic creation.
: The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is named representative of the European RECEP-ENELC network's new Technical Coordination Board; Issue 21, January-February 10; As part of the 6th meeting of the Executive Board of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP), which was held in Seville on 3 December 2009, RECEP-ENELC's Technical Coordination Board was constituted, and its headquarters set to be located in the Patio de Banderas in Seville. This office will lend technical and scientific support to RECEP-ENELC's projects and activities. The six representatives for the aforementioned Technical Coordination Board were also chosen at the meeting, with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia figuring among them. The other five members come from the regions of Basilicata (Italy), Venetto (Italy), Prahova (Romania), Mallorca (Spain) and Västra Götaland (Sweden). The representatives' role will be to monitor and steer the work of the Technical Coordination Board.
: The PaHisCat project; Issue 21, January-February 10; The landscape catalogues of Catalonia demonstrate the extraordinary variety of landscapes in Catalonia. The 135 identified and characterised landscapes that cover the entire Catalan territory are the result of an historical evolution that has formed their character and identity. In line with similar experiences undertaken in other European countries, such as England's Historic Landscape Characterisation programme, for example, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, commissioned by the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works, began a line of research through the Paisatge Històric de Catalunya (PaHisCat) project at the end of 2009 on the historical evolution of landscapes in Catalonia as a complement to the landscape catalogues. Carried out by researchers from the University of Lleida, with whom an agreement has been signed, the project is currently scheduled to last one year, but with the possibility of extending it.
The PaHisCat project pursues a two-fold purpose: on one hand it studies the landscapes of the past in order to better understand how they evolved, and on the other hand it looks toward the future to establish patterns that can be used to improve the protection, planning and management of landscapes of Catalonia. For this first year, PaHisCat's field of study centres on the landscape units of Conca de Poblet, Horta de Pinyana, Terraprims and Vall Cerdana.
: Watch the Frontiers, See the World; Issue 21, January-February 10; This is the title of the international congress that a university group linked with the magazine Mirmanda is organising for 19, 20 and 21 March in Puigcerdà, Bellver de Cerdanya and Llívia. The aim of the congress is to debate the crosscutting nature of the frontier. It deals with analysing and debating the frontier (or the "non-frontier", as they themselves define it) from different points of view (e.g., landscape, identity, the economy, language, psychology and history, etc.) in order to understand what it means for Europe in the 21st century. It is for this reason that the congress takes the format of an essay, in which the speakers bring their most personal feelings linked with their work of years doing research. In addition to the presentations by renowned experts from Catalonia, the rest of Spain, Europe and the Americas, there will be a round table discussion in which experts and independent professionals will engage the main ideas that emerge in order to discuss them within the context of Europe today, as well as to evoke the vision and application of Europe's frontiers which have been projected to the rest of the world for decades. Alongside the congress, there will be an exhibition of posters of works by various authors and a photography exhibition by Ernest Abentin, who works on the relation among the artist's perspective, nature and the frontier. For more information, click here.
: New regional landscape law in Emilia-Romagna; Issue 21, January-February 10; The administrative region of Emilia-Romagna has approved a new law on protecting and valorising the landscape (Regional Law of 30 November 2009, no. 23) with a two-fold objective: to adapt to the dispositions of the Code for Cultural and Landscape Assets and the European Landscape Convention; and to improve the quality of cities, peripheral zones, degraded areas and the landscape in general. The law will provide for instruments that work together with the Regional Territorial Plan so that places to live, work and have fun can hold on to their meaning and territorial references, since these are the bases of a community's sense of belonging to a place. The Law also provides for the Regional Observatory of Landscape Quality to monitor landscape transformations in the region. For more information, see the Law here.
: Book Ordenació i gestió del paisatge a Europa; Issue 20, November-December 09; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just published the book Ordenació i gestió del paisatge a Europa (Landscape planning and management in Europe), the third series of the collection "Plecs de Paisatge". This book is focused on three of the tools created and developed by the Catalan Landscape Legislation and its regulations: landscape catalogues of Catalonia, impact studies and landscape integration, and landscape charters. It analyses the application of three tools in the frame of a European comparative study and, because of this, includes interesting contributions from French, Swiss, Italian, Dutch and British experts. The aim is to offer a little taste of what are the European experiences in this field, so that any reader interested in this matter can make their own comparison with the Catalan experience. Free copies of this book, as for all the publications of this collection, are available from the Observatory on request, as well as on the website.
: New image of the Observatory Web; Issue 20, November-December 09; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has renewed the image and contents of the Web (www.catpaisatge.net) with the objective of offering the user a wider, faster, more efficient and more simple service by using technologies up to date. One of the innovations of the Web is the section "News", dedicated to all the activity of the Observatory, which, because of its relevance, results appropriate to be accentuated. A second important innovation is the incorporation in the home site of a temporary selection of photos taken by Catalan landscape photographers. This claims to bet on photography as a tool of information, communication and awareness, and at the service of landscape regulations. A shuttled sequence or artistic pictures by Jordi Bernadó, which will be on for 6 months, open this new section. The Landscape Observatory Web first appeared in the month of July 2005 as a reference and projection tool of its activity as well as a tool for any person interested in the theme of landscape anywhere in the world, especially in Catalonia, Spain and Europe.
: Seville will be the seat of the RECEP cooperative organ; Issue 20, November-December 09; Seville will host the Technical Co-ordination Board of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC). On its third meeting (15th September, in Strasbourg -headquarter of the Council of Europe) the General Assembly –RECEP's organ responsible for political decisions - has approved the proposal to put forward the Technical Co-ordination Board of the network. During the Assembly ballot, the candidature of the region of Andalusia received the unanimous support from the representatives of the network Members, who participated in the meeting.
The board shall provide technical, scientific and administrative assistance to enable the Members and the organs of RECEP-ENELC to perform their statuary functions. Further to this support, the TCB shall be responsible for carrying out the following tasks: the development, implementation and follow-up of territorial co-operation programmes, where Members and organs of the network are involved; the development of specific projects related to the implementation of the European Landscape Convention principles at local and regional level; the implementation of training programmes with regard to landscape issues at local, regional, national and international level; the drafting of technical and scientific documents in relation to seminars, conferences and publications, in which RECEP-ENELC organs and Members are involved; and the technical co-operation with other bodies such as universities, research centres, NGOs or international organisations.
: Talk on the Eighth Council of Europe meeting of the workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention; Issue 20, November-December 09; The Eighth Council of Europe meeting of the workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention was held last 8th-10th October in Malmö (Sweden), which title was Landscape And Driving Forces.
The convention was divided into 4 blocs in which was analysed the progress carried out in different fields such as climate change and the new energy paradigm of Europe, the globalscape, social transformations and the changes in the systems of landscape, production systems and consumption patterns in the international context. The talks were recorded and can be watched here.
: European Landscape Award; Issue 20, November-December 09; In the 8th Meeting of the Workshops for the implementation on the European Landscape Convention, the European Landscape Award has been conferred to the "Parc de la Deûle", Lille Métropole (France). A special mention Award of the Council of Europe has been given to the "Parque de Christina Enea", San Sebastián. In this case, the jury considered that the work applied the criteria of territorial sustainable development, exemplarity, participation and consciousness. The European Council promotes this prize, and its objective is to award the interventions based on the performance-scope of the European Agreement of Landscape, signed in Florence in 2000.
: Third International Conference of the Alliance of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes; Issue 20, November-December 09; The next International Conference of the Alliance of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes will be held in Alhambra, on the coming 25th and 26th November.
The ceremony will get many different specialists and responsible for the conservation and management of the world heritage landscape from different continents together.
The conference will consist of two parts, the first will be focused on the presentation in itself of the Alliance of Cultural Landscapes alongisde with the celebration of the general assembly of the organization, the second part will consist on a debate, which main subject of discussion will be the water use and management in World Heritage Cultural Landscapes. The conference will be aiming at promoting and further extending the network of the participants.
: Exhibition 'Pagesos, home i paisatge al Baix Ter'; Issue 20, November-December 09; The Exhibition "Pagesos, home i paisatge al Baix Ter" (Countrymen, the man and the landscape in the Baix Ter, Catalonia) will be opened the next 21st November, organized by the Mediterranean Museum. It pays homage to the people living in the countryside and to the countryside, whose work throughout the generations has given shape to the landscape in the Baix Ter. It also aims to highlight the fact that farming is the activity, which has generated all these beautiful, and quite often taken in photos, landscapes. The landscape results from the action of the man in the environment, many times one of the main protagonists, the countryman, forgotten and devalued. Opposed to what has been done in many other exhibitions: giving a nostalgic point of view tied to the past and fossilized, the Mediterranean Museum wants to point the attention to the countrymen of these days and to provoke an introspection about the activity in the country.
We want to give voice to the countryside world as to speak with pride about not only the work but also about the fears when they look to the future.
: Contents and public information of the Landscape Catalogue of Terres de l'Ebre; Issue 20, November-December 09; The Catalan Department of Town Planning and Public Works has submitted the Landscape Catalogue of Terres de l'Ebre for public consultation for a period of one month, starting on the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC), so that allegations can be filed, thus complying with the Decree published in the DOGC and guaranteeing the highest levels of participation, transparency and proximity by the public bodies. The Landscape Catalogue of Terres de l'Ebre was presented by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia to the Catalan Department of Town Planning and Public Works on the 10th of July 2009. Its contents can be fully accessed through the Landscape Observatory's website .
: A new digital dossier on historic and botanical gardens; Issue 20, November-December 09; Gardens have today an important cultural significance. These characteristic spaces have been modelled and utterly transformed by humans and are mainly articulated around vegetation. Gardens are precious cultural assets of our country: they model landscape and improve the well-being of its citizens. Therefore, its classification, preservation and promotion are top priorities. With this aim in mind, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just created Gardens, a digital dossier which is available in Catalan, Spanish, English and French. The dossier compiles and classifies key information on historic and botanical gardens of Catalonia, Spain and the rest of the world available in the Web (including institutions and bodies specializing in the research and management of these spaces) in order to become a point of reference on this topic for experts and also for a general audience. The dossier will be expanded and updated from time to time.
The Gardens dossier is the third work published in Internet by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, after one focused on Dry-Stone Landscapes and another on Outstanding Heritage Trees.
: International Seminar on Landscape and Education; Issue 19, September-October 09; One of the priority lines of action set forth in the European Landscape Convention is that which refers to education on landscape, both formal (in-school) and informal, promoted by other means and through other entities, such as NGOs. Up until now, the parties signing the convention have granted priority to other measures and actions. However, the introduction of a series of initiatives of this type throughout Europe, such as the "City, territory, landscape" project, suggests that the situation is changing. In order to reflect on and discuss landscape training and education, the Landscape Observatory has organised the International Seminar on Landscape and Education, which will be held at the La Pedrera building in Barcelona on 19th and 20th November 2009. The Seminar will include the collaboration of the Council of Europe, Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia, the Ministry of Education of the Government of Catalonia, the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP-ENELC) and Caixa de Catalunya Social Work. You can consult the programme here.
: The book Paisatge i salut is now available in the web; Issue 19, September-October 09; The book Paisatge i salut (Landscape and Health), which was published in 2008 in the "Plecs de paisatge" (Landscape Specifications) collection of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, is now available in full text on the web site. The book considers the relationship between landscape, quality of life, and individual and social well-being from an innovative and interdisciplinary perspective. Paisatge i salut reflects on the initiatives that have been developed on this subject by public policies that associate health with the territory and the environment in therapeutic experiences. The collection has a second publication, Indicadors de paisatge. Reptes i perspectives (Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives), published jointly by the Landscape Observatory and Caixa de Catalunya Social Work, which will be presented next November at Casa Milà (La Pedrera) in Barcelona.
