Seminar Landscape and health

The European Landscape Convention signed in Florence on 20 October 2000, under the initiative of the Council of Europe and ratified by a large number of European countries, explicitly recognizes that "the landscape is an important part of the quality of life for people everywhere: in urban areas and in the countryside, in degraded areas as well as in areas of high quality, in areas recognized as being of outstanding beauty as well as everyday areas". The landscape, concludes the Convention, "is a key element of individual and social well-being". Aware of this fact, The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia and the Department of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia hope that this seminar will open up a debate about this question on the basis of the conviction that quality, well organized and managed landscapes have a positive effect on the physical and mental health of citizens, especially in more impoverished sectors. For this reason the seminar will place special emphasis on therapeutic experiences that use the landscape to provide positive stimulation to people with disabilities or to integrate marginal social sectors. Attention to diversity must also become a basic part of the implementation of landscape policies.

As a result of this seminar, the Observatory has published a book entitled Paisatge i salut (Landscape and health) which includes most of the presentations made during the seminar, as well as some previously unpublished contributions.