Landscape for participation

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Elvira Pujol and Joan Vila Puig

The publication of the book Paisatge i participació ciutadana ("Landscape and Citizen Participation) by the Landscape Observatory represents a great opportunity and it is a new contribution to a topic which sorely needs new reflections to update the concept and, especially, new practices to move forward on related issues. It's clear that participation is doubly-complex to manage: on the one hand, this is due to the explosion of variables implied in even simple analyses of landscape as the scenario for social life, and, on the other, due to the intricate network of the different administrative agents which make up the State of Law and Representative Democracy.

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The Landscape Observatory publishes the book 'Paisatge i participació ciutadana'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Andalusian Landscape Strategy: a tool for governance of the territory

Basic document of the Andalusian Landscape Strategy, prepared in January 2010 by the Department of Housing and Spatial Planning of the Government of Andalusia.

Fundació Agroterritori

This foundation has been created by the University of Girona, the Unió de Pagesos (Farmers' Union) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action with the aim of encouraging the preservation, development and management of agrarian spaces by studying them, defining proposals and promoting education, debate and initiatives aimed at fulfilling this objective.

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