: The Government of Andorra presents the Andorran Landscape Unit Map and Andorran Landscapes Catalogue; Issue 19, September-October 09; The Government of Andorra has presented the Andorran Landscape Unit Map and Andorran Landscapes Catalogue, based on the previous unit maps, which consist of the diagnostic map of tourist potential, the prognosis map, and the value map, as well as a document with recommendations for the Andorran landscape. The maps are the result of the project assigned to the Landscape Department of the Scientific Park of the University of Barcelona by the Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Andorra. The catalogue includes the results obtained in a Web participation survey, as well as those from the discussion groups formed by persons associated with the landscape of the Andorra region. The respective maps and conclusions can be consulted here.
: Results of the first edition of the Changing Landscapes International Workshop; Issue 19, September-October 09; From 2nd to 14th July 2009 the first international workshop Changing Landscapes: Mediterranean Sensitive Areas Design was held in the Italian city of Reggio Calabria. The workshop was organised by the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria and directed by Daniela Colafranceschi, professor at the Faculty of Architecture of this university. For 14 days, a total of 85 participants (including students and professors) from ten schools of architecture and landscape in Europe and other parts of the world, discussed and shared a wide range of ideas, strategies, policies, solutions and methods of intervention from a contemporary perspective to improve the quality and sense of place of six landscapes in the Strait of Messina, including the different sections of its coastal area and infrastructure, consolidated urban areas and informal outlying areas, as well as other locations in the region. The areas studied can be consulted here. The results of the workshop are here. The workshop is part of a larger project that will seek to consider degraded areas from around the Mediterranean Basin with different on-site perspectives, implementing the principles of the European Landscape Convention, at future events. This initiative includes the participation of the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and the collaboration of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia.
: Bulletin on new landscape developments in the Llenguadoc-Rosselló region; Issue 19, September-October 09; In recent years the number of bulletins that inform about significant new developments with regard to landscape policies and actions in Europe has increased. As a result of its proximity to the territory of Catalonia, the bulletin prepared since 2008 by the Regional Directorate of the Environment of Llenguadoc-Rosselló of the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development of the French Government is particularly noteworthy. The objective of the bulletin is to inform the actors in this territory on DIREN policies. It is published bimonthly. All of the issues can be consulted here. The most recent issue, which was distributed in early September of this year, reports on the Transborder Workshop between France and Catalonia mentioned in another news item. It can be consulted by clicking here.
: Living Landscapes; Issue 19, September-October 09; Living Landscapes it's the international meeting held each year at Aberystwyth University, Wales, where an extensive programme of talks by researchers, teachers, creators, and other experts consider the concept of landscape from the different perspectives that can enable us to understand and, above all, experience the landscape, as the title of the event indicates (Living Landscapes): geography, ecology, history, art, anthropology...The advantage as well as the difficulty lies in knowing how to choose between the multiple options for talks offered during the 5 days of the event according to one's professional interests. We also have the opportunity to participate in the many interesting cultural activities that are organised on a parallel basis to the talks: theatre, performances, debates, audiovisual presentations...
It is also an ideal place and location to gain first-hand knowledge of the international initiatives related to landscape and the environment, as well as to meet people who are professionally and personally involved in disseminating knowledge, communicating and suggesting the values of the landscape, ancient and new.
: Serene Territories: a Model of Independent Rural Development; Issue 18, July- August 09; The Serene Territories project has come into being with the need to establish a new territorial development model for rural areas. Headed by the Lluçanès Consortium, and sponsored by the Catalan Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, with the technical support of Barcelona Provincial Council, and developed jointly with the Moianès, Vall del Ges, Orís i Bisaura, and Cabrerès consortiums, this is a proposal for sustainable rural development with its own specific traits. Thus, for the Serene Territories project territorial and landscape conservation is particularly relevant as an endogenous resource, as are the ways of life and financial activity that it has created. The project's aim is threefold: to promote serene lifestyles, to further territorial and landscape conservation, and to boost economic activities based on its own quality products. In short, Serene Territories fosters territorial development with an identity of its own, in contrast to the urban development of metropolitan areas. It is a territorial model that seeks to underscore both the current values of these rural areas and the potentiality of their resources. For more information here.
: Just Out Indicadors de paisatge. Reptes i perspectives; Issue 18, July- August 09; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Caixa de Catalunya Social Work Programme have just published the book Indicadors de paisatge. Reptes i perspectives (Landscape Indicators: Challenges and Perspectives), the second in the Landscape Observatory's collection "Plecs de Paisatge" ("Plecs de Paisatge"). Scheduled to be formally launched in the autumn, these are the results of the international seminar which, under the same title, was held in Barcelona in November 2007 with the joint cooperation of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia and the European RECEP network. The different chapters approach landscape indicators from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and share some of the most interesting experiences in relation to the subject in the European sphere. The difficulty of putting together a listing of well-checked, understandable landscape indicators plus the relative newness of this field make this a work of striking methodological interest. It can be ordered from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and will soon be available in digital format on the website.
: European Landscapes and Globalisation; Issue 18, July- August 09; In May the city of Florence set the stage for an international seminar on the interrelation of landscape, Europe and globalisation (Paysages européens & mondialisation). The seminar, organised by the Universities of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle, with the cooperation of different European universities, analysed the European landscape within the context of globalisation. The pressure of the world economy, urbanisation, demography and the climate change are some of the factors that explain the accelerated transformation of landscapes the world over in recent decades. In Europe, the particular development of each country has given rise to landscapes with different meanings and values yet with a common cultural background. At present though, the European landscape, like the European Union itself, vacillates between affirming local identities and opening up to exchanges and transformations of a more global nature. Within this globalisation context one inevitably wonders about the survival of the landscapes of the past and present. Summaries of the papers can be consulted here.
: The Camprodon Valley Association Approves its Landscape Charter; Issue 18, July- August 09; On 12 May 2009, the Camprodon Valley Intermunicipal Association unanimously approved the Camprodon Valley Landscape Charter. The Charter, which addresses landscape planning, ordering and management, consists of two documents: the "Diagnosis of Landscape Dynamics", undertaken in 2006, and the "Agreement and Management Plan for the Protection, Ordering, Management and Improvement of Landscapes". The Agreement and Management Plan underwent a coordination process by the local agents (public administration and private agents) in 2008. Now the document has at last been approved at the Association's Plenary Session. The six town councils of the Valley are now in the midst of approving the Camprodon Valley Landscape Charter. While this administrative process takes place in the municipalities, the Association is organising the formal signing of the Charter, at which all agents involved will make their commitment public. It should be recalled that the Camprodon Valley Landscape Charter has received broad support from the Valley's organisations. At present and prior to its signing, an endeavour is underway to encourage other supramunicipal governmental bodies to pledge themselves to some of the actions that are hoped to be carried out. These bodies include the Ripollès Regional Council, the Ripollès Development Consortium, the Ripollès Consortium for Places of Interest, the Girona Provincial Council, and certain ministries of the Government of Catalonia. The actions can be consulted here.
: Transborder Workshop on Landscape Planning and Management to be Hosted in Olot; Issue 18, July- August 09; Inspired by the European Landscape Convention and since 2005, the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Territorial Planning has set up yearly workshops to discuss methodologies for landscape planning and management with experts from different European countries. The first four of these annual workshops were held in countries or regions bordering with France (Wallonia, Spain, Italy and England). By the same token, the French ministry decided that this year it should take place in Catalonia. And, given that the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has its headquarters in Olot, it was decided to hold it in this city on 11-13 June. The Workshop had the scientific backing of the Mixed Research Unit of the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Social Dynamics and Spatial Recomposition Laboratory (LADYSS) of France. The aim of the meeting was to exchange opinions and work methodologies that would help respond to the following questions: How do landscape atlases or landscape catalogues contribute to the knowledge and application of landscape policies? How can landscape characterisation and assessment be connected with the definition of the aims of landscape quality? How can the definition of landscape quality aims be connected with the territorial and sector planning? More specifically the experiences of Catalan experts which have served as the basis for the discussion have been the Partial Territorial Plan of the Regions in Girona Province and the Camprodon Valley Landscape Charter (situated, as it is, by the French border). During these sessions became clear that both the French landscape atlases and the Catalan landscape catalogues (coordinated by the Landscape Observatory) are tools that provide useful information for territorial, town planning and sector policies. They are an opportunity to make landscape an important part of sector policies and to develop the right tools. What's more, they stimulate a collective reflection on the importance of landscape, the values related to landscape and possible future scenarios. The French ministry is currently working on the publication of the conclusions of all workshops held up to the present.
: Style book of the roads of Catalonia; Issue 17, May-June 09; The Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Regional Government) and public company GISA has published the Llibre d'estil de les carreteres catalanes (Style book of the roads of Catalonia). Through an analysis of the current road network, this book approaches a set of criteria and design proposals for the development of the road network by the Regional Government. The book was born of the desire to contribute to a more harmonious relationship between the territory and the road, and to improve the services offered by roads to the community. This document, translated to Castilian Spanish and English, is specifically aimed at designers and technicians who participate in the construction, management and exploitation of roads, and will serve as a guide for the Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works so that the roads of Catalonia become a symbol of good management of the elements of which they comprise and their integration in the environment.
The book is avaibable here.
: International Congress on Regional and Urban Planning and the Landscape; Issue 17, May-June 09; The Central Institute of Physical Planning of Havana is organising the 8th International Congress on Regional and Urban Planning, to take place between 14 and 18 September 2009 at the Palacio de Congresos in Havana. The main theme of this Congress is "The territory and human settlements faced with the environmental, social and economic challenges of the 21st century. The contribution of territorial and town planning to sustainable development". The purpose of this Congress is to exchange ideas and innovative experiences about the evolution, trends and physical and special scenarios in territories and human settlements, and to make an active contribution to the theory and practice of territorial and town planning, and its contribution to economic, social, environmental and cultural development. More information here..
: Atlas of the landscapes of Murcia; Issue 17, May-June 09; The Atlas de los paisajes de la region de Murcia (Atlas of the landscapes of the region of Murcia), published by the Council of Public Works and Regional Planning of Murcia was presented on 18 February. This document is a compilation of studies that analyses, diagnose and make proposals regarding the landscape carried out at district level by the regional government since 2001, and which nowadays, cover the entire territory of the Region of Murcia; as well as introducing a new perspective that highlights and broadcasts the variety and wealth of the landscapes of Murcia. During the seminar, which took place on 5 March, the councillor for Public Works and Regional Planning, José Ballesta, announced that the conclusions of the studies, which are outstanding for their technical and scientific value, will be incorporated in the territorial planning guidelines being developed by the council he chairs.
El Atlas de los paisajes de la región de Murcia has also been published in digital format.
: Training the trainers for the 'City, territory, landscape' project; Issue 17, May-June 09; The headquarters of the Department of Education was the venue of a seminar to present the materials to be used for the "City, Territory, Landscape" project to secondary school teachers, most of them social science and experimental science teachers, on 11 March. This meeting with the authors of the project, Roser Batllori and Joan M. Serra, was designed to introduce the project materials, which have recently been delivered to all Catalonia's schools. They are practical, attractive materials that educate through social interaction in the classroom, many of the activities being designed for pupils to work in cooperation. Among its functions, it encourages cooperative group work and the use of information and communications technology through activities on the project's website: http://www.catpaisatge.net/educacio/.
: Observatory educational project; Issue 16, March-April 09; One of the main jobs of the Landscape Observatory is to sensitise people to the landscape. To this end, it has contributed to the "City, territory, landscape" project, result of the collaboration between the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and the Ministry of Education of the Government of Catalonia and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. This project, which is innovative in Catalonia and Europe, is aimed at pupils and teachers of secondary schools in Catalonia. Its purpose is to enhance the knowledge of Catalan landscape heritage and raise students' awareness to the need to preserve landscape values and understand the action of humans on natural surroundings.
It is an interdisciplinary event which offers the chance to work on the natural and human elements of the territory in a comprehensive manner and from the observation of specific, real landscapes, subject to very modern changes and problems.
There are three elements to the didactic materials: on the one hand, a folder with 12 panoramic wall charts representing the diversity of the Catalan landscape; the "City, territory, landscape" web (www.catpaisatge.net/educacio) with interactive activities; and a didactic guide to the project, available on the Web, which give tools and guidance for the work with the pupils and for following up and evaluating the results.
: International Seminar Landscape and Education; Issue 16, March-April 09; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is organising an international seminar on landscape and education for the coming 19 and 20 November at the la Pedrera building in Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Council of Europe, the European Network of Local and Regional Entities for the Application of the European Agreement on Landscape and the Social Welfare section of Caixa Catalunya. The seminar programme will be published in the coming months and registration will open on September 15th 2009.
The European Agreement on Landscape gives great weight to everything referring to training and education on landscape, although up to now the signing parties have given priority to other measures and actions. Nevertheless, it would seem that the panorama is beginning to change and this is the reason for and convenience of this international seminar. To the recent report Education on Landscape for Children of the Council of Europe we would add a series of interesting initiatives in this area from different European countries, including Catalonia. In fact the start-up in the early months of 2009 of the ambitious educational City, territory, landscape project aimed at the secondary education schools around Catalonia is an extraordinary opportunity to put this, and other similar experiences appearing around Europe in the area of both formal and informal education, on the table. The time has come to increase citizens' awareness of landscape through the more solid and promising path in the long term: education. Further information here.
: New Guide to Landscape Integration; Issue 16, March-April 09; The secretary for Town and Country Planning, Oriol Nel·lo, and the director general of Architecture and Landscape, Joan Ganyet, on the past January 15 presented the Guia d'integració paisatgística dels horts urbans i periurbans (Guide to landscape integration in urban and peripheral vegetable gardens). The document, which was published along with Girona City Council, is intended as a practical instrument aimed at the administrations in order to guide actions to improve the landscape of the vegetable gardens located mainly in the urban peripheries, often in deteriorated areas and under precarious conditions.
It is a question of improving the quality of the landscape and the introduction of the existing gardens and of nurturing the creation of social meeting points for the elderly and schoolchildren. The basic objective is to improve these spaces and their social function, bearing in mind that these vegetable gardens are used exclusively for self-consumption. The indications in the Guide are applicable both to the existing vegetable gardens that have to be improved and projects for creating new areas. You can consult the complete text of the Guide here.
: Conclusions of the III Meetings Priorat: what landscape, what future?; Issue 16, March-April 09; On the past November 28 and 29 the 3rd Meetings Priorat: what landscape, what future? were held in Falset, organised by the Geography Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University, the PRIORitAT Association for the promotion of the candidature of the Priorat region for Cultural Heritage of Mankind, the Quim Soler Centre and the Platform for the defence of the natural heritage of the Priorat region. An approach was suggested to the values of landscape, to those which are measurable, such as the heritage and economic values, and also those which depend from human perception, which are more subjective but no less important. How does the landscape affect the quality of life and the emotional state of people? In what way are individuals and societies identified with their landscapes? And what spiritual values do they instil? Are we able to quantify the value of a landscape? You can consult the evaluation of the meetings here.
: Series of talks on landscape in Valladolid; Issue 16, March-April 09; The San Pablo-CEU Foundation and the Official School of Architects of Castilla-León (COACYCLE) have organised a series of three talks parallel to the landscape postgraduate course. These courses, organised by the San Pablo-CEU Foundation, and run by Luis Vicente García Merino, professor of geography of Cantabria University, and Celestino Candela Pí, architect and landscape designer, respond to the interest awakened by the adhesion of the Spanish State to the European agreement on landscape in March 2008.
The first speaker in the cycle was Javier Maderuelo, professor of landscape architecture of Alcalà University, who spoke about the "Visión artística del paisaje"("Artistic view of landscape"); the second was Joan Nogué, director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, with the talk "Hacia una nueva cultura del paisaje: política e instrumentos de ordenación y gestión del paisaje en Cataluña" ("Towards a new landscape culture: policy and instruments for the organisation and planning of landscape in Catalonia"), and the last one was the geographer Eduardo Martínez de Pisón, who called his talk "Una idea y una práctica del paisaje: ayer y ahora"("An idea and a practice of landscape: yesterday and now").
: Results from the Sound Landscapes of Catalonia Seminar; Issue 15, January-February 09; The Sound Landscapes of Catalonia Seminar was organised jointly by the Fundació Bosch i Gimpera/University of Barcelona Innovation Centre and the Observatori del Paisatge de Catalunya and held on 11th December at the Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre. The Seminar attracted more than 200 participants primarily from Catalonia, interested in finding out about the most noteworthy experiences in Catalonia regarding sound landscapes. The great interest sparked by this seminar led us to publish the presentations in a book, the first of the Observatori's new collection called Documents to be published in 2009.
: Landscape in the Campania Regional Territorial Plan; Issue 15, January-February 09; The Regional Council of Campania (Italy) recently approved its Regional Territorial Plan, a document of reference for territorial planning in the region. The novel items in this Plan integrate landscape directly in territorial planning and this is done in accordance with the European Landscape Convention, as occurs in Catalonia. In this sense, the planning process incorporates participation by all the implied agents in said region.

The Plan has to help identify the region's environmental, historic and landscape resources, define local development strategies and establish recommendations for provincial, local and industry planning to be consistent with the Campania landscape protection and management objectives. For further information, click here.
: Catalonia participates in the First Tuscan Landscape Biennial; Issue 15, January-February 09; Last November, Catalonia was the guest of honour at the First Tuscan Landscape Biennial held in Florence with more than 500 participants from around Europe. The objective of this first edition was to bring together Italian and other European experts on landscape management to study good public administration practices. Their aim is to safeguard, protect, and develop their respective territories within the framework of the European Landscape Convention. Both Catalonia and Tuscany are two regions that take landscape into account when managing and planning their territories. For this reason, representatives from the two regions' territorial planning administrations met to share their experiences when applying the European Landscape Convention principles. For further information, click here.
: Dry-stone in the Baix Ebre and Montsià Regions; Issue 15, January-February 09; Due to the scope and value of dry-stone architecture found in the rural landscapes of the Baix Ebre and Montsià regions and given the threats and opportunities implied, several entities (the Catalan Illustrious College of Architects for l'Ebre province, the Baix Ebre Regional Council, the Montsià Regional Council, the Agro-environmental Services Consortia of Baix Ebre and Montsià, the Department of the Environment and Housing, the Department of Agriculture, the Autonomous University of Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology and Àmbit Rural-Unió de Pagesos) have launched an initiative to find out more about and identify this landscape, its value and uses. The initiative's aim is to inform about this landscape and propose future tools for its protection. These tools should serve to preserve this landscape and its value, while bearing in mind the developmental needs of the local area and the population's quality of life. Two specific studies were carried out: El paisatge agrari de la pedra en sec a la comarca del Baix Ebre (2004) (The Agrarian Dry-stone Landscape in the Baix Ebre Region) and Inventari de construccions de pedra en sec a la comarca del Montsià (2006) (Inventory of Dry-stone Construction in the Montsià Region). You can consult the catalogue of this unique architecture in Baix Ebre and Montsià via the following website.
: Presentation of the book Paisatge i salut; Issue 14, November-December 08; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Health have recently published the book Paisatge i salut (Landscape and health), the first issue in the Landscape Observatory's "Plecs de Paisatge" collection. This book, which will be presented on Tuesday, 18 November, at 7 pm, in the Agbar Tower in Barcelona, explores the relationship between landscape, quality of life and individual and social well-being from an innovative and interdisciplinary perspective. Paisatge i salut thus reflects on the initiatives which have been developed in this area, initiatives ranging from public policies linking health to territory and environment and to therapeutic experiences. A free copy of this book is available from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. In a few months' time it will also be available via the following website www.catpaisatge.net.
: Seminar on La Selva, a Territory in Transformation; Issue 14, November-December 08; The Centre d'Estudis Selvatants (Centre of La Selva Studies) has organised a seminar entitled La Selva, a Territory in Transformation on the 21, 22 and 23 November in Santa Coloma de Farners. The objective of this seminar is to reflect on the reality of the La Selva district from a multidisciplinary approach, with testimonies regarding its transformation, perceived changes and, if needed, a diagnosis to succeed in achieving a more sustainable space. The seminar will include presentations by two main speakers who will discuss the phenomena which interact in the transformation of the territory and the landscape from a contemporary viewpoint, on the one hand, and the historic scale of landscape transformations in La Selva, on the other.
: Formation of the Alliance of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes; Issue 14, November-December 08; On 15 September, representatives of various Spanish cultural landscapes signed an agreement to found the Alliance of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes. Through this agreement, the representatives ratified their commitment to the Declaration of Aranjuez, dated December 2007, and the 1st International Conference on World Heritage Cultural Landscapes which sought to unite forces to recognise and preserve these landscapes while making them compatible with economic development. The Alliance, which is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, was consolidated internationally last October during the 2nd International Conference on Cultural Landscapes held in Sintra (Portugal).
: Final approval for the Landscape catalogue of Terres de Lleida; Issue 14, November-December 08; On 10 September, the Terres de Lleida Landscape Catalogue was finally approved, the first of the seven catalogues which the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is preparing. By the
Edict passed on 10 September 2008 and based on a Resolution by the Minister of Town and Country Planning and Public Works, final approval was given to the Terres de Lleida Landscape Catalogue whose content can be consulted on the Landscape Observatory website. The Terres de Lleida Landscape Catalogue was delivered to the Minister of Town and Country Planning and Public Works (DPTOP) by the Landscape Observatory on 31 October 2006. The DPTOP then submitted it for public comment on 27 November 2007. Currently, the Landscape Observatory is also preparing catalogues for the following regions: Alt Pirineu and Aran, Comarques Centrals, Comarques Gironines, Terres de l'Ebre and the Regió Metropolitana de Barcelona. These catalogues will be delivered to the DPTOP in 2009.
: Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize 2008; Issue 14, November-December 08; More than 500 professionals met on 25, 26 and 27 September at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona for the 5th European Biennial on Landscape. After these five events, the Biennial has become one of the most significant international events in the landscape area and the most important in Europe. This event coincided with the Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize given this year to the Danish project, Nicolai, by landscape designer Kristine Jensen. This project aims to transform the old Nicolai educational centre (1890-1930) in the city of Kolding into an emerging multidisciplinary cultural area to house a cinema, literary activities, a kindergarten, music and crafts. Eleven projects were entered for this award from Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Portugal, among others. Other finalists included the Water Park in Zaragoza prepared by the landscape designers Iñaki Alday, Margarita Jover and Christine Dalnoky. Both the winning project and the 11 finalists as well as the 275 selected projects were on exhibit until 24 October in the Barcelona chapter of the Catalan College of Architects.
: Seminar on Photographic Observation for Landscape Policies; Issue 14, November-December 08; The French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development is organising a seminar entitled Photographic Observation for Landscape Policies in Paris on 13 and 14 November. The aim of the seminar is to bring together experts in town and country planning, landscape designers, artists and photographers to discuss the role of photographic landscape observatories, an emerging tool in many European countries. France has had a National Landscape Photography Observatory since 1989, created to house photographic series taken of the same place at different times. This has proved to be a very useful tool in studying the mechanisms of the transformations taking place and the role of the various actors in these changes. The seminar will also focus on the primary photographic programmes enacted by public authorities in matters of territorial planning, with photography as a source of knowledge and debate on the landscape. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia will participate in this seminar.
: Towards approval of the Territorial Spatial Plan for Landscape Planning in Tenerife; Issue 14, November-December 08; The Government of the Island of Tenerife this summer began the last steps leading to approval of the Territorial Spatial Plan for Landscape Planning in Tenerife (PTEP), prepared during 2005 and 2006 by a team of specialists in territorial and landscape planning from the Universities of La Laguna and the Polytechnic of Catalonia, under the coordination of geographer José Ramon Vera and architect and economist Joaquim Sabaté. The advance document was approved in the plenary session of the Government of Tenerife on 27 June 2008, and was submitted to public comment from 7 August for a period of two months, so that the public, entities and organisations in the island could give their opinions and make suggestions. Following the principles of the European Landscape Convention, PTEP pursues the protection of the landscape of the island of Tenerife as a natural and cultural resource, promoting knowledge of its state and the possibilities of action. A summary of the Plan can be consulted here.
: Seminar on sound landscapes in Catalonia; Issue 14, November-December 08; Landscape has traditionally been associated to the sense of sight, but hearing, smell, taste and touch can also be equally or more determinant than sight when perceiving and experiencing a certain landscape. How a place sounds is also part of its identity and it is an essential dimension of its landscape. But how do we study and systematise these sounds? How do they develop? What are Catalonia's sound landscapes? To answer these questions, the seminar Sound Landscapes of Catalonia will be held on 11 December in the CCCB (Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona), organised by the Fundació Bosch i Gimpera/Innovation Centre of Barcelona University, Fundació Caixa Catalunya and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. This seminar will focus on some of the more successful experiences on sound landscapes in Catalonia. This seminar will also serve as a prior step to organising an international seminar in the future which will include the other sensory landscapes. The seminar's agenda can be consulted here.
: Conclusions of the PAYS.DOC Project of European cooperation on landscape; Issue 14, November-December 08; During 2005-2007, the General Directorate of Architecture and Landscape of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works took part in the European project PAYS.DOC, a part of the European programme Interreg IIIB – Medocc. Thirteen Mediterranean regions took part in the project. PAYS.DOC has helped to strengthen bonds and foment dialogue on the implementation of the European Landscape Convention based on four lines of work: the creation of a virtual network to observe Mediterranean landscapes and their changes; the 2nd Mediterranean Landscape Prize; the establishment of shared guidelines on the integration of activities into landscapes in four relevant fields (agrarian buildings, industrial areas, roads and cultural landscapes); and the creation of the web portal Paysmed (www.paysmed.net) to communicate, promote and foment co-operation between the Mediterranean regions. The first three lines have led to three publications. One of these is the Guia de Bones Pràctiques de Paisatge (Guide to Good Landscape Practices), co-ordinated by Catalonia and available in Spanish, French and Italian.
: State of landscape charters of Catalonia; Issue 13, September-October 08; The landscape charters are instruments of voluntary agreement between the agents in a territory to promote actions and strategies of value for the landscape. Their objectives are defined through public signature of a charter and programme establishing the commitments made by each of the signatory parties in favour of the landscape, and the timetable for achieving these objectives. In Catalonia at present several landscape charters are being prepared, now in different phases of development. The Alt Penedès was the first territory of Catalonia to approve a landscape charter, in 2004, and the district has begun to apply some of the agreements reached. Also, in March 2007, the Berguedà district approved an agreement for the protection, management and planning of the landscape. The town halls of the Camprodon Valley Association and those of the Argentona Riera basin are about to do a similar agreement. Landscape charters have also just been started in Vall del Tenes and the Alt Empordà. The landscape charters, promoted by local agents (municipality, association of municipalities, district), have the support of the General Directorate of Architecture and Landscape of the Government of Catalonia (which has established a protocol for their implementation) and are monitored by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. In this context, the Observatory ensures that the landscape charters are coherent with the landscape catalogues in their field of action.
: The Landscape Observatory and Caixa Catalunya's Social Work are publishing a book on landscape indicators; Issue 13, September-October 08; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and Caixa Catalunya's Social Work are working jointly on publication of the papers of the International Seminar on Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives which took place in 2007. The publication, scheduled for December 2008, will be the second number of "Plecs de Paisatge", the new collection of books from the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia.
"Plecs de Paisatge" is born with the wish to approach landscape from all possible ambits in order to encourage training, sensitisation and reflection on landscape. The collection will be published in Catalan but each number will include a summary of the chapters in Spanish and English to facilitate circulation. The first number of the collection, centred on the relation between landscape and health, will see the light in November this year and will be co-published with the Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia.
: The Landscape Observatory advises on informative material distributed regarding the fluvial landscapes of the Vallès basin; Issue 13, September-October 08; The Consortium for the Defence of the Besòs Basin and the Provincial Government of Barcelona, with the advice of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, have published nine illustrated maps of the fluvial landscapes of the Besòs basin which have been distributed with the printed edition of the newspaper El 9 Nou del Vallès Oriental. Each map includes several photographs which help in understanding the elements forming the landscapes in each of the nine basins. These nine basins are: the Mogent, Mogent gullies, Congost, Congost gullies, Tenes, Caldes gully, Ripoll, Collserola gullies and Besòs. The material was prepared by the professor of geography of Girona University, Josep Gordi, and the geographer Albert Albertí.
: UNISCAPE; Issue 13, September-October 08; On 12 July this year Florence hosted the first Assembly of UNISCAPE, the network of European universities formed to support and reinforce scientific cooperation for research and teaching on matters of landscape. The UNISCAPE network is formed, at present, by 42 universities from several European countries, the founders of the network. Among these the Spanish universities which are members there are Girona University, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University and Seville University, which are recognised as having teaching units and research groups with an accredited history in the field of landscape. From now on the network will be extended to those other universities which meet the requirements and apply to join. The assembly chose Professor Carlo Magnani, rector of Venice University, as president of the UNISCAPE network and Bas Pedroli, geographer and professor of Wageningen University (Netherlands), as executive director.
: The Law to protect the Galicia Landscape has been approved; Issue 13, September-October 08; The Law, 7/2008, of 7 July, to protect the Galicia landscape was published in the official state gazette (BOE) on 20th August. Thus Galicia became the third autonomous community, after Valencia and Catalonia, to bring landscape into its legal ordinances, in compliance with the European Landscape Convention. This Law legally recognise the landscape and promote policies for its conservation, protection, planning and management. It become a point of reference for the whole legislative system and for plans and programmes in Galicia which may affect the landscape and, especially, when affecting areas of high natural and cultural value. You can consult the law here.
: Information sessions and participative workshops for the landscape catalogues of the Comarques Centrals and Terres de l'Ebre; Issue 12, July-August 08; During June, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia organised various informative sessions relating to the preparation of the landscape catalogues of Catalonia, specifically those of the Comarques Centrals and Terres de l'Ebre. In relation to the Landscape Catalogue of the Comarques Centrals, there were five sessions for information and debate, organised jointly with the General Directorate of Citizen Participation of the Government of Catalonia. These sessions were arranged with the objective of making the public aware of the preliminary works for the Landscape Catalogue of the Comarques Centrals and to encourage people to identify and characterise the landscapes of their territory. With regard to the Landscape Catalogue of Terres de l'Ebre, six territorial workshops for debate were held, organised by the Institute for Development of the Ebro District (IDECE), the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, the Consortium of Agro-environmental Services of Baix-Ebre-Montsià (CODE), and the Pre-departmental Geography Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University. These workshops were intended to be a space for communication of the results drawn from the first phase of the participation process and the first conclusions obtained by the technical drafting team of the Terres de l'Ebre Landscape Catalogue. Those attending also debated on what the future strategies should be for the landscapes of Terres de l'Ebre.
: Conclusions of the Seminar Rurbanisation: New Urban Dynamics in the Rural Environment; Issue 12, July-August 08; On Wednesday 5 March, a seminar took place in Barcelona under the title Rurbanisation: New Urban Dynamics in the Rural Environnement with the idea of opening an interdisciplinary debate on the changes happening in rural landscapes. Experts from different disciplines, such as geography, the environment, political sciences, sociology and social anthropology, members of associations for the defence of the territory and other social movements, and representatives of different levels of the Public Authorities, all debated on the future of the territory and these landscapes. The seminar was organised jointly by the Observatory of Urbanization of the Geography Department of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Geography Department of the University of Santiago de Compostela, with the collaboration of the Fundació Canadà, the Canadian Studies Centre of Barcelona University and the General Directorate of Tourism of the Government of Galicia. You can consult the conclusions here.
: Ets part del paisatge. Participa: consultation through the web on the landscape catalogue of the Regió Metropolitana de Barcelona; Issue 12, July-August 08; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has opened the web Ets part del paisatge. Participa (You are part of the landscape. Participate) for public consultation over the landscape catalogue of the Regió Metropolitana de Barcelona, one of the five which are now being prepared. Consultation is one of the tools used by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia to involve society in the management and planning of the landscape. The consultation will remain open until 31 October this year. As a gift, the people who complete the questions can download a screensaver for the computer with pictures of the landscapes in these territories.
: The Landscape Observatory creates a new digital dossier on outstanding heritage trees; Issue 12, July-August 08; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has created a new digital dossier entitled Outstanding heritage trees, which can be consulted in Catalan, Spanish, English and French. The purpose of the new dossier is to disseminate the existence and the ecological, historical and symbolic importance of unique and monumental trees existing in landscapes around the world. The dossier also seeks to collect, classify, arrange and make available to the public, in a simple way, initiatives, centres, institutions, news and books on unique and monumental trees in Catalonia and on a international level. The dossier is designed to be useful both to specialists and to the public in general, and will be increased and updated regularly. This is the second digital dossier created by the Observatory. The first was devoted to dry stone landscapes and even now others are being prepared on various topics.
: Presentation of the book SIT Manresa, Territorial Interpretation Service; Issue 12, July-August 08; On 5 June last, the building La Pedrera (Barcelona), was the setting for presentation of the book SIT Manresa, Territorial Interpretation Service, published by Sitesize, and available in Catalan and English. The texts included bring together a group of collaborations and synergies of people from the ambits in which cultural and artistic work on the territory finds its best complement: geography, landscape, public participation, the management of knowledge, teaching, cultural management, etc. Sitesize is a platform for collaborative projects around the contemporary metropolis which, since 2002, has been undertaking specific works of cultural creation and mediation in the metropolitan region of Barcelona, in order to evaluate the present and future transformation of the area.
: Ten landscape quality objectives for Catalonia; Issue 11, May-June 08; Among the basic pillars of the European Landscape Convention and, by rebound, of the Act for the protection, planning and management of the landscape of Catalonia, are the landscape quality objectives, which become a reference of the first order for territorial and sector policies, entities and society in general, to continue advancing towards a country with better landscapes which redound positively on the quality of life of the people. More than their impact on the instruments themselves of town and country and sector planning, landscape quality objectives also have the function of increasing public awareness of landscape. The landscape quality objectives answer the question, so simple and complex at the same time, "What landscape do we want?" From the long and varied list of landscape quality objectives defined in the landscape catalogues prepared by the Landscape Observatory, both for the seven regions and for each landscape unit, ten emerge which refer to aspects common to the greater part of Catalonia: these are the landscape quality objectives for Catalonia.
: 'Art faced with landscape transformations. Looking and commitment'; Issue 11, May-June 08; On 20 February 2008 a round table was organised by the Girona Art Museum and Girona Regional Culture and Media Services under the title, "Art faced with landscape transformations: looking and commitment", with notable public success and a high level of participation and interest. The objective was to take advantage of the arrival of three exhibitions almost coinciding in time in the rooms of the Museum, "Graphite wind" by Arcadi Artís, "The skin of nature" by Josep Beulas, and "Landscape artists of Montgrí" by Francesc Gimeno, in which landscape is the shared theme of them all.
The round table was moderated by Joan Nogué, director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, the speaker was Joan Romero, Professor of Human Geography of Valencia University and comments were given by Arcadi Artís, artist and architect; Jordi Balló, Professor of Audiovisual Communication of the Pompeu Fabra University, and Jordi Pigem, philosopher specialising in the nature-culture relationship. You can read the conclusions of the event here.
: International Seminar on Archaeology of Landscape in European Mountain Areas; Issue 11, May-June 08; International Seminar on the Archaeology of Landscape in European Mountain Areas is the title of the seminar organised by the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology in coordination with SERP (Barcelona University) and GEODE (Toulouse University), which will be held from 4 to 6 June in Tarragona.
The objective of the seminar is to be a meeting point for researchers who are working on landscape archaeology in mountainous areas so that they can discuss and exchange methodologies, experiences and the results of the investigations which they are carrying out. It is also intended to be a space for the sharing of common interests and to help in collaborating for future European meetings. The seminar programme can be seen here.
: The Cabinet of the Galician Government approves the Landscape Act of Galicia; Issue 11, May-June 08; On 27 March the Cabinet of the Galician Government approved the Bill for the Law to protect the landscape. The next step will be its passage through Parliament for definitive approval. Thus Galicia will become the third autonomous community, after Valencia and Catalonia, to bring landscape into its legal ordinances, in compliance with the European Landscape Convention. This Law will legally recognise the landscape and promote policies for its conservation, protection, planning and management. Once approved, it will become a point of reference for the whole legislative system and for plans and programmes in Galicia which may affect the landscape and, especially, when affecting areas of high natural and cultural value.
: On Riu Llobregat Project of the Nomad Observatory; Issue 11, May-June 08; During April the ON riu Llobregat Workshop was held, organised by ON IT, [Observatori Nòmada] Imatge i Territori, a research line of the Design and Image Department of Barcelona University. The Workshop is part of the ON riu Llobregat Project which has emerged from the Rieres // Rambles roaming experience which took place in April 2007. ON IT is a group of an open nature, in constant construction and growth, which produces, collects and diffuses experiences on the city and around the city with a view to constructing a critical observation network on the multiple ways of using and perceiving the region. The Workshop takes the area of Baix Llobregat Nord as a multidisciplinary working area with the objective of contributing creativity to reflection on the present condition of a complex territory, combining, for three weeks, lectures and itineraries to various specific points of the area. The On Riu Llobregat Project is scheduled to end in 2009 with a presentation of the result of works by the various groups which were formed in the Workshop.
: Conclusions of the seminar on the future Law of Agrarian Spaces of Catalonia; Issue 10, March-April 08; On 17 and 18 January Girona University was host to a Seminar on the Future Law of Agrarian Spaces of Catalonia, organised by the Professor of Geography and Territorial Thinking of Girona University and the Fundació Agroterritori, in collaboration with the Territorial Agrarian Chamber of Girona and the Unió de Pagesos (Farmer's Union) and with the support of the Environment Institute of Girona University, the Provincial Government of Girona and three Ministries of the Government of Catalonia (Town and Country Planning and Public Works, Environment and Housing and Agriculture, Food and Rural Action). A total of 108 people took part in the talks and debate over the Future Law of Agrarian Spaces of Catalonia, including those attending, speakers and VIPs, among them Joan Nogué representing the Landscape Observatory. The conclusions of this forum can be read here.
: Barcelona hosts the Third Meeting of the RECEP Executive Committee; Issue 10, March-April 08; Representatives of more than thirty regional and local authorities from all over Europe met on 18 February at the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia, in Barcelona, for the Third Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP). The Network, with its headquarters in Strasbourg, France, is an international NGO comprising 37 European local and regional authorities, among which is Catalonia. The principal objectives of RECEP are to encourage knowledge and the implementation of the European Landscape Convention at local and regional level and to promote an exchange of experiences and knowledge among its members in landscape matters. Catalonia, through the Landscape Observatory, has a co-leadership role in the RECEP network, in being a member of its Management Council. It should be noted that the political and institutional representation of the Network corresponds to the Government of Catalonia.
: Announcement of the 5th Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize; Issue 10, March-April 08; The 5th Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize is open for entries, in the framework of the 5th European Landscape Biennial, 'Storm & stress', which will take place on 25, 26 and 27 September 2008 in Barcelona. The Rosa Barba Prize distinguishes the best landscape projects carried out in Europe during the last four years (2003-2007) with the purpose of an in-depth study and debate on interventions in the landscape, both from the viewpoint of landscape architecture and from other disciplinary fields linked with its study and evolution. A first selection of the works submitted will be collected into an exhibition which will serve as a basis for later publication of the international catalogue of the Fifth Biennial. The final date for submission of the documentation of projects is 28 March and the winner will be announced during the holding of the symposium. More information here.
: The 'País de paisatges' exhibition comes to Olot; Issue 10, March-April 08; The exhibition 'Country of landscapes', an initiative of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and the Presidential Department of the Government of Catalonia with the collaboration of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia will be on show at the Garrotxa District Museum in Olot from 29 February to 13 April 2008.
The exhibition displays the extraordinary diversity and richness of landscapes in Catalonia and how the civic organisations and authorities act today over the landscape, manage it and promote knowledge of it, including also the artistic view in relation to landscape and the different ways of perceiving it.
In parallel, the Landscape Observatory and the Garrotxa District Museum have organised a series of activities which are supplementary to the exhibition, with films, talks and guided visits, with the aim of promoting reflection over the transformations taking place in the landscape.
: The Civilscape platform is set up; Issue 10, March-April 08; On 23 February the Civilscape platform was officially started up in Florence, formed by NGOs from all around Europe. Its main objective is to contribute the views of civil society in the implementation of the European Landscape Convention.
The initiative for starting up this platform came from the Landscape Manifesto Group of The Netherlands, which works to promote international cooperation in matters of landscape.
: Results of the International Seminar on Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives; Issue 9, January-February 08; The International Seminar on Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives, held on 29 and 30 November in Barcelona, at the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia, welcomed experts from all around Europe who discussed, from the perspectives of their different disciplines, various views of landscape indicators and set out their specific experiences on landscape indicators applicable to landscape policies.
Over 200 people, from all parts of Catalonia, the rest of the Spanish state, various European countries and even Canada and Latin America attended these days in Barcelona. In response to the great interest aroused by the Seminar the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia decided to record the papers delivered on video and distribute them subsequently through the web.
The results of the Seminar will also be collected together into a book for publication, with the collaboration of the Fundació Territori i Paisatge of Caixa de Catalunya. The book, which will form part of the Observatory's "Plecs de Paisatge" collection, will be published in 2008.
: Inaguration of the Institut del Territori; Issue 9, January-February 08; On 23 January next the Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània (OCCC) in Valencia will be the venue for the presentation of the Institut del Territori (IDT), with some working days devoted to a study of the situation of the Valencia Region in matters of water construction, infrastructures and mobility.
The Institut del Territori seeks to encourage and promote a new land culture among the public, in the professional field and for local authorities, through reflecting on the policies which govern the land and landscapes in Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. On this theme, the Institute will be offering a line of activities of an instructive nature, a research area in collaboration with the universities and a series of proposals directed to local and district administration experts and engineers.
The advisory committee is formed of Joan Romero (Valencia University), Joan Nogué (Girona University and director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia), Ivan Murray (Balearic Islands University), Joan Olmos (Valencia Polytechnic University), Martí Domínguez (biologist, editor of the Valencia University's magazine Mètode), Ramon Folch (social ecologist, director of the Ramon Folch Study) and journalists Maria Josep Picó (editor of the magazine Nat) and Jordi Bigues.
: 'On one side. Landscapes we don't see'; Issue 9, January-February 08; "On one side. Landscapes we don't see" is the title of the cycle of talks organised by the Mercè Cultural Centre of Girona City Hall in collaboration with the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. This seminar is intended to target, precisely, those hidden and marginal landscapes; that is to say, the landscapes which normally we do not see, or do not look at: invisible, intangible and ephemeral landscapes, landscapes of the body and landscapes of imagination, while paying special attention to their limits.
The cycle will consist of four talks, free of charge, which will take place at the Mercè Cultural Centre on Tuesdays, on 19 and 26 February and 4 and 11 March. The speakers are Joan Nogué, Professor of Human Geography of the UdG and director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, María Ángeles Durán, Professor of Sociology of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Daniela Colafranceschi, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Reggio Calabria Mediterranean University and Michael Jakob, Professor of Landscape Theory and History at Geneva University.
You can consult the programme here.
: The Landscape Observatory creates a digital dossier on dry stone landscapes; Issue 9, January-February 08; The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has just created a digital dossier entitled Dry stone landscapes, which is intended to become a point of reference in Internet on this subject. The purpose of the dossier, which can be consulted in Catalan, Spanish, English and French, is to provide information on the existence of dry stone landscapes, their diversity and importance, and to collect, classify, arrange and make available to the public, in a simple way, general information on the entities, centres, initiatives, news and books on the subject of dry stone in Catalonia and on the international scale. The new dossier is intended to provide contacts with specialised people in the subject and the public in general, and the digital format will allow it to grow and be updated from time to time. The Landscape Observatory is now also preparing other dossiers on various subjects which will be brought out in the coming months.
: Round table 'Art faced with transformations of landscape: looking and commitment'; Issue 9, January-February 08; The Girona Art Museum and the Girona Culture and Communication Media Territorial Services have organised a round table on the occasion of the exhibitions "Vent de grafit" by Arcadi Artís, "La despulla de la natura" by Josep Beulas and "Els paisatgistes del Montgrí" by Francesc Gimeno, where landscape is the common theme. The round table, moderated by Joan Nogué, director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, will be entitled "Art faced with transformations of landscape: looking and commitment". The speaker will be the professor of Human Geography of Valencia University, Joan Romero, and the commentaries will be by Arcadi Artís, artist and architect, Jordi Balló, professor of Audiovisual Communication at the Pompeu Fabra University, and Jordi Pigem, philosopher specialising in the nature-culture relationship. The round table will take place in the Girona Culture and Communication Media Territorial Services at 19.30 hr on 20 February.
: The Spanish State ratifies the European Landscape Convention; Issue 9, January-February 08; Last 26 November 2007 the Spanish State ratified the European Landscape Convention (ELC) adopted in Florence in 2000. With this ratification, which comes into force in March 2008, there are now 29 countries which have adopted the resolutions of a international convention for the purpose of promoting the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organising European cooperation in landscape matters.
This adherence means a commitment to the full defence of landscape, which must be carried out by both the Central Administration and the Autonomous Communities. For this reason, the Ministry of the Environment has commissioned Seville University to undertake a study to define the current situation of landscape in the Spanish State, the priority lines of action in implementing the Convention and to identify the basic strategies and instruments for the protection and ordering of the landscape.
: 'Whose is the landscape?' Cycle of talks; Issue 9, January-February 08; In the context of the SETLAND research project on the sustainable evolution of landscape and territory, the geography department of Padua University, Italy, organised a cycle of six talks on participation in the processes of landscape identification, evaluation and planning. The cycle was entitled "Whose is the landscape?" and was based on the directives of the European Landscape Convention which give a fundamental role to participative processes in landscape identification and evaluation and in the definition of landscape quality objectives. The talks were held in October, November and December and after they were finished, the full text was inserted into the project web page.
: Birth of the Landscape events newsletter; Issue 8, November-December 07; In October 2007 the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia created the Landscape events newsletter, a new communication tool for the Landscape Observatory, offering the user a selection of congresses, seminars, courses, presentations, conferences and exhibitions, among other activities around the world, with a special emphasis on events in Catalonia. This new medium, published monthly by e-mail, is a supplement to the Diary section of the Observatory web, the Landscap-e newsletter and the Dietari de Paisatge and is intended to become a new point of reference in dissemination, very useful to the agents more directly involved in the study and management of landscape and, in general, for anyone interested in landscape. If you wish to subscribe click here.
: The Observatory adds 25 more terms to the glossary; Issue 8, November-December 07; The Glossary section of the Observatory web has just added 25 new terms and now has a list of 48 words. Trivialisation of landscape, perception of the landscape and landscape integration mesure are among the new terms which can now be consulted and are added to those already existing, such as landscape fragility, landscape creation and landscape character, among others. The Observatory web glossary is a vivid and dynamic section which is regularly enlarged with new terms, with the objective of promoting knowledge on landscape themes.
: The exhibition ‘Country of landscapes' continues its travels; Issue 8, November-December 07; The exhibition 'Country of landscapes', organised by the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works, the Presidential Department of the Government of Catalonia and the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, continues its travels all around Catalonia where more and more places are asking it to visit them. After its opening in Girona on 22 September 2006, it could be seen at the Palau Robert in Barcelona, in Reus and Lleida until 30 November. It is also planned to be in Olot from 22 February to 15 April 2008. The exhibition seeks to show the extraordinary diversity and richness of the landscapes in Catalonia, appreciating how painters and writers have reproduced and recreated Catalan landscapes at various moments in history, to experience the different ways of living a landscape and, finally, to show how civil organisations and authorities act today on landscape, managing it and promoting knowledge of it.
: The Landscape Observatory prepares a pioneering questionnaire on the degree of landscape satisfaction in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona; Issue 8, November-December 07; Since mid-2007 the Landscape Observatory has been preparing the Landscape Catalogue of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona, a task which will be finished towards the end of 2008. With the objective of trying to assess the degree of landscape satisfaction among the five million inhabitants of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona, the Landscape Observatory, through the Institute of Regional and Metropolitan Studies of Barcelona, is carrying out a questionnaire to 1050 people in this territory, the first time these characteristics have been used in Catalonia. Using pictures, maps and an interview lasting around 30 minutes, the intention is to sound out the perception that the inhabitants have of their day-to-day landscape, what they consider best about it and what they see as most degraded. The questionnaire is sponsored by the General Directorate of Citizen Participation of the Government of Catalonia and the results will be known in the first half of 2008.
: 6th Meeting of the Workshops for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention; Issue 8, November-December 07; The Sixth Meeting of the Workshops for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention was organised by the Council of Europe from 20 to 22 September 2007 in Sibiu, Romania. On this occasion the theme was "Landscape and rural heritage". The meeting took the form of parallel sessions dealing with themes such as the rural landscape in town and country planning (particularly, as is logical, the case of Romania and the old countries of Eastern Europe), the roles of CEMAT and the other institutions and European policies in relation with the rural world, the value of the rural heritage, the necessary consideration merited by rural landscapes subject to intense transformation and, finally and as is normal in these types of meetings, various European experiences in relation with the theme under study. As a co-organiser body for the 5th Meeting, held just one year earlier in Girona, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia was present at Sibiu and co-presided and acted as co-chairman and moderator of the final round table, in which the conclusions of the Meeting were set out.
: Contents and public information about the landscape Catalogue of Terres de Lleida; Issue 8, November-December 07; The Director General of Architecture and Landscape of the Government of Catalonia, Joan Ganyet, in accordance with the provisions of Decree 343/2006, of September 19th, by which Act 8/2005, of June 8th, regarding the protection, management and planning of landscape is developed, and the studies and reports on impact and landscape integration is regulated, last Novembre 16th presented the initial approval of the Landscape catalogue of Terres de Lleida and submitted the information to public opinion for a period of one month (DOGC). The Landscape catalogue of Terres de Lleida, made by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, was handed over to the Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia on October 31st 2006. The contents of the landscape Catalogue of Terres de Lleida can be seen in their entirety on the Landscape Observatory's website.
: The UNISCAPE European network of universities for landscape is created; Issue 7, September-October 07; Last 26 May in Florence the UNISCAPE university network was formed, with the objective of stimulating scientific cooperation in matters of training and research among European universities interested in the European Landscape Convention. The network, created on the initiative of the IUAV university in Venice and the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, now includes more than 30 universities from various European countries, such as Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain. The Spanish universities which form part of it are the following: Girona University, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Seville University and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
: The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia organises the International Seminar on Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives; Issue 7, September-October 07; The new landscape policies introduced in Catalonia and in many European countries need indicators to permit a regular follow-up of the evolution and state of the landscapes, people's degree of satisfaction with their landscape and the effectiveness of public and private initiatives for landscape improvement. The debate over what these landscape indicators should be is now well ventilated around Europe, but is still not resolved. There are diverse factors which make it really complex: the transversal understanding of the concept of landscape, which includes natural and cultural dimensions, and an individual and social dimension of perception; the relative newness of landscape as a subject of town and country planning; or the wish to work with a list of indicators which are applicable, are of established value and can be understood by society as a whole. It is for this reason that the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia is organising the International Seminar on Landscape Indicators. Challenges and Perspectives, which will be held in the headquarters of the Catalan Cartographical Institute (ICC), in Barcelona, on 29 and 30 November 2007. The Seminar will be sponsored by the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia and will have the collaboration of the Catalan Cartographical Institute, the Fundació Territori i Paisatge of Caixa Catalunya and the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP). The objective of the Seminar is, then, to discuss the subject of landscape indicators from different disciplinary perspectives and to share some of the more interesting experiences in relation to this subject existing in the European ambit. You can consult the programme here.
: The Council of Europe organises the 6th Meeting of the Workshops for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention to debate on landscape and the rural heritage; Issue 7, September-October 07; The Council of Europe is organising the 6th Meeting of the Workshops for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention, which will be held at Sibiu, Romania, from 20 to 22 September 2007, under the title "Landscape and rural heritage". The previous meeting was held in Girona in September 2006, with more than 300 institutional representatives attending from all around Europe. This type of meeting, promoted by the Council of Europe regularly since 2002, discusses in depth the implementation of certain aspects of the European Landscape Convention, approved in October 2000. Conceived as a true forum for the interchange of practices and ideas, these meetings are a real shop window for the new concepts, instruments and landscape policies emerging throughout Europe in the framework of the Convention. The meeting, in which the Landscape Observatory will be taking part, will examine experiences in the application of state, regional and local policies for the rural heritage in the context of the European Landscape Convention. You can consult the programme here.
: Incorporation of the documentation centre of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia into the CCUC; Issue 7, September-October 07; Last April the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia signed a convention with the University Libraries of Catalonia Consortium to integrate the Landscape Observatory's documentation centre into the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia (CCUC). This catalogue can locate, through a single consultation, all the documents iin the libraries which form part of the Consortium of University Libraries of Catalonia and other non-university institutions, such as the Observatory documentation centre. Cataloguing of the documents in the documentation centre (books, magazines, cd-roms, dvd, etc.) started in April and there are now more than 800 documents catalogued, a number which is steadily increasing. From now on, then, all the bibliographical funds of the Landscape Observatory's documentation centre can be consulted through the web.
: 2nd European Green Cities Conference; Issue 7, September-October 07; The association for the integration of green into urban centres, Per Més Verd, is organising, on 23 and 24 October, at the College of Architects of Catalonia, the second event of the European Green Cities Conference. In its second event the European Green Cities Conference becomes a multidisciplinary meeting point between public managers, financial agents and professionals who take part in the planning, design and creation of urban green spaces, with the aim of overcoming the idea that green generates more cost than benefit. The objective is closely related with improvements in our health, the sustainability of our environment, shady places and convenience in leisure areas, the strengthening of tourism, housing respectful with the landscape, green education and culture. This year the theme of the conference sets the value of green as a central line for the working days. The programme sets out, as usual, one day of more theoretical work devoted to concepts and another of practical work with case studies. You can obtain more information here.
: Conclusions of the Low Cost Landscapes Workshop; Issue 6, July-August 07; From March 12th to 21st 2007 the International Seminar Low Cost Landscapes was held in Girona organised by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Universitat de Girona and Politecnico di Milano. The aim of this international seminar was to bring together specialists and professionals from different countries, to reflect on the transformation of the landscape caused by the current importance and growth of second-tier airports, where the so-called "low cost" companies operate. One of the seminar's activities was to develop work sessions where around thirty experts put forward proposals for landscape improvement and then held in Fundació Caixa Girona (the Caixa Girona Foundation) sessions to publicly present some of the reflections arising from the workshops and discussion sessions about the general programme of the seminar. You can find the conclusions of the Seminar here.
: Custody of territory and landscape policies, closer day by day; Issue 6, July-August 07; Custody of territory contemplates a set of tools that can contribute to preserving the values of our landscape. The entities in charge of custody are a collection of public and private organisations, which through agreements with land owners, monitor the maintenance of the natural and cultural values of the territory. In this context, landscape policies being promoted in Catalonia offer a favourable framework for the custody of territory. To begin addressing synergies between landscape policies and custody of territory, last September a workshop organised by the Xarxa de Custòdia del Territori (Land Stewardship Network) was held in Girona, coinciding with the 5th Meeting of Workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention. A series of proposals were to arise from the meeting aimed at enabling the participation of custodian entities in the development of different instruments contemplated in the Act for protection, management and planning of the landscape in Catalonia. You can find the document here.
: Communications in the Seminar Processes for the participation of citizens in landscape planning; Issue 6, July-August 07; More than 150 people attended the seminar Processes for the participation of citizens in landscape planning last June 1st in the Mercè Cultural Centre in Girona, organised by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Direcció General de Participació Ciutadana de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Directorate-General of Citizens' Participation of the Government of Catalonia), with the collaboration of the Ajuntament de Girona (Town Council of Girona) and the Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia). The seminar, a pioneering event in its class in Spain, demanded the participation of citizens in landscape planning policies and there were intense debates on different methodologies and approximations to involve citizens in the making of decisions on landscape. You can consult the documentation regarding the interventions here.
: Opina. El paisatge t'escolta: a web questionnaire on the landscape catalogues of Catalonia; Issue 6, July-August 07; Titled Opina: el paisatge t'escolta (Express your opinion. The landscape is listening), the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia has created a new citizens' questionnaire through its website about the three landscape catalogues currently being made: The l'Alt Pirineu i Aran, Comarques Gironines and Terres de l'Ebre. The questionnaire, the first of its kind made in Catalonia (with the sole precedent of the two first landscape catalogues made in 2006: Camp de Tarragona and Terres de Lleida), is one of the tools created by the Landscape Observatory to involve society in landscape management and planning. The questionnaire will be open until next September 15th 2007. Respondents to the questionnaire will be able to download a computer screensaver with spectacular photographs of landscapes in Alt Pirineu i Aran, Comarques Gironines and Terres de l'Ebre made by the photographers Rafael López-Monné and Ernest Costa as a free gift. During the creation of the landscape catalogues, other tools are used for citizens' participation, such as direct interviews with the principal social agents involved in landscape management, debate sessions and informative sessions, with the collaboration of the Direcció General de Participació Ciutadana de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Directorate-General of Citizens' Participation of the Government of Catalonia).
: Seminar on Processes of public participation in landscape planning; Issue 5, May-June 07; In Catalonia in recent years new instruments of landscape planning and social agreement in the landscape environment have come into use, such as the landscape catalogues and landscape charters. The time has come, therefore, to open up a public debate of a methodological nature in the context of the processes of participation inherent to these new instruments and others which are not so new but are also relevant to the planning ambit, whether at local or at regional level. These processes of public consultation and participation are taken very much into account by the European Landscape Convention and, by knock-on effect, also by Act for the Protection, Management and Planning of the Landscape of Catalonia. In this sense, the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Direcció General de Participació Ciutadana del Departament d'Interior, Relacions Institucionals i Participació de la Generalitat de Catalunya (General Directorate of Public Participation of the Ministry of the Interior, Institutional Relations and Participation of the Government of Catalonia) are organising the seminar Processes of public participation in landscape planning, which will be held on 1 June in the La Mercè Cultural Centre and will seek to put on the table for discussion various specific experiences and innovative methodological proposals for guidelines on this subject in Catalonia.
Registration for the day is now available from here.
: The Government of Catalonia obtains the vice-presidency of the Network of Regional and Local Bodies for the Application of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP); Issue 5, May-June 07; The Government of Catalonia was chosen to occupy one of the three vice-presidencies of the European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP) in the 1st General Assembly of the RECEP held in the headquarters of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, on 20 March last, after receiving the support of all the representatives attending. The RECEP is a non-governmental international organisation composed of European local and regional authorities with the objective of promoting the knowledge and implementation of the European Landscape Convention at local and regional level. The RECEP encourages an exchange of experiences and knowledge among its members on landscape matters and, at the same time, the members can have the advice of the association in implementing the commitments made by State authorities, European institutions and international organisations competent in landscape matters.
: The Landscape Charter of the Berguedà region is approved; Issue 5, May-June 07; On 26 March last the Landscape Charter of the Berguedà (Catalonia, Spain) was approved, a voluntary instrument for agreement on strategies between public and private agents in the Berguedà region, directed to promoting improvements in the region's landscapes and the quality of life of its residents, by establishing objectives, agreements and strategies for the dynamic management of the landscape. The Landscape Charter of the Berguedà is not intended to be a testimonial or declaration of principles, but a public document of commitment in favour of the landscape through which the signatories undertake to promote the harmonious evolution of the landscape in accordance with strategic objectives for the rational use of the territory, sustainable urban development, the functioning of the ecosystems and ecological connectors, and to strengthen landscape as an element of individual and group welfare. You can obtain the whole document here.
: More than 120 participants attended the course The Culture of Landscape; Issue 5, May-June 07; A total of 83 people registered in Barcelona and 40 in Valencia attended the course on The culture of landscape, which took place in March and April in the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and the new area, the Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània, in Valencia. Directed by Eliseu T. Climent and organised by the Barcelona Institute of Humanities, the seminar proposed, throughout its seven sessions, a multidisciplinary approach to this theme, reflecting on relationships of identity, landscape values, conceptions and philosophies of the territory, artistic experiences, town and country planning and models of economic growth. The course was given with the participation of geographers (Joan Nogué,Francesc Muñoz, Joan Romero and Oriol Nel·lo), architects and town planners (Ricard Pié, Marc Claramunt and Joan Olmos), artists and cultural managers (Perejaume, Joan Vila-Puig, Lluís Llobet, Daniel Garcia Andújar and Lluís Vives), and also the art critic Javier Maderuelo and philosopher Jordi Pigem.
: Contemporary landscape course: a multidisciplinary experience; Issue 5, May-June 07; This year, in the context of Els Juliols (summer courses at Barcelona University), a course will be offered entitled Contemporary landscape: a multidisciplinary experience, in which the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia will be collaborating. The course will take place in Alella (Catalonia, Spain) from 16 to 20 July, and will bring together professionals and experts in various disciplines who will contribute their reflections around this theme, with the objective of detecting threats and opportunities which make possible an overall and strategic reflection on the territory, with the idea of having an impact on experiment, projects and intervention in the landscape. The course is of 20 hours and will combine theoretical sessions, round tables and presentations of action on the landscape. In addition, there will also be an opportunity to do some fieldwork. The registration period will open on 3 May. For more information, please consult here.
: Catalogue of Outstanding and Excellent Landscapes in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country; Issue 4, March-April 07; The Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio (Basque Government Ministry of Environment and Town and Country Planning) has published the pre-project of the Catalogue of Outstanding and Excellent Landscapes of the Basque Country. This initiative fits in among other actions directed to integrating the principles of the European Landscape Convention into the territorial and sectorial ordination of the Basque Country, and its objective is to recognise the special values of a series of landscapes and promote their preservation. The work of preparing the Catalogue began with an evaluation of landscape quality throughout the area, based on the public's perception of it, then proceeding to catalogue those parts with more outstanding qualities. To consult the full report on the work, including a broad explanation of the methodology applied, abundant cartography and tables of data, click here.
: Territory, Landscape and Identity Forum; Issue 4, March-April 07; During January, the Instituto de Estudos das Identidades of the Museo do Pobo Galego held a network forum on Territory, Landscape and Identity, in order to debate the traditional view of the territory and the landscape and the transformations which are taking place and affecting its physical reality and its social perception. Starting from the growing sensitivity to the environmental problem, the meeting proposed an assessment of the value of landscape and territory as constituent elements of that complex that we call identity, and suitable ways for their projection with a view to the future. The virtual forum, which was supported by Marcial Gondar, anthropologist, Federico Lopez Silvestre, professor of aesthetics, Joan Nogué, director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the economist Albino Prada, coordinated by the architect Xerardo Estévez, concluded with a personally attended session in which notice was taken of the unsustainable type of development requiring high costs in movement, energy resources and land use, and a town and country planning policy was called for which would value the landscape and environment as a common heritage.
: A new collection of books on landscape takes shape; Issue 4, March-April 07; The publisher Biblioteca Nueva in Madrid has brought out a new collection entitled "Paisaje y Teoría" (Landscape and Theory). This is an ambitious project which intends to fill an important gap existing in the panorama of publishing in Spanish: that of the landscape theory in its broadest sense. The interest of this initiative will turn around three lines: a theoretical and methodological reflection on the concept of landscape from all possible disciplinary fields; the history of landscape as a tangible subject, also including the history of its mental, symbolic and artistic representations, among others; and, finally, the sources of landscape, understanding as such the classic and seminal texts written by landscape architects, painters, authors and scholars in the broadest sense, the majority of them unknown to the public. The collection will alternate, therefore, texts by contemporary authors with others by those of the past, as well as unpublished texts and translations. Within a few weeks three titles will be published simultaneously: La construcción social del paisaje (The social construction of landscape), coordinated by Joan Nogué, El arte del paisaje (The art of landscape), by Raffaele Milani, and Breve tratado de paisaje (Brief treatise on landscape), by Alain Roger.
: The landscape charters of Catalonia; Issue 4, March-April 07; The landscape charters are instruments defining voluntary agreements reached among the agents in an area, in order to promote actions and strategies for evaluation of the landscape. Their objectives are made firm by the public signature of a charter, a programme setting out the commitments made by each of the signing parties and a timetable set for achievement of the objectives. In 2004 the Alt Penedès was the only district in Catalonia to have approved a Landscape Charter, and the Priorat district is currently in the process of doing so. At present, landscape charters are also being prepared by the municipalities of the Camprodon Valley, those of the Argentona river basin and the districts of Berguedà and the Alt Empordà. The landscape charters, initiated in 2006, promoted by local agents (municipality, groups of municipalities, district), have the support of the General Directorate of Architecture and Landscape of the Government of Catalonia (which has established a protocol for their preparation) and are monitored by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. In this context the Observatory will ensure that the landscape charters are coherent with the landscape catalogues in their field of action.
: Landscape. The backbone of Empordà identity; Issue 4, March-April 07; The congress held from 20 to 22 October 2006 in the Alt Empordà (Catalonia, Spain) was fundamentally structured on the basis of three pillars (natural environment, historical change and artistic creation). The congress days, under the generic title, Landscape. The backbone of Empordà identity, were developed with a structure of four commissioned papers and with contributions made by those attending each of them, arranged as round tables guided by a moderator. The theme of the congress stimulated a very good level of participation (more than 60 communications) and gave rise to lively debate, which enabled some conclusions to be drawn up which focused attention on the impossibility of accepting the rapid transformations taking place in the landscape, since it could cease to be one of the intrinsic elements of identity of this area.
: Presentation of the Landscape Catalogue of the Camp de Tarragona; Issue 4, March-April 07; The Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia) presented the Camp de Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) Landscape Catalogue on 22 February, in the presence of Minister Joaquim Nadal, in a ceremony organised by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, the Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques and the Tarragona section of the Col·legi d'Arquitectes (College of Architects of Catalonia). The Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques announced that the catalogue would be open to public information and comments in the following weeks. The whole content of the landscape catalogue will be able to be consulted in the Landscape Observatory web once the consultation process. The Landscape Observatory is also preparing the landscape catalogues of the Alt Pirineu and Aran, the Girona districts and Terres de l'Ebre, which will be finished at the end of 2007. And in a few months' time work will start on the catalogue of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona and, in 2008, the focus will be on the central districts.
: Study and report on landscape impact and integration; Issue 3, January-February 07; In December last year, the Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia) and the Fundació Territori i Paisatge organised a symposium in Barcelona's La Pedrera building focusing on defining and analysing the study and report on landscape impact and integration, as newly created instruments defined by the Decree that enlarges upon the Law on the Protection, Management and Planning of the Landscape of Catalonia. The landscape impact and integration study is a technical document intended to examine the consequences for the landscape of the implementation of action programmes, works projects and activities, and to set out the criteria adopted for integrating them. The landscape impact and integration report, on the other hand, is the verdict to be issued by the Direcció General d'Arquitectura i Paisatge (Directorate General for Architecture and the Landscape of the Government of Catalonia) for assessing the suitability of the measures proposed in the landscape impact and integration study.
You can find further information here.
: Good-practice data sheets for the vineyard landscape of the Penedès region; Issue 3, January-February 07; The Departament de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia) and the pro-vineyard association Al Penedès, Vinyes!, which brings together a significant number of wine-making enterprises in the Alt Penedès region (Catalonia, Spain), has recently published a guide to good practices in looking after vineyards. The publication, which goes under the title Good-practice datasheets: the vineyard landscape of the Penedès, is an initiative coming under the Landscape Charter for the Alt Penedès. Its objective is to promote quality vineyards and greater awareness of the values of the vineyard landscape among producers and the people in general. This document, which is technically thorough and aimed at the general public, comprises ten data sheets arranged in five broad blocks on various aspects of wine making: economic, ecological and social. Advice and recommendations for improving the landscape are given for each of these sections, and there is also a short glossary and bibliographic references.
: Recognition for the Collegats-Terradets Territorial Park Project; Issue 3, January-February 07; The Collegats-Terradets Territorial Park is an initiative from the Regional Council of Pallars Jussà (Catalonia, Spain), its main aim being to enhance the economic development of the zone through boosting and valorising its landscape. The structure of the Park is arranged around what are termed the ‘blue ways', following waterways, and the ‘green ways', following traditional tracks and footpaths. The project was selected recently for inclusion in the publication Catalogue of good practices in the landscape, launched by the PAYS.DOC initiative, along with four other Catalan projects, namely the European Landscape Biennial, the landscape restoration of the Vall d'en Joan waste depot, the Special Plan for the Market-Garden land of Santa Eugènia in Girona, and the website of the Landscape Observatory. The Park has also been shortlisted among the twenty European candidates entered for the Second Mediterranean Landscape Prize, which will be held in this year of 2007.
: The First Biennial on Architecture, Art and the Landscape in the Canary Islands (Spain); Issue 3, January-February 07; The problems posed by the culture-nature dialectics in these early years of the twenty-first century has a clear effect on the art and social life we share. Moving beyond local and transnational interests, the need for a new civic culture is becoming clear, one enabling the unwanted effects of the new world organisation to be tackled lucidly and with dignity. It must be realised that globalisation, tourism and unstoppable migratory flows are radically impinging on the physical, social and cultural landscape. In this context, the Canary Islands (Spain) has become a special observatory over recent years, and an outstanding laboratory for those changes. Hence it is appropriate to stage the Architecture, Art and Landscape Biennial there, for this event has made the traces of these new cultural vectors converge on the islands – and weigh on their landscape. At the same time, the symposium arranged with it mapped out the complex cultural scene of the Canary Islands, with the participation of highly regarded specialists from all the fields involved.
You can find further information here.
: Spiritual values at Montserrat; Issue 3, January-February 07; On 23-26 November 2006, the Natural Mountain Park of Montserrat (Catalonia, Spain) hosted the first workshop of the Iniciativa Delos Initiative, arranged by the Task Force on cultural and spiritual values in areas protected by the Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Experts from Europe, America and Asia took part in it, along with a group of observers from public authorities, universities, and Catholic and Buddhist monasteries. Eleven case studies from Spain, Finland, Greece, Japan, Romania, the United Kingdom and the USA were presented, they having been drawn up to promote positive synergies between the conservation of the intangible natural, spiritual and cultural values of those natural areas. The Minutes will be published in 2007, co-published by the IUCN and Monserrat Abbey.
You can find further information here.
: The first two landscape catalogues of Catalonia are finished; Issue 2, November-December 06; The Landscape Observatory delivered to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia last October the first two landscape catalogues of Catalonia, those corresponding to the Camp de Tarragona and the Plana de Lleida. Their contents will be available on the Landscape Observatory web in the next few weeks. The Landscape Observatory also started work this summer on the landscape catalogues of the Alt Pirineu and Aran, the districts of Girona and the Terres de l'Ebre, which will be finished at the end of summer 2007. The remaining two (Central districts and Metropolitan Barcelona) will be started in 2007.
: Catalonia, founder member of RECEP; Issue 2, November-December 06; Catalonia is a founder member of the new European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention (RECEP). The Landscape Observatory signed in the name of Catalonia, by delegation from the Catalan Government. The signing took place on 30 May 2006 in the seat of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, together with nineteen other local and regional European bodies. RECEP is a non-governmental organisation formed of European local and regional public bodies, which was set up with the objective of encouraging the awareness and implementation of the European Landscape Convention at this level of decision. It encourages the exchange of experiences and knowledge among its members regarding landscape matters, in such a way that they can cooperate under the umbrella of an international structure, while establishing contacts with non-governmental bodies, universities and research centres. Further, the network takes part in the Council of Europe expert committees entrusted with controlling the implementation of the Convention. The Network is presided over by Ms. Gabriella Cundari, Minister of Town and Country Planning of the region of Campania, and is directed by Riccardo Priore, official of the Council of Europe. The next meeting of the General Assembly of RECEP will take place in Strasbourg at the end of 2006 or the start of 2007.
: ‘Country of Landscapes' Exhibition; Issue 2, November-December 06; Catalonia is a country with extraordinary diversity and richness in landscapes. This idea was the inspiration for ‘Country of landscapes', an exhibition by the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and the Presidential Department of the Government of Catalonia and the Landscape Observatory, opened on 22 September in the History Museum of the City of Girona, on the occasion of the 5th Workshop Meeting for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention. It can be visited at Palau Robert in Barcelona from 20 October to 7 January 2007. The exhibition shows the development of the various landscapes of Catalonia and is structured in three broad ambits: ‘Art and the memory', ‘Living the landscape' and ‘Landscape, an asset for the future'. The exhibition enables us to appreciate how painters and writers have reproduced and recreated Catalan landscapes at various moments of history. Also we can experience different ways of living a landscape and even take photographs. The last part of the exhibition shows how the civic organisations and authorities are acting on landscape today, managing it and promoting awareness of it.
: 1st Landscape and Infrastructures Congress; Issue 2, November-December 06; The Government of Andalusia organised the congress Landscape and Infrastructures, held in Seville from 4 to 7 October, with 290 people registered. The objectives of the meeting were essentially two: to reduce the impact of infrastructures on landscape and make the infrastructures contribute to enjoyment of the landscape. From the papers and communications presented there emerged the following notable conclusions. The first is that methods of landscape analysis are converging and producing useful results for the planning, execution and management of infrastructures; the second is that the Andalusian Government has undertaken to carry out the following actions: development of standards and manuals of good practices and catalogues of landscape roads; the third, that the companies attending understood that the matter had investment opportunities, and the fourth, that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport wishes to hold further congresses on this theme with the support of the Landscape and Territory Study Centre.
: A successful conclusion to the 2nd i+ Territorial Custody Week, a space for the dissemination of the initiatives agreed for the landscape and the territory; Issue 2, November-December 06; From 29 September to 8 October there was the 2nd i+ Territorial Custody Week, a campaign of dissemination to the public of initiatives for territorial and landscape custody, in the form of agreements between owners, users of the territory and the custodian entities. Nearly a thousand people took part in more than 50 activities held in Catalonia, Andorra, the Balearic Isles and the Region of Valencia, organised by 45 entities and institutions, and coordinated by the Territorial Custody Network, with the support of various institutions. The programme was varied, with discussions, visits on foot and by bicycle, volunteer days, readings of stories and others. The opening of the week in Girona coincided with the end of the 5th Workshops Meeting for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, with a concert and a workshop debate on landscape policies in Catalonia and custodian entities with interesting conclusions.
: The Newspaper library: a new service in the Observatory web; Issue 2, November-December 06; The Observatory web has a new service in the form of a digital newspaper library, where news items on landscape appearing in the various written communication media from around the world can be consulted. At present the newspaper library has over 500 items, an amount which increases every day. From the newspaper library you can search for news items by date, by free text, by subject, by geographical ambit or by format (interview, story, report...).
In the newspaper library there are all the news items that the Landscape Observatory has been issuing weekly since June 2005 through the Dietari de paisatge (if you are interested you can register a subscription from our web).
: Five projects in Catalonia are selected for the European 'Good landscape practices' catalogue; Issue 2, November-December 06; The selection committee for the 2nd Mediterranean Landscape Prize, made up of representatives of the fourteen European Mediterranean regions which form the PAYS.DOC project, met in Barcelona last October to select the works which are to be included in the 'Good landscape practices catalogue'. This publication is intended to contribute to the dissemination of experiences able to transmit creativity in projects, quality in landscape interventions and effectiveness in the communication of landscape values. The five Catalan projects which form part of this catalogue are: European Landscape Biennial, Landscape restoration of the Vall d'en Joan landfill site, Special Outline Plan for Territorial Collegats-Terradets Park, A window opening on Landscape (Landscape Observatory web), Special Plan for Les Hortes de Santa Eugènia, Girona. The first three of these have also been chosen by a jury of international experts to form part of the short list of twenty candidates for the 2nd Mediterranean Landscape Prize which will be presented in Seville in 2007, coinciding with the closing seminar of the PAYS.DOC project.
: Everything is ready for the 5th Meeting of the Workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention; Issue 1, September-October 06; The Landscape Observatory is co-organiser, together with the Council of Europe, the 5th Meeting of the Workshops for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, which will be held in the Auditorium – Congress Palace in Girona on 28 and 29 September 2006, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and Girona City Hall. The meeting, entitled "Landscape quality objectives: from theory to practice", will deal with various international experiences in the identification and evaluation of landscapes and will debate on the definition of the targets in landscape quality and the application of landscape policies in the local, regional and state ambits. The "Meetings of the Workshops", promoted by the Council of Europe, deal in depth with the application of certain aspects of the European Landscape Convention, approved in Florence in October 2000, and are a veritable forum for the exchange of practices and ideas in the context of the landscape policies developed around Europe.
More information here
: Six Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) schools will pilot the use of the new teaching materials on 'City, territory and landscape'; Issue 1, September-October 06; One of the main tasks of the Landscape Observatory is to make everyone sensitive to landscape. To this end, it has been working in coordination with and on an initiative of the General Directorate of Architecture and Landscape of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works and the Ministry of Education, on designing innovative teaching materials on landscape for use in Compulsory Secondary Education. The material will be used experimentally in six schools, starting in the academic year 2006-2007, beginning this September. It consists of twelve wall charts which will enable pupils working as a team to interpret twelve humanised Catalan landscapes. Besides the material printed for the classrooms, the Landscape Observatory web will be, from this winter, a fundamental method of disseminating these and other teaching materials which are soon to be presented.
: The Landscape Observatory opens a debate on the relationship between landscape and health; Issue 1, September-October 06; On 16 June 2006 the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia organised the seminar "Landscape and Health". The seminar took place in Olot with 60 professional and students from different disciplines in the fields of social health, architecture, town and country planning, etc., as well as entities working with people with difficulties in social integration. The purpose of the seminar was to open a debate on the relationship between landscape and health, with the conviction that landscapes of quality, well ordered and managed, have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of the people and very particularly those most disadvantaged. It is, in fact, what the European Landscape Convention, signed in Florence on 20 October 2000, states when it recognises that landscape "is a key element of individual and social well-being, in areas recognised as being of outstanding beauty as well as everyday areas".
: The Landscape Observatory starts work on the landscape catalogues of Alt Pirineu and Aran, Girona districts and Terres de l'Ebre; Issue 1, September-October 06; The Landscape Observatory has started this summer to work on the landscape catalogues of Alt Pirineu and Aran, Girona Districts and Terres de l'Ebre, which will be finished in summer 2007. Also during September 2006 the Observatory will deliver to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning and Public Works of the Government of Catalonia the first two landscape catalogues, corresponding to Camp de Tarragona and Plana de Lleida. The two remaining (Central Districts and Metropolitan Region of Barcelona) will be started in 2007.

